M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
25 1 Samuel dieth. 3 Nabal and Abigail. 38 The Lord killeth Nabal. 43 Abigail and Ahinoam David’s wives. 44 Michal is given to Palti.
1 Then (A)Samuel died, and all Israel assembled, and mourned for him, and buried him in his [a]own house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2 Now in [b]Maon was a man, who had his possession in Carmel, and the man was exceeding mighty, and had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 The name also of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, and she was a woman of singular wisdom, and beautiful, but the man was churlish, and evil conditioned, and was of the family of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5 Therefore David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and ask him in my name [c]how he doeth.
6 And thus shall ye say [d][e]for salutation, Both thou, and thine house, and all that thou hast, be in peace, wealth and prosperity.
7 Behold, I have heard, that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds were with us, and we did them no hurt, neither did they miss anything all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy servants, and they will show thee. Wherefore let these young men find favor in thine eyes: (for we come in a good season) give, I pray thee, whatsoever [f]cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 ¶ And when David’s young men came, they told Nabal all those words in the name of David, and held their peace.
10 Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the [g]son of Jesse? there be many servants nowadays, that break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12 ¶ So David’s servants turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those things.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird every man his sword about him. And they girded every man his sword: David also girded his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, and two hundred abode by the [h]carriage.
14 Now one of the servants told Abigail Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he [i]railed on them.
15 Notwithstanding, the men were very good [j]unto us, and we had no displeasure, neither missed we anything as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields.
16 They were as a wall unto us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping sheep.
17 Now therefore take heed, and see what thou shalt do: for evil [k]will surely come upon our master, and upon all his family: for he is so wicked, that a man cannot speak to him.
18 ¶ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred [l]cakes, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred [m]frails of raisins, and two hundred of figs, and laid them on asses.
19 Then she said unto her servants, Go ye before me: behold, I will come after you: yet she told not her [n]husband Nabal.
20 And as she rode on her ass, she came down by a secret place of the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down against her, and she met them.
21 And David said, Indeed I have kept all in vain that this fellow had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: for he hath requited me evil for good.
22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David: for surely I will not leave of all that he hath by the dawning of the day, any that [o]pisseth against the wall.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted and lighted off her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24 And fell at his feet, and said, Oh, my lord, I have committed the iniquity, and I pray thee, let thine handmaid speak [p]to thee, and hear thou the words of thine handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this wicked man, Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: [q]Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord whom thou sentest.
26 Now therefore my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth (the Lord, I say, that hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and that thine [r]hand should not save thee) so now thine enemies shall be as Nabal, and they that intend to do my lord evil.
27 And now this [s]blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the young men, that [t]follow my lord.
28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will make my lord a [u]sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and none evil hath been found in thee [v]in all thy life.
29 Yet [w]a man hath risen up to persecute thee, and to seek thy soul, but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the [x]bundle of life with the Lord thy God: and the soul of thine enemies shall God cast out, as out of the middle of a sling.
30 And when the Lord shall have done to my lord all the good that he hath promised thee, and shall have made thee ruler over Israel,
31 Then shall it be no grief unto thee, nor offence of mind unto my lord, that he hath not shed blood causeless, nor that my lord hath [y]not preserved himself: and when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, remember thine handmaid.
32 Then David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me.
33 And blessed be thy counsel, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, [z]and that mine hand hath not saved me.
34 For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, [aa]who hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and met me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the dawning of the day, any that pisseth against the wall.
35 Then David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to thine house: behold, I have heard thy voice, and have [ab]granted thy petition.
36 ¶ So Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he made a feast in his house, like the feast of a king, and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him [ac]nothing, neither less nor more, until the morning arose.
37 Then in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, his wife told him those words, and his heart died within him, and he was like [ad]a stone.
38 And about ten days after, the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
39 ¶ Now when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath [ae]judged the cause of my rebuke of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath recompensed the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. Also David sent to commune with Abigail, to [af]take her to his wife.
40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us to thee, to take thee to his wife.
41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, and her five maids [ag]followed her, and she went after the messengers of David, and was his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of (B)Jezreel, and they were both his wives.
44 Now Saul had given (C)Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, which was of [ah]Gallim.
6 1 He inveigheth against their contention in law matters, 6 wherewith they vexed one another under judges that were infidels, to the reproach of the Gospel, 9 and then sharply threateneth fornicators.
1 Dare [a][b]any of you, having business against another, be judged [c]under the unjust, [d]and not under the Saints?
2 [e]Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world? If the world then shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
4 [f]If then ye have [g]judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them up which are [h]least esteemed in the Church.
5 [i]I speak it to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one, that can judge between his brethren?
6 But a brother goeth to law with a brother, and that under the infidels.
7 [j]Now therefore there is altogether [k]infirmity in you, that ye go to law one with another: (A)[l]why rather suffer ye not wrong? why rather sustain ye not harm?
8 (B)Nay, ye yourselves do wrong, and do harm, and that to your brethren.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? [m]Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor buggerers,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were (C)some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the [n]Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
12 ¶ (D)[o][p]All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not profitable. I may do all things, but I will not be brought under the [q]power of any thing.
