M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Sheba’s Rebellion
20 A worthless troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjaminite, was present. He blew the ram’s horn and said, “We have no share with David, and no inheritance with the son of Jesse. Every man to his own tent,[a] Israel!” 2 So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stuck with their king and accompanied him from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines whom he had left to take care of the house and put them in a residence that was under guard. He provided for them but did not go to them anymore. They were confined until the day of their death—a life of widowhood.
4 The king said to Amasa, “You have three days to bring all the men of Judah to me and to be here yourself.” 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time that David had set for him.
6 So David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do more damage to us than Absalom. You take the soldiers of your lord. Pursue Sheba, so that he does not find fortified cities for himself, and we lose him.”
7 So Joab’s men, the Kerethites, the Pelethites, and all the elite troops followed Abishai. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
8 When they were by the large stone that is at Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his battle dress and had a belt with a sheathed dagger fastened around his waist. As he went forward, the dagger fell out. 9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” With his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa’s beard to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on guard against the dagger that was in Joab’s other hand. With it Joab struck Amasa in the abdomen, and Amasa’s intestines spilled out on the ground. It did not take another blow to kill him.
Joab and his brother Abishai resumed their pursuit of Sheba son of Bikri. 11 One of Joab’s young officers stood beside Amasa. He said, “Who favors Joab? Who is for David? Follow Joab.”
12 Amasa was still wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. Someone saw that all the people were stopping when they came upon Amasa and saw him, so he dragged Amasa off the highway into the field and threw a garment over him. 13 When Amasa was removed from the highway, everyone followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Ma’akah, and all the Berites[b] were gathered together and they followed him.
15 All the men who were with Joab besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Ma’akah. They constructed a siege ramp against the rampart of the city, and they started battering the wall to make it fall down.
16 A wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab, ‘Come here and let me speak to you.’” 17 He approached her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?”
He said, “I am.”
She said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.”
He said, “I am listening.”
18 She said, “In former times they always said, ‘Let them ask in Abel.’ That is how they settled things. 19 I am one of the peaceful, faithful people of Israel. You are seeking to put to death a whole city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?”
20 Joab answered, “May I be cursed, yes, cursed, if I am here to swallow up or destroy. 21 That is not the case. The fact is, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name is Sheba son of Bikri, lifted up his hand against King David. Just give him up, and I will withdraw from the city.”
The woman said to Joab, “Certainly! His head will be thrown over the wall to you.”
22 So the woman went to all the people with her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. Then he blew the ram’s horn, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. Joab then returned to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s Officers
23 Joab was over the whole army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and the Pelethites. 24 Adoram was in charge of forced labor. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the record keeper.[c] 25 Sheva[d] was the secretary, and Zadok and Abiathar were the high priests. 26 Also Ira the Jairite was a government minister[e] for David.
13 This is the third time I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony[a] of two or three witnesses.”[b] 2 I have said this before, and before I arrive I am saying it again—as I did when I was present the second time, even though I am now absent—to those who sinned earlier and to all the rest: When I arrive, I will not spare you. 3 I say this because you are seeking proof that Christ (who is not weak toward you, but is powerful in you) is speaking in me. 4 To be sure, he was crucified as a result of weakness, yet he lives as a result of God’s power. Certainly, we are also weak in him, but we will live with him for your benefit, as a result of God’s power.
5 Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not know this about yourselves: that Jesus Christ is in you—unless perhaps you fail the test? 6 But I hope that you will recognize that we are not failing the test.
7 We pray to God that you may not do anything evil, not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but so that you may do what is good, even if we may seem like those who are failing to pass the test. 8 To be sure, we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 Yes, we rejoice whenever we are weak and you are strong. And we are praying for your complete restoration. 10 It is for this reason that I am writing these things while I am still absent, so that, when I am present, I may not have to deal harshly with you, using the authority that the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.
Farewell
11 Finally, brothers,[c] rejoice. Set things in order. Be encouraged. Agree with one another. Be at peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
A Lament Over Tyre
27 The word of the Lord came to me. 2 You, son of man, take up a lament over Tyre. 3 Tell Tyre, who dwells at the entrances to the sea as a merchant traveling to many coastlands, this is what the Lord God says.
Tyre, you say, “I am a perfect beauty.”
4 Your borders were in the heart of the sea.
Your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They built for you a double-decked ship,[a] made of fir[b] from Senir.
They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
6 They made your oars of oak from Bashan.
Your planks were made of pine,[c] inlaid with ivory,
from the coasts of Cyprus.[d]
7 Your sail was brightly decorated linen from Egypt,
which also served as your banner.
Your awning was blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah.
8 Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad served as your rowers.
Tyre, your own skilled men, who were with you,
manned your sails.
9 Skilled veterans from Gebal[e] were on board with you,
serving as your repairmen.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
were in your harbor to engage in trade with you.
10 Warriors from Persia, Lud,[f] and Put were in your army.
They hung up their shields and helmets among you.
They enhanced your splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Cilicia were on your walls all around,
and men of Gammad were on your towers.
