M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Gives Orders to Solomon
2 The time came near for David to die. So he gave orders to his son Solomon.
2 He said, “I’m about to die, just as everyone else on earth does. So be strong. Show how brave you are. 3 Do everything the Lord your God requires. Live the way he wants you to. Obey his orders and commands. Keep his laws and rules. Do everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will have success in everything you do. You will succeed everywhere you go. 4 The Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He said, ‘Your sons must be careful about how they live. They must be faithful to me with all their heart and soul. Then you will always have a son from your family line to sit on the throne of Israel.’
5 “You yourself know what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me. You know that he killed Abner, the son of Ner, and Amasa, the son of Jether. They were the two commanders of Israel’s armies. He killed them in a time of peace. It wasn’t a time of war. Joab spilled the blood of Abner and Amasa. With that blood he stained the belt around his waist. He also stained the sandals on his feet. 6 You are wise. So I leave him in your hands. Just don’t let him live to become an old man. Don’t let him die peacefully.
7 “But be kind to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead. Provide what they need. They were faithful to me when I had to run away from your brother Absalom.
8 “Don’t forget that Shimei, the son of Gera, is still around. He’s from Bahurim in the territory of Benjamin. Shimei cursed me bitterly. He did it on the day I went to Mahanaim. Later, he came down to welcome me at the Jordan River. At that time I made a promise in the name of the Lord. I promised Shimei, ‘I won’t put you to death with my sword.’ 9 But now I want you to think of him as guilty. You are wise. You will know what to do to him. Don’t let him live to become an old man. Put him to death.”
10 David joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in the City of David. 11 He had ruled over Israel for 40 years. He ruled for seven years in Hebron. Then he ruled for 33 years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David. His position as king was made secure.
Solomon’s Kingdom Is Made Secure
13 Adonijah was the son of David’s wife Haggith. He went to Bathsheba. She was Solomon’s mother. She asked Adonijah, “Have you come in peace?”
He answered, “Yes. I’ve come in peace.” 14 He continued, “I want to ask you something.”
“Go ahead,” she replied.
15 He said, “As you know, the kingdom belonged to me. The whole nation of Israel thought of me as their king. But now things have changed. The kingdom belongs to my brother. The Lord has given it to him. 16 But I have a favor to ask of you. Don’t say no to me.”
“Go ahead,” she said.
17 So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon for a favor. He won’t say no to you. Ask him to give me Abishag from Shunem to be my wife.”
18 “All right,” Bathsheba replied. “I’ll speak to the king for you.”
19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon. She went to him to speak for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her. He bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for his mother. She sat down at his right side.
20 “I have one small favor to ask of you,” she said. “Don’t say no to me.”
The king replied, “Mother, go ahead and ask. I won’t say no to you.”
21 She said, “Let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the Shunammite.”
22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why are you asking me to give Abishag, the Shunammite, to Adonijah? You might as well ask me to give him the whole kingdom! After all, he’s my older brother. And he doesn’t want the kingdom only for himself. He also wants it for Abiathar the priest and for Joab, the son of Zeruiah.”
23 Then King Solomon made a promise in the name of the Lord. He said, “Adonijah will pay with his life because of what he has asked for. If he doesn’t, may God punish me greatly. 24 The Lord has made my position as king secure. I’m sitting on the throne of my father David. The Lord has built a royal house for me, just as he promised. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that Adonijah will be put to death today.” 25 So King Solomon gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah struck down Adonijah, and he died.
26 The king spoke to Abiathar the priest. He said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You should really be put to death. But I won’t have it done now. That’s because you carried the ark of the Lord and King. You did it for my father David. You shared all of his hard times.” 27 So Solomon wouldn’t let Abiathar serve as a priest of the Lord anymore. That’s how the message the Lord had spoken at Shiloh came true. He had spoken it about the family of Eli.
28 News of what Solomon had done reached Joab. Joab had never made evil plans along with Absalom. But he had joined Adonijah. So he ran to the tent of the Lord. He grabbed the horns that stuck out from the upper corners of the altar for burnt offerings. 29 King Solomon was told that Joab had run to the tent. He was also told that Joab was by the altar. Then Solomon gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. He told him, “Go! Strike him down!”
30 So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord. He said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come on out!’ ”
But Joab answered, “No. I’d rather die here.”
Benaiah told the king what Joab had said to him.
31 Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do what he says. Strike him down and bury him. Then I and my family line won’t be held accountable for the blood Joab spilled. He killed people who weren’t guilty of doing anything wrong. 32 The Lord will pay him back for the blood he spilled. Joab attacked two men. He killed them with his sword. And my father David didn’t even know anything about it. Joab killed Abner, the son of Ner. Abner was the commander of Israel’s army. Joab also killed Amasa, the son of Jether. Amasa was the commander of Judah’s army. Abner and Amasa were better men than Joab is. They were more honest than he is. 33 May Joab and his children after him be held forever accountable for spilling the blood of Abner and Amasa. But may David and his children after him enjoy the Lord’s peace and rest forever. May the Lord also give his peace to David’s royal house and kingdom forever.”
