M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
17 1 “Give me 12,000 men! I’ll leave[a] tonight and pursue David,” Ahithophel advised Absalom. 2 “I’ll catch him while he is still tired and weak.[b] I’ll frighten him so all his people with him desert him. But I’ll only kill the king. 3 Then I’ll bring everybody else back to you. When the man you’re looking for is dead, all the rest of the people will return quietly.”
4 Even though this plan seemed like a good idea to Absalom and to all of the elders of Israel, 5 Absalom replied, “Call in Hushai the Archite so I can hear what he has to say, too!” 6 When Hushai approached Absalom, Absalom asked him, “Here’s what Ahithophel had to advise. Should we do what he says? Or if not, say so!”
Hushai Counters Ahithophel’s Advice
7 “Ahithophel’s advice is not best at this time,” Hushai suggested to Absalom. 8 “You know how strong your father and his men are. They’re as mad as a bear robbed of her cubs! Furthermore, your father is a skilled warrior. He won’t stay with his army at night. 9 Look! He’s probably already hiding in a cave or someplace like that. If the first attack fails, people will hear about it and think, ‘Absalom’s army is losing!’ 10 Then even men who would otherwise be as brave as lions will be scared, because every Israeli knows your father is a mighty man, and they know his men are valiant! 11 So here’s my advice: Muster everybody from one end of the country to the other![c] You’ll have an army in number like the sand on the seashore! Then you’ll go into battle! 12 We’ll go find David wherever he’s hiding. We’ll fall on him like dew on the ground! We’ll kill him and all of his men, and we won’t leave even one man alive! 13 If he escapes into a city, we’ll bring ropes to that city and tear it down! We won’t leave a single stone left in the valley!”
14 Absalom and all of the Israelis replied, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel’s!”
Hushai Warns David
But the Lord had planned to circumvent the sound advice of Ahithophel so the Lord could bring Absalom to destruction. 15 So Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He also reported what he himself had proposed. Hushai said, 16 “Quick! Get word to David! Tell him not to spend the night at the crossings that lead to the desert. Instead, he must cross the Jordan River immediately. That way, if he crosses the river, the king and his entourage[d] will survive.”
17 Meanwhile, since they could not risk being seen entering the city, Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been waiting at En-rogel, where a young servant woman was to go to inform them and they would then go brief King David. 18 But a young man observed Jonathan and Ahimaaz and informed Absalom, so they left in a hurry, arrived at the home of a man who lived at Bahurim, and hid inside a well that was in his courtyard. 19 The man’s wife grabbed a sheet, covered the mouth of the well with it, and spread some dried grain over it. As a result, nobody could tell it was a hiding place.[e]
20 When Absalom’s servants approached the woman of the house, they asked her, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
“They’ve already crossed the brook,” the woman answered. So Absalom’s servants went away in search of Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they couldn’t find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
21 A little while later, the men crawled up out of the well and went off to talk to King David. They told David, “Get up! Cross the water quickly, because this is what Ahithophel advised about you…” 22 So David got up and all of his entourage crossed the Jordan River.[f] Everyone had crossed the Jordan River by dawn’s first light.
Ahithophel’s Suicide
23 Meanwhile, when Ahithophel observed that his counsel was not being acted upon, he saddled his donkey, got up, and left for his hometown. Leaving behind a set of orders for his household, he hanged[g] himself. After his death he was buried in his father’s tomb.
David Receives Supplies in the Wilderness
24 Later, David arrived at Mahanaim. Absalom and all of the Israelis who supported him crossed the Jordan River. 25 Absalom had installed Amasa in place of Joab over the army. (Amasa was the son of a man named Jether the Ishmaelite. His mother was Abigail, a daughter of Nahash and a sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.) 26 Absalom and the Israelis with him[h] camped in the territory of Gilead. 27 When David arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi (Nahash’s son from the Ammonite town of Rabbah), Makir (Ammiel’s son from Lo-debar), and Barzillai (from Rogelim in Gilead) were already there. 28 They brought along bedding, bowls, clay basins, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grains, beans, peas, 29 honey, cheeses,[i] sheep, and cheese made from cow’s milk for David and his entourage because they had been reasoning, “The people are hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the wilderness.”
Paul’s Authority to Speak Forcefully
10 Now I myself, Paul, plead with you with the gentleness and kindness of the Messiah[a]—I who am humble when I am face to face with you but forceful toward you when I am away! 2 I beg you that when I come I will not need to be courageous by daring to oppose some people who think that we are living according to the flesh. 3 Of course, we are living in the world,[b] but we do not wage war in a world-like[c] way. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not those of the world.[d] Instead, they have the power of God to demolish fortresses. We tear down arguments 5 and every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive in order to obey the Messiah.[e] 6 Once your obedience is complete, we will be ready to reprimand every type of disobedience.
7 Look at the plain facts! If anyone is confident that he belongs to the Messiah,[f] he should remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to the Messiah,[g] so do we. 8 So if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave us to build you up and not to tear you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
9 I do not want you to think that I am trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For someone is saying,[h] “His letters are impressive and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible.” 11 Someone like this should take note of the following: What we say by letter when we are absent is what we will do when present!