They hung their quivers all around on your walls.
They made your beauty perfect.
Tyre’s Trade[g]
12 Tarshish traded with you because of your great wealth of every kind. They traded silver, iron, tin, and lead for your exports.
13 Ionia, Tubal, and Meshek also dealt with you. They traded human beings and articles of bronze for your wares.
14 From Beth Togarmah, horses, war horses, and mules were traded to you because of the abundance of your products.
15 The men of Rhodes[h] also dealt with you. Many coastlands were agents of your trade, bringing back ivory tusks and ebony in payment to you.
16 Edom[i] traded with you because of the abundance of your products. They sold turquoise, purple, and finely embroidered cloth, linen, coral, and rubies[j] to you as exports.
17 Judah and the land of Israel also dealt with you. With wheat of Minnith, flour, honey, oil, and balm they bought your wares.
18 Damascus traded with you because of the abundance of your products, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth. They sold wine of Helbon, wool from Sahar, 19 and wine casks from Izalla[k] as exports. Wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were traded for your goods.
20 Dedan traded to you saddle blankets used for riding. 21 Arabia and all the rulers of Kedar were your agents for trade in lambs, rams, and goats. They were your agents for those. 22 Merchants of Sheba and Ra’amah dealt with you in all kinds of expensive perfumes and in all kinds of precious stones and gold, which they sold you for your merchandise.
23 Haran, Kanneh, and Eden, and dealers from Sheba, Assyria, and Kilmad were your dealers. 24 They were your dealers in elegant clothing, in purple garments and finely embroidered cloth, in carpets with multicolored trim, tightly wound with ropes for your marketplaces.
25 Tarshish ships traveled for you with your merchandise.
Tyre’s Collapse
So you were full and very heavily loaded in the midst of the seas. 26 Your rowers brought you out into deep water. An east wind broke you up in the heart of the sea. 27 Your wealth, your exports and your imports, your sailors and your pilots, your repairmen, and those who bring you imports, all your warriors on board—in fact, all your company who were on board—will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your collapse.
28 At the sound of the cry of distress from your pilots, the fields on the mainland will quake. 29 All who handle the oars will abandon their ships. The sailors and all the pilots of the sea will stand on shore. 30 They will shout loudly because of you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dirt on their heads and roll in ashes. 31 They will make themselves bald on account of you and put on sackcloth. They will weep bitterly over you, with a bitter lament. 32 In their grief, they will raise a lament over you. They utter this lament over you, “Who is like Tyre, now silenced in the midst of the sea?” 33 When your exports were unloaded from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. By your abundant wealth and your imports, you enriched the kings of the earth. 34 Now you have been broken up by the seas and sunk into the watery depths. Your merchandise and the entire company on board have sunk. 35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled because of you. Their kings’ hair stands on end. Their faces show distress. 36 Traders among the peoples whistle and hiss at you. You have become horrifying, and you will never exist again, forever.
Psalm 75
The God of History
Heading
For the choir director. “Do Not Destroy.”[a] A psalm by Asaph. A song.
Opening Praise
1 We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks.
Your wonderful deeds reveal that your name is near.
God’s Declaration
2 Yes, I choose the appointed time.
I am the one who judges rightly.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants are shaking.
I am the one who holds its pillars firm. Interlude
4 I say to the boasters, “Do not boast,”
and to the wicked, “Do not raise a horn.[b]
5 Do not raise your horns to the heights.
Do not speak insolently with an outstretched neck.”
His People’s Response
6 Indeed, power to promote someone does not come
from the east or from the west or from the wilderness.
7 No, it is God who makes the decision.
He brings down one. He raises up another.
8 Indeed, a cup is in the hand of the Lord.
The wine foams. It is fully mixed.
He pours this out.
Yes, they drain its dregs.
All the wicked of the earth drink.
Closing Praise
9 As for me, I will proclaim this forever.
I will make music for the God of Jacob.
10 I will cut off all the horns of the wicked.
The horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
Psalm 76
The God of Victory
Heading
For the choir director. With stringed instruments. A psalm by Asaph. A song.
God’s Fame
1 God is known in Judah. In Israel his name is great.
2 His shelter is in Salem. His dwelling place is in Zion.
God’s Victory
3 There he broke the flaming arrows, Interlude
the shield and the sword, and the weapons for battle.
4 You shine brightly as the Mighty One from the mountains full of prey.
5 The strong-hearted are plundered.
They have fallen into their final sleep.
Not one of the strong men can lift his hands.
6 At your rebuke,[c] O God of Jacob, both chariot and horses sleep.
7 You are to be feared, yes, you.
Who can stand before you at the time of your wrath?
8 From heaven you announced judgment.
The earth feared and was quiet
9 when you rose up to judge, O God, Interlude
and to save all the afflicted of the earth.
God’s Fame
10 Even the wrath of mankind[d] will bring you praise.
You wear what remains of your wrath like a belt.
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them.
Let all who are around him bring tribute to the one who is fearsome.
12 He restrains the spirit of nobles.
He is fearsome against the kings of the earth.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.