34 So Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up to the Lord’s tent. There he struck down Joab. And he killed him. Joab was buried at his home out in the country. 35 The king put Benaiah in charge of the army. Benaiah took Joab’s place. The king also put Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.
36 Then the king sent for Shimei. He said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem. Live there. Don’t go anywhere else. 37 You must not leave the city and go across the Kidron Valley. If you do, you can be sure you will die. And it will be your own fault.”
38 Shimei replied to the king, “You are my king and master. What you say is good. I’ll do it.” Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.
39 Three years after Solomon had talked with Shimei, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off. They went to Achish, the king of Gath. He was the son of Maakah. Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” 40 When Shimei heard that, he put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went to Achish at Gath to look for his slaves. Shimei found them and brought them back from Gath.
41 Solomon was told that Shimei had left Jerusalem. He was told he had gone to Gath and had returned. 42 So the king sent for Shimei. He said to him, “Didn’t I force you to make a promise in the name of the Lord? Didn’t I warn you? I said, ‘You must not leave the city and go somewhere else. If you do, you can be sure you will die.’ At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I’ll obey your command.’ 43 So why didn’t you keep your promise to the Lord? Why didn’t you obey the command I gave you?”
44 The king continued, “You know all the wrong things you did to my father David. In your heart you know them. Now the Lord will pay you back for what you did. 45 But I will be blessed. The Lord will make David’s kingdom secure forever.”
46 Then the king gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah left the palace and struck down Shimei. And he died.
So the kingdom was now made secure in Solomon’s hands.
Do Good to Everyone
6 Brothers and sisters, what if someone is caught in a sin? Then you who live by the Spirit should correct that person. Do it in a gentle way. But be careful. You could be tempted too. 2 Carry one another’s heavy loads. If you do, you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are somebody when they are nobody, they are fooling themselves. 4 Each person should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves. They won’t be comparing themselves to someone else. 5 Each person should carry their own load. 6 But those who are taught the word should share all good things with their teacher.
7 Don’t be fooled. You can’t outsmart God. A man gathers a crop from what he plants. 8 Some people plant to please their desires controlled by sin. From these desires they will harvest death. Others plant to please the Holy Spirit. From the Spirit they will harvest eternal life. 9 Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. 10 So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it. Let’s try even harder to do good to the family of believers.
Not Circumcision but the New Creation
11 Look at the big letters I’m using as I write to you with my own hand!
12 Some people are worried about how things look on the outside. They are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do it for only one reason. They don’t want to suffer by being connected with the cross of Christ. 13 Even those who are circumcised don’t obey the law. But they want you to be circumcised. Then they can brag about what has been done to your body. 14 I never want to brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through that cross the ways of the world have been crucified as far as I am concerned. And I have been crucified as far as the ways of the world are concerned. 15 Circumcision and uncircumcision don’t mean anything. What really counts is that the new creation has come. 16 May peace and mercy be given to all who follow this rule. May peace and mercy be given to the Israel that belongs to God.
17 From now on, let no one cause trouble for me. My body has marks that show I belong to Jesus.
18 Brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The Lord Again Appoints Ezekiel to Warn Israel
33 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2 “Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them, ‘Suppose I send enemies against a land. And its people choose one of their men to stand guard. 3 He sees the enemies coming against the land. He blows a trumpet to warn the people. 4 Someone hears the trumpet. But they do not pay any attention to the warning. The enemies come and kill them. Then what happens to them will be their own fault. 5 They heard the sound of the trumpet. But they did not pay any attention to the warning. So what happened to them was their own fault. If they had paid attention, they would have saved themselves. 6 But suppose the guard sees the enemies coming. And he does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. The enemies come and kill one of them. Then their life has been taken away from them because they sinned. But I will hold the guard responsible for their death.’
7 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a prophet to warn the people of Israel. So listen to my message. Give them a warning from me. 8 Suppose I say to a sinful person, ‘You can be sure that you will die.’ And suppose you do not try to get them to change their ways. Then they will die because they have sinned. And I will hold you responsible for their death. 9 But suppose you do warn that sinful person. You tell them to change their ways. But they do not change. Then they will die because they have sinned. But you will have saved yourself.
10 “Son of man, speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘You are saying, “Our sins and the wrong things we have done weigh us down. We are wasting away because we have sinned so much. So how can we live?” ’ 11 Tell them, ‘When sinful people die, it does not give me any joy. But when they turn away from their sins and live, that makes me very happy. And that is just as sure as I am alive,’ announces the Lord and King. ‘So turn away from your sins! Change your evil ways! Why should you die, people of Israel?’
