M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
26 1 David was discovered unto Saul by the Ziphites. 12 David taketh away Saul’s spear, and a pot of water that stood at his head. 21 Saul confesseth his sin.
1 Again the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, (A)Doth not David hide himself [a]in the hill of Hachilah before [b]Jeshimon?
2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand [c]chosen men of Israel with him, for to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon by the wayside. Now David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4 (For David had sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come [d]in very deed.)
5 Then David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and when David beheld the place where Saul lay, and (B)Abner the son of Ner which was his chief captain, (for Saul lay in the fort, and the people pitched round about him.)
6 Then spake David, and said to Ahimelech the [e]Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to [f]Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the host? Then Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7 So David and Abishai came down to the people by night: and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the fort, and his spear did stick in the ground at his [g]head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 ¶ Then said Abishai to David, God hath closed thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore, I pray thee, let me smite him once with a spear to the earth, and I will not smite him [h]again.
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can lay his hand [i]on the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?
10 Moreover David said, As the Lord liveth, either the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
11 The Lord keep me from laying mine hand upon the Lord’s anointed: but, I pray thee, take now the spear that is at his head, and the pot of water, and let us go hence.
12 So David took the spear and the pot of water from Saul’s head, and they got them away, and no man saw it, nor marked it, neither did any awake, but they were all asleep: for [j]the Lord had sent a dead sleep upon them.
13 Then David went unto the other side, and stood on the top of an hill a far off, a great space being between them.
14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, [k]Hearest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered, and said, Who art thou that cryest to the King?
15 ¶ And David said to Abner, Art not thou a [l]man? and who is like thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy Lord the King? for there came one of the folk in to destroy the king thy lord.
16 This is not well done of thee: as the Lord liveth, ye are [m]worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master the Lord’s anointed: and now see where the King’s spear is, and the pot of water that was at his head.
17 And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, [n]my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O King.
18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus persecute his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I beseech thee, let my Lord the King hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, [o]let him smell the savor of a sacrifice: but if the children of men have done it, cursed be they before the Lord: for they have cast me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve [p]other gods.
20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the King of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as one would hunt a partridge in the mountains.
21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: Come again, my son David: for I will do thee no more harm, because my soul was [q]precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have done foolishly, and have erred exceedingly.
22 Then David answered, and said, Behold the King’s spear, let one of the young men come over and fet it.
23 And let the Lord reward every man according to his [r]righteousness and faithfulness: for the Lord had delivered thee into mine hands this day, but I would not lay mine hand upon the Lord’s anointed.
24 And behold, like as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes: so let my life be set by in the eyes of the Lord, that he may deliver me out of all tribulation.
25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed art thou, my son David: for thou shalt do great things, and also prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his [s]place.
7 Entreating here of marriage, 4 which is a remedy against fornication, 10 and may not be broken, 18, 20 he willeth every man to live contented with his lot. 25 He showeth what the end of virginity should be, 35 and who ought to marry.
1 Now [a]concerning the things [b]whereof ye wrote unto me, It were [c]good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 (A)[d]Let the husband give unto the wife [e]due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 [f]The wife hath not the power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not the power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud not one another, [g]except it be with consent for a time, that ye may [h]give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and again come together, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 [i]But I speak this by permission, not by commandment.
7 For I [j]would that all men were even as I myself am: but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 [k]Therefore I say unto the [l]unmarried, and unto the widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I do.
9 But if they cannot abstain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to [m]burn.
10 (B)[n]And unto the married I command, not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband.
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled unto her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife.
12 [o]But to the remnant I speak, and not the Lord, If any brother have a wife that believeth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not forsake her.
13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, if he be content to dwell with her, let her not forsake him.
14 [p]For the unbelieving husband is [q]sanctified to the [r]wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified to the [s]husband, else were your children unclean: but now are they [t]holy.
15 [u]But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart: a brother or a sister is not in subjection in [v]such things: [w]but God hath called us in peace.
16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thine husband? Or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
17 [x]But as God hath distributeth to every man, as the Lord [y]hath called every one, so let him walk: and so ordain I in all Churches.
18 [z]Is any man called being circumcised? let him not [aa]gather his uncircumcision: is any called uncircumcised? let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 (C)Let every man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called.
21 Art thou called being a servant? [ab]care not for it: but if yet thou mayest be free, use it rather.
22 For he that is called in the [ac]Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christ’s servant.
23 (D)[ad]Ye are bought with a price: be not the servants of men.
24 [ae]Brethren, let every man, wherein he was called, therein abide with [af]God.
25 [ag]Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give mine [ah]advise, as [ai]one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
26 I suppose then [aj]this to be good for the [ak]present necessity: I mean that it is good for a man so to be.
27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
28 But if thou takest a wife, thou sinnest not: and if a virgin marry, she sinneth not: nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the [al]flesh: but I [am]spare you.