Paul’s Reason for Boasting
12 We would not dare put ourselves in the same class with, or compare ourselves to, those who recommend themselves. Whenever they measure themselves by their own standards or compare themselves among themselves, they show how foolish they are. 13 We will not boast about what cannot be evaluated. Instead, we will stay within the field that God assigned us, so as to reach even you. 14 For it is not as though we were overstepping our limits when we came to you. We were the first to reach you with the gospel of the Messiah.[i] 15 We are not boasting about work done by others that cannot be evaluated. On the contrary, we cherish the hope that your faith may continue to grow and enlarge our sphere of action among you until it overflows. 16 Then we can preach the gospel in the regions far beyond you without boasting about things already accomplished by someone else.
17 “The person who boasts should boast in the Lord.”[j] 18 It is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person whom the Lord commends.
God Brews His Judgment
24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month, and on the tenth day of the month, this message came to me from the Lord:
2 “Son of Man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem on this very day. 3 So compose a parable for the rebellious house. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“Prepare your pot for boiling!
Set it in place.
Fill it up with water, too.
4 Gather together the best pieces of meat on it—
including the thighs and the shoulders—
and fill it with the choicest bones.
5 Take the best bones from the flock,
pile wood[a] under the pot[b] for the bones,
bring it to a boil,
and then cook the bones in it.”’”
Woe to Jerusalem
6 “This is what the Lord God says:
‘How terrible it is for that blood-filled city,
to the pot whose rust remains in it,
whose rust won’t come off.
Empty it one piece at a time.
Don’t let a lot fall on it.
7 Her blood was in it.
She poured it out onto bare rock.
She didn’t pour it out on the ground,
intending to cover it with dirt.
8 In order to stir up my anger
and in order to take vengeance,
I set the blood on a bare rock
so that it cannot be covered.’
9 “Therefore this is what the Lord God says:
‘How terrible it is for that blood-filled city—
I’m also going to add to my[c] pile of kindling.
10 Pile up the wood!
Make the fire burn hot.
Boil the meat!
Mix the seasonings.
Burn those bones to a crisp!
11 Make the pot stand empty on the coals
until its bronze glows red,[d]
its rust can be scoured off,[e]
and its dross completely removed.
12 The pot[f] wearies me,[g]
but its thick[h] rust won’t come off,
even with fire.
13 There is wickedness in your obscene conduct.
Even though I’ve cleansed you,
your uncleanness cannot be washed away.
You cannot be cleansed again
until my rage against you has subsided.’
14 “‘I, the Lord have spoken. It will happen, because I’m going to do it. I won’t hold back, have compassion, or change my mind.[i] They’ll judge you according to your ways and deeds,’ declares the Lord God.”
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 This message came to me from the Lord: 16 “Son of Man, pay attention! I’m about to take away your most precious treasure[j] with a single, fatal stroke, but you are not to mourn, weep, nor even let tears well up in your eyes.[k] 17 You are to weep in silence, but you are not to participate in mourning rituals.[l] You are to keep your turban on your head and your sandals on your feet. You are not to cover your mouth[m] or eat what your comforters bring to you.”[n]
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died that evening. The next[o] morning, I did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people told me, “Are you going to explain what these things that you’re doing should mean to us?”
20 So I responded, “This message came to me from the Lord: 21 ‘Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: “Look! I’m about to profane my sanctuary, the source of your proud strength, the desire of your eyes, and the object of your affection. Your sons and daughters, whom you’ve left behind, will die by the sword. 22 That’s why you will soon be doing what I’ve just done. You are not to cover your mouth[p] or eat what your comforters bring to you.[q] 23 Your turbans will be on your heads and your sandals will be on your feet. You won’t mourn or weep. Instead, you’ll waste away in your sins. Every one of you will groan to his relative. 24 That’s how Ezekiel will be an example for you. You’ll be doing exactly what he has done. When it happens, then you’ll know that I am the Lord God.”’
25 “And now, Son of Man, on the day that I take their strength, joy, and glory from them, those whom they love to watch, the focus of their affection—their sons and daughters— 26 at that time,[r] a fugitive will come to you and will bring you the news.[s] 27 Your mouth will freely speak to the fugitive. You won’t be silent any longer. You’ll be a sign to them. Then they’ll know that I am the Lord.”
Solomonic
A Prayer for the King
72 God, endow the king with ability to render[a] your justice,
and the king’s son to render your right decisions.
2 May he rule your people with right decisions
and your oppressed ones with justice.
3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people
and the hills bring righteousness.
4 May he defend the afflicted of the people
and deliver the children of the poor,
but crush the oppressor.
5 May they fear you as long as the sun and moon shine[b]—
from generation to generation.
6 May he be like the rain that descends on mown grass,
like showers sprinkling on the ground.
7 The righteous will flourish at the proper time
and peace will prevail until the moon is no more.
8 May he rule from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River[c] to the ends of the earth.
9 May the nomads bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring gifts,
and may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer tribute.
11 May all kings bow down to him,
and all nations serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy when they cry out for help,
and the poor when there is no deliverer.
13 He will have compassion on the poor and the needy,
and he will save the lives of the needy.
14 He will redeem them[d] from oppression and violence,
since their lives are[e] precious in his sight.
Prayer for the King
15 May he live long and be given gold from Sheba,
and may prayer be offered for him continuously,
and may he be blessed every day.
16 May grain be abundant in the land
all the way[f] to the mountain tops;
may its fruits flourish
like the forests of Lebanon,
and may the cities sprout
like the grass of the earth.
Praising the God of Israel
17 May his fame[g] be eternal—
as long as the sun—
may his name endure,
and may they be blessed through him,
and may all nations call him blessed.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does awesome deeds.
19 And blessed be his glorious name forever,
and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!
20 This ends the prayers of Jesse’s son David.
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