12 “Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them, ‘Suppose a godly person does not obey the Lord. Then the right things that person has done in the past count for nothing. Suppose a sinful person turns away from doing wrong things. Then the wrong things that person has done in the past won’t bring them judgment. A godly person who sins won’t be allowed to live. That’s true even though they used to do right things.’ 13 Suppose I tell a godly person that they will live. And they trust in the fact that they used to do what is right. But now they do what is evil. Then I will not remember any of the right things they have done. They will die because they have done so many evil things. 14 Suppose I say to a sinful person, ‘You can be sure you will die.’ And then they turn away from their sin. They do what is fair and right. 15 They return things they take to make sure loans are repaid. They give back what they have stolen. They obey my rules that give life. They do not do what is evil. Then you can be sure they will live. They will not die. 16 None of the sins they have committed will be held against them. They have done what is fair and right. So you can be sure they will live.
17 “In spite of that, your people say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ But it is what you do that is not fair. 18 Suppose a godly person stops doing what is right. And they do what is evil. Then they will die because of it. 19 But suppose a sinful person turns away from the evil things they have done. And they do what is fair and right. Then they will live by doing that. 20 In spite of that, you Israelites say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ But I will judge each of you based on how you have lived.”
The Lord Explains Why Jerusalem Fell
21 It was the 12th year since we had been brought to Babylon as prisoners. On the fifth day of the tenth month, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to bring me a report. He said, “The city has fallen!” 22 The evening before the man arrived, the power of the Lord came on me. He opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened. I was no longer silent.
23 Then a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 24 “Son of man, here is what the people living in Israel’s broken-down buildings are saying. ‘Abraham was only one man. But he owned the land. We are many people. The land must certainly belong to us.’ 25 So tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “You eat meat that still has blood in it. You worship your statues of gods. You commit murder. So should you still possess the land? 26 You depend on your swords. You do things I hate. Each one of you sleeps with your neighbor’s wife. So should you still possess the land?” ’
27 “Tell them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says. “The people who are left in those broken-down buildings will be killed by swords. Wild animals will eat up those who are out in the country. Those who are in caves and other safe places will die of a plague. And that is just as sure as I am alive. 28 I will turn the land into a dry and empty desert. The strength Jerusalem is so proud of will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be deserted. No one will travel across them. 29 So I will turn the land into a dry and empty desert. I will punish my people because of all the evil things they have done. I hate those things. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” ’
30 “Son of man, your people are talking about you. They are getting together by the walls of their houses and at their doors. They are saying to one another, ‘Come. Listen to the Lord’s message.’ 31 My people come to you, just as they usually do. They sit in front of you. They hear what you say. But they do not put it into practice. With their mouths they say they love me. But in their hearts they want what belongs to others. They try to get rich by cheating them. 32 You are nothing more to them than someone who sings love songs. They say you have a beautiful voice. They think you play an instrument well. They hear what you say. But they do not put it into practice.
33 “Everything I have told you will come true. You can be sure of it. Then the people will know that a prophet has been among them.”
For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of Asaph.
81 Sing joyfully to God! He gives us strength.
Give a loud shout to the God of Jacob!
2 Let the music begin. Play the tambourines.
Play sweet music on harps and lyres.
3 Blow the ram’s horn on the day of the New Moon feast.
Blow it again when the moon is full and the Feast of Booths begins.
4 This is an order given to Israel.
It is a law of the God of Jacob.
5 He gave it as a covenant law for the people of Joseph.
It was given when God went out to punish Egypt.
There I heard a voice I didn’t recognize.
6 The voice said, “I removed the load from your shoulders.
I set your hands free from carrying heavy baskets.
7 You called out when you were in trouble, and I saved you.
I answered you out of a thundercloud.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8 “My people, listen and I will warn you.
Israel, I wish you would listen to me!
9 Don’t have anything to do with the gods of other nations.
Don’t bow down and worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God.
I brought you up out of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.
11 “But my people wouldn’t listen to me.
Israel wouldn’t obey me.
12 So I let them go their own stubborn way.
I let them follow their own sinful plans.
13 “I wish my people would listen to me!
I wish Israel would live as I want them to live!
14 Then I would quickly bring their enemies under control.
I would use my power against their attackers.
15 Those who hate me would bow down to me in fear.
They would be punished forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest wheat.
I would satisfy you with the sweetest honey.”
A psalm of Asaph.
82 God takes his place at the head of a large gathering of leaders.
He announces his decisions among them.
2 He says, “How long will you stand up for those who aren’t fair to others?
How long will you show mercy to sinful people?
3 Stand up for the weak and for children whose fathers have died.
Protect the rights of people who are poor or treated badly.
4 Save those who are weak and needy.
Save them from the power of sinful people.
5 “You leaders don’t know anything.
You don’t understand anything.
You are in the dark about what is right.
Law and order have been destroyed all over the world.
6 “I said, ‘You leaders are like gods.
You are all children of the Most High God.’
7 But you will die, like mere human beings.
You will die like every other leader.”
8 God, rise up. Judge the earth.
All the nations belong to you.
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