M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Hears That Saul Has Died
1 After Saul died, David returned to Ziklag. He had won the battle over the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp. His clothes were torn. He had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to show him respect.
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked him.
He answered, “I’ve escaped from Israel’s camp.”
4 “What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”
He said, “Israel’s men ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
5 David spoke to the young man who brought him the report. He asked him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6 “I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said. “Saul was there too. He was leaning on his spear. The enemy chariots and chariot drivers had almost caught up with him. 7 Then he turned around and saw me. He called out to me. I said, ‘What do you want me to do?’
8 “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“ ‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.
9 “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m close to death, but I’m still alive.’
10 “So I stood beside him and killed him. I did it because I knew that after he had lost the battle he would be killed anyway. So I took the crown that was on his head. I also took his armband. I’ve brought them here to you. You are my master.”
11 Then David tore his clothes. And all his men tore their clothes. 12 All of them were filled with sadness. They mourned over the whole nation of Israel. They didn’t eat anything until evening. That’s because Saul and Jonathan and the Lord’s army had been killed by swords.
13 David spoke to the young man who had brought him the report. He asked, “Where are you from?”
“I’m the son of an outsider, an Amalekite,” he answered.
14 David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to kill the Lord’s anointed king?”
15 Then David called for one of his men. He said, “Go! Strike him down!” So he struck the man down, and the man died. 16 That’s because David had said to him, “Anything that happens to you will be your own fault. What your own mouth has spoken is a witness against you. You said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed king.’ ”
David’s Song of Sadness About Saul and Jonathan
17 David sang a song of sadness about Saul and his son Jonathan. 18 He ordered that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is a song that is played on a stringed instrument. It is written down in the Book of Jashar. David sang,
19 “Israel, a gazelle lies dead on your hills.
Your mighty men have fallen.
20 “Don’t announce it in Gath.
Don’t tell it in the streets of Ashkelon.
If you do, the daughters of the Philistines will be glad.
The daughters of men who haven’t been circumcised will be joyful.
21 “Mountains of Gilboa,
may no dew or rain fall on you.
May no showers fall on your hillside fields.
The shield of the mighty king wasn’t respected there.
The shield of Saul lies there. It isn’t rubbed with oil anymore.
22 The bow of Jonathan didn’t turn back.
The sword of Saul didn’t return without being satisfied.
They spilled the blood of their enemies.
They killed mighty men.
23 “When they lived, Saul and Jonathan were loved and respected.
When they died, they were not parted.
They were faster than eagles.
They were stronger than lions.
24 “Daughters of Israel, mourn over Saul.
He dressed you in the finest clothes.
He decorated your clothes with ornaments of gold.
25 “Your mighty men have fallen in battle.
Jonathan lies dead on your hills.
26 My brother Jonathan, I’m filled with sadness because of you.
You were very special to me.
Your love for me was wonderful.
It was more wonderful than the love of women.
27 “Israel’s mighty men have fallen.
Their weapons of war are broken.”
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
12 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 2 You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak. 3 So I want you to know that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “May Jesus be cursed.” And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, “Jesus is Lord.”
4 There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. 6 There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people.
7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. 11 All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.
One Body but Many Parts
12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.
15 Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 16 And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? 18 God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? 20 As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.
21 The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. 23 The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. 24 The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. 25 In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy.
27 You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. 28 First, God has placed apostles in the church. Second, he has placed prophets in the church. Third, he has placed teachers in the church. Then he has given to the church miracles and gifts of healing. He also has given the gift of helping others and the gift of guiding the church. God also has given the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. 29 Is everyone an apostle? Is everyone a prophet? Is everyone a teacher? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in languages they had not known before? Do all explain what is said in those languages? 31 But above all, you should want the more important gifts.
Love Is Necessary
But now I will show you the best way of all.
The Glory of the Lord Moves Out of the Temple
10 I looked up and saw something that appeared to be a throne made out of lapis lazuli. It was above the huge space that was spread out over the heads of the cherubim. 2 The Lord spoke to the man who was wearing linen clothes. He said, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from the fire that is among the cherubim. Scatter the coals over the city.” As I watched, he went in.
3 The cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in. A cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4 Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim. It moved to the doorway of the temple. The cloud filled the temple. And the courtyard was full of the brightness of the glory of the Lord. 5 The sound the wings of the cherubim made could be heard as far away as the outer courtyard. It was like the voice of the Mighty God when he speaks.
6 The Lord gave a command to the man who was dressed in linen clothes. He said, “Get some coals of fire from among the wheels. Take them from among the cherubim.” So the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand. He picked up some of the burning coals that were among the wheels. He handed them to the man who was wearing linen clothes. The man took them and left. 8 I saw what looked like human hands. They were under the wings of the cherubim.
9 I looked up and saw four wheels beside the cherubim. One wheel was beside each of them. The wheels gleamed like topaz. 10 All four of them looked alike. Each wheel appeared to be inside another wheel at right angles. 11 The wheels could go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced. The wheels didn’t change their direction as the cherubim moved. The cherubim went in the direction their heads faced. They didn’t change their direction as they moved. 12 Their whole bodies were completely covered with eyes. That included their backs, hands and wings. Their four wheels were covered with eyes too. 13 I heard someone tell the wheels to start spinning around. 14 Each of the cherubim had four faces. One face was the face of a cherub. The second was the face of a human being. The third was the face of a lion. And the fourth was an eagle’s face.
15 The cherubim rose from the ground. They were the same living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved. The cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground. As they did, the wheels didn’t leave their side. 17 When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still. When the cherubim rose, the wheels rose along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels.
18 Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the doorway of the temple. It stopped above the cherubim. 19 While I watched, they spread their wings. They rose from the ground. As they went, the wheels went along with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
20 These were the same living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. I had seen them beneath the God of Israel. I realized that they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and four wings. Under their wings was what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces looked the same as the ones I had seen by the Kebar River. Each of the cherubim went straight ahead.
For the director of music. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
49 Hear this, all you nations.
Listen, all you who live in this world.
2 Listen, people, whether you are ordinary or important.
Listen, people, whether you are rich or poor.
3 My mouth will speak wise words.
What I think about in my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will pay attention to a proverb.
I will explain my riddle as I play the harp.
5 Why should I be afraid when trouble comes?
Why should I fear when sinners are all around me?
They are the kind of people who want to take advantage of me.
6 They trust in their wealth.
They brag about how rich they are.
7 No one can pay for the life of anyone else.
No one can give God what that would cost.
8 The price for a life is very high.
No payment is ever enough.
9 No one can pay enough to live forever
and not rot in the grave.
10 Everyone can see that even wise people die.
People who are foolish and who have no sense also pass away.
All of them leave their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever.
Their graves will be their homes for all time to come.
Naming lands after themselves won’t help either.
12 Even though people may be very rich, they don’t live on and on.
They are like the animals. They die.
13 That’s what happens to those who trust in themselves.
It also happens to their followers, who agree with what they say.
14 They are like sheep and will end up in the grave.
Death will be their shepherd.
But when honest people come to power, a new day will dawn.
The bodies of sinners will waste away in the grave.
They will end up far away from their princely houses.
15 But God will save me from the place of the dead.
He will certainly take me to himself.
16 Don’t get too upset when other people become rich.
Don’t be troubled when they become more and more wealthy.
17 They won’t take anything with them when they die.
Their riches won’t go down to the grave with them.
18 While they lived, they believed they were blessed.
People praised them when things were going well for them.
19 But they will die, like their people of long ago.
They will never again see the light of life.
20 People who have riches but don’t understand
are like the animals. They die.
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