29 And this I say, brethren, because the time is [an]short, hereafter that both they which have wives, be as though they had none:
30 And they that [ao]weep, as though they wept not: and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not: and they that buy, as though they possessed not:
31 And they that use this [ap]world, as though they used it not: for the [aq]fashion of this world goeth away.
32 And I would have you without care. The unmarried careth for things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
33 But he that is married, [ar]careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 There is difference also between a virgin and a wife: the unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in [as]spirit: but she that is married, careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own [at]commodity, not to tangle you in a snare, but that ye follow that which is honest, and that ye may cleave fast unto the Lord without separation.
36 [au]But if any man think that it is uncomely for his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he [av]sinneth not: let them be married.
37 Nevertheless, he that standeth firm in his [aw]heart, that he hath no [ax]need, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart, that he will keep his virgin, he doeth well.
38 So then he that giveth her to marriage, doeth well, but he that giveth her not to marriage, doeth [ay]better.
39 [az]The wife is bound by the [ba]law, as long as her husband (E)liveth: but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to marry with whom she will, only in the [bb]Lord.
40 But she is more blessed, if she so abide in my judgment: (F)and I think that I have also the Spirit of God.
5 The sign of the hairs, whereby is signified the destruction of the people.
1 And thou son of man, take thee a sharp knife, or take thee a barber’s razor, and cause it [a]to pass upon thine head, and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
2 Thou shalt burn with fire the third part in the midst of the [b]city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled, and thou shalt take the other third part, and smite about it with a knife, and the last third part thou shalt scatter in the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy [c]lap.
4 Then take of them again and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire: [d]for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.
5 Thus saith the Lord God, This is Jerusalem, I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries, that are round about her.
6 And she hath changed my [e]judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries, that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments, and my statutes, and they have not walked in them.
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because your [f]multitude is greater than the nations that are round about you, and ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye kept my judgments: no, ye have not done according to the judgments of the nations, that are round about you.
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I come against thee, and will execute judgment in the midst of thee, even in the sight of the nations.
9 And I will do in thee that I never did before, neither will do anymore the like, because of all thine abominations.
10 For in the midst of thee, the fathers (A)shall eat their sons, and the sons shall eat their fathers, and I will execute judgment in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.
11 Wherefore as I live, saith the Lord God, Surely, because thou hast defiled my Sanctuary with all thy filthiness, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also destroy thee, neither shall mine eye spare thee, neither will I have any pity.
12 The third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and another third part shall fall by the sword round about thee: and I will scatter the last third part into all winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath to cease in them, and I will be [g]comforted: and they shall know, that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath in them.
14 Moreover, I will make thee waste, and abhorred among the nations that are round about thee, and in the sight of all that pass by.
15 So thou shalt be a reproach and shame, a chastisement and an astonishment unto the nations, that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in wrath, and in sharp rebukes: I the Lord have spoken it.
16 When I shall send upon them the [h]evil [i]arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread.
17 (B)So I will send upon you famine, and evil beasts, and they shall spoil thee: and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee: and I will bring the sword upon thee: I the Lord have spoken it.
42 1 The Prophet grievously complaineth, that being letted by his persecutors, he could not be present in the congregation of God’s people, protesting that although he was separated in body from them, yet his heart was thitherward affectioned. 7 And least of all he showed that he was not so far overcome with these sorrows and thoughts, 8 but that he continually put his confidence in the Lord.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm to give instruction, [a]committed to the sons of Korah.
1 As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of water, so [b]panted my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: when shall I come and appear before the presence of God?
3 [c]Mine tears have been my meat day and night, while they daily say unto me, Where is thy God?
4 When I remembered [d]these things, I poured out my very heart, because I had gone with the multitude, and led them into the house of God with the voice of singing, and praise, as a multitude that keepeth a feast.
5 Why art thou cast down, my soul, and unquiet within me? [e]wait on God: for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his presence.
6 My God, my soul is cast down within me, [f]because I remembered thee, from the land of Jordan, and Hermon, and from the mount Mizar.
7 One [g]deep calleth another deep by the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy floods are gone over me.
8 The Lord [h]will grant his loving-kindness in the day, and in the night shall I sing of him, even a prayer unto the God of my life.
9 I will say unto God, which is my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning, when the enemy oppresseth me?
10 My [i]bones are cut asunder, while mine enemies reproach me, saying daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 [j]Why art thou cast down, my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? wait on God: for I will yet give him thanks: he is my present help and my God.
43 1 He prayeth to be delivered from them that conspire against him, that he might joyfully praise God in his holy congregation.
1 Judge [k]me, O God, and defend my cause against the unmerciful [l]people: deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength: why hast thou put me away? why go I so mourning, when the enemy oppressed me?
3 Send thy [m]light and thy truth: let them lead me: let them bring me unto thine holy Mountain, and to thy Tabernacles.
4 Then [n]will I go unto the altar of God, even unto the God of my joy and gladness: and upon the harp will I give thanks unto thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me: [o]wait on God: for I will yet give him thanks, he is my present help and my God.
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