13 [r]Meats are ordained for the belly, and the belly for the meats: but God shall destroy both it, and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God hath also raised up the Lord, and (E)shall raise us up by his power.
15 [s]Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 [t]Do ye not know, that he which coupleth himself with an harlot, is one body? (F)for [u]two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord, is one spirit.
18 [v]Flee fornication: every sin that a man doeth, is without the body: but he that commiteth fornication, sinneth against his own body.
19 [w]Know ye not, that (G)your body is the temple of the holy Ghost, which is in you, whom ye have of God? and [x]ye are not your own.
20 (H)For ye are bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit: for they are God’s.
4 1 The besieging of the city of Jerusalem is signified. 9 The long continuance of the captivity of Israel. 16 An hunger is prophesied to come.
1 Thou also son of man, take thee a brick, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem,
2 And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it, set the camp also against it, and lay engines of war against it round about.
3 Moreover, take an [a]iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city, and direct thy face toward it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it: this shall be a sign unto the house of Israel.
4 Sleep thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the [b]house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days, that thou shalt sleep upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity.
5 For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity according to the number of the days, even three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
6 And when thou hast accomplished them, sleep again upon thy [c]right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee a day for a year, even a day for a year.
7 Therefore thou shalt direct thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine [d]arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.
8 And behold, I will lay [e]bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.
9 Thou shalt take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, [f]and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof according to the number of the days, that thou shalt sleep upon thy side: even [g]three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.
10 And the meat, whereof thou shalt eat shall be by weight, even [h]twenty shekels a day: and from time to time shalt thou eat thereof.
11 Thou shalt drink also water by measure, even the sixth part of [i]an Hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.
12 And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it [j]in the dung that cometh out of man in their sight.
13 And the Lord said, So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will cast them.
14 Then said I, Ah, Lord God, behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up, even unto this hour, I have not eaten of a thing dead or torn in pieces, neither came there any [k]unclean flesh in my mouth.
15 Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee bullocks [l]dung for man’s dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.
16 Moreover, he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break [m]the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care, and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment.
17 Because that bread and water shall fail, they shall be astonied one with another, and shall consume away for their iniquity.
40 1 David delivered from great danger doth magnify and praise the grace of God for his deliverance, and commendeth his providence toward all mankind. 5 Then doth he promise to give himself wholly to God’s service, and so declareth how God is truly worshipped. 14 Afterwards he giveth thanks and praiseth God, and having complained of his enemies, with good courage he calleth for aid and succor.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me also out of the [b]horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon the rock, and ordered my goings.
3 And he hath put in my mouth [c]a new song of praise unto our God: many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and regardeth [d]not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 [e]O Lord my God, thou hast made thy wonderful works so many, that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward us: I would declare and speak of them, but they are more than I am able to express.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire: (for [f]mine ears hast thou prepared) burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 [g]Then said I, Lo, I come: for in the roll of the book it is written of me.
8 I desired to do thy good will, O my God: yea, thy Law is within mine heart.
9 I have declared thy righteousness in the [h]great congregation: lo, I will not refrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within mine heart, but I have declared thy [i]truth and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy mercy, and thy truth from the great Congregation.
11 Withdraw not thou thy tender mercy from me, O Lord, let thy mercy and thy truth always preserve me.
12 For innumerable troubles have compassed me: my sins have taken such hold upon me, that I am not able to look up: yea, they are more in number than the hairs of mine head: therefore mine heart hath [j]failed me.
13 Let it please thee, O Lord, to deliver me: make haste, O Lord, to help me.
14 Let them be [k]confounded and put to shame together, that seek my soul to destroy it: let them be driven backward and put to rebuke that desire mine hurt.
15 Let them be [l]destroyed for a reward of their shame, which say unto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all them that seek thee, rejoice and be glad in thee, and let them that love thy salvation, say always, [m]The Lord be praised.
17 Though I be poor and needy, the Lord thinketh on me: thou art mine helper and my deliverer: my God, make no tarrying.
41 1 David being grievously afflicted, blesseth them that pity his case, 9 and complaineth of the treason of his own friends and familiars, as came to pass in Judas, John 13:18. After he feeling the great mercies of God gently chastising him, and not suffering his enemies to triumph against him, 13 giveth most hearty thanks to God.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 Blessed is he that [n]judgeth wisely of the poor: the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.
2 The Lord will keep him and preserve him alive, he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the [o]bed of sorrow: thou hast turned all his [p]bed in his sickness.
4 Therefore I said, Lord have mercy upon me: heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
5 Mine enemies [q]speak evil of me, saying, When shall he die, and his name perish?
6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh [r]lies, but his heart heapeth iniquity within him, and when he cometh forth, he telleth it.
7 All they that hate me whisper together against me: even against me do they imagine mine hurt.
8 [s]A mischief is light upon him, and he that lieth, shall no more rise.
9 Yea, my [t]familiar friend, whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, [u]hath lifted up the heel against me.
10 Therefore, O Lord, have mercy upon me, and raise me up: so shall I reward them.
11 By this I know that thou favorest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph against me.
12 And as for me thou upholdest me [v]in mine integrity, and dost set me before thy [w]face forever.
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel world without end. [x]So be it, even so be it.
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