M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

David and the Ark

13 David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands. ² Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let’s spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands,^(A) that they should gather together with us. ³ Then let’s bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him^[a](B) in Saul’s days.” ⁴ Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel,^(C) from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath,^[b](D) to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.^{(E) 6} David^(F) and all Israel went to Baalah^(G) (that is, Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah) to take from there the ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord who is enthroned between the cherubim.^{(H) 7} At Abinadab’s house^(I) they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio^[c] were guiding the cart.

⁸ David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.^{(J) 9} When they came to Chidon’s threshing floor,^(K) Uzzah reached out to hold the ark because the oxen had stumbled. ¹⁰ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark.^(L) So he died there in the presence of God.^(M)

¹¹ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah,^[d] as it is still named today. ¹² David feared God that day and said, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” ¹³ So David did not bring the ark of God home^[e] to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.^{(N) 14} The ark of God remained with Obed-edom’s family in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his family and all that he had.

God’s Blessing on David

14 King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David,^(O) along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him. ² Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

³ David took more wives in Jerusalem, and he became the father of more sons and daughters. ⁴ These^(P) are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷ Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of David; when David heard of this, he went out to face them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and raided in Rephaim Valley,^{(Q) 10} so David inquired of God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord replied, “Attack, and I will hand them over to you.”

¹¹ So the Israelites went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, “Like a bursting flood, God has used me to burst out against my enemies.” Therefore, they named that place The Lord Bursts Out.^{[f] 12} The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.

¹³ Once again the Philistines raided in the valley. ¹⁴ So David again inquired of God, and God answered him, “Do not pursue them directly. Circle around them and attack them opposite the balsam trees. ¹⁵ When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” ¹⁶ So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. ¹⁷ Then David’s fame spread throughout the lands, and the Lord caused all the nations to be terrified of him.^(R)

Greeting

1 James,^(A) a servant of God^(B) and of the Lord Jesus Christ:

To the twelve tribes^(C) dispersed abroad.^[a](D)

Greetings.^(E)

Trials and Maturity

² Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,^{(F) 3} because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.^{(G) 6} But let him ask in faith without doubting.^[b] For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, ⁸ being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.^[c](H)

⁹ Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰ but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.^{(I) 11} For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.^(J)

¹² Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown^(K) of life that God^[d] has promised to those who love him.^(L)

¹³ No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.^{(M) 15} Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.^(N)

¹⁶ Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.^{(O) 17} Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.^{(P) 18} By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.^(Q)

Hearing and Doing the Word

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,^{(R) 20} for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. ²¹ Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent,^[e] humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.^(S)

²² But^(T) be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face^[f] in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.^(U)

²⁶ If anyone^[g] thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue,^(V) his religion is useless and he deceives himself. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows^(W) in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.^(X)

Fourth Vision: A Basket of Summer Fruit

8 The Lord God showed me this: a basket of summer fruit. ² He asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” ^(A)

I replied, “A basket of summer fruit.”^[a](B)

The Lord said to me, “The end has come for my people Israel;^(C) I will no longer spare them.^{(D) 3} In that day the temple^[b] songs^(E) will become wailing”^(F)—this is the Lord God’s declaration. “Many dead bodies, thrown everywhere!^(G) Silence!” ^(H)

⁷ The Lord has sworn^(O) by the Pride of Jacob:^[d](P)

The Messiah’s Herald

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,^(A) Herod was tetrarch^[a] of Galilee,^(B) his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ² during the high priesthood of Annas^(C) and Caiaphas,^(D) God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.^{(E) 3} He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan,^(F) proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,^{(G) 4} as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

⁷ He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers!^(I) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(J) 8} Therefore produce fruit^(K) consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’^(L) for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. ⁹ The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^(M)

¹⁰ “What then should we do?” ^(N) the crowds were asking him.

¹¹ He replied to them, “The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.”^(O)

¹² Tax collectors^(P) also came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” ^(Q)

¹³ He told them, “Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized.”

¹⁴ Some soldiers also questioned him, “What should we do?”

He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

¹⁵ Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.^{(R) 16} John answered them all,^(S) “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with^[d] the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing shovel^(T) is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn,^(U) but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”^{(V) 18} Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people. ¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch^(W) because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the evil things he had done,^{(X) 20} Herod added this to everything else—he locked up John in prison.^(Y)

The Baptism of Jesus

²¹ When all the people were baptized,^(Z) Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying,^(AA) heaven opened,^{(AB) 22} and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”^(AC)

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

²³ As he began his ministry, Jesus was about thirty years old and was thought to be the