M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Philistines Reject David
29 The Philistines(A) brought all their military units together at Aphek(B) while Israel was camped by the spring in Jezreel.(C) 2 As the Philistine leaders were passing in review with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men(D) were passing in review behind them with Achish. 3 Then the Philistine commanders asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”
Achish answered the Philistine commanders, “That is David, servant of King Saul of Israel. He has been with me a considerable period of time.[a] From the day he defected until today, I’ve found no fault with him.”(E)
4 The Philistine commanders, however, were enraged with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him.(F) He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the battle.(G) What better way could he ingratiate himself with his master than with the heads of our men? 5 Isn’t this the David they sing about during their dances:
Saul has killed his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands?” (H)
6 So Achish summoned David and told him, “As the Lord lives, you are an honorable man. I think it is good[b] to have you fighting[c] in this unit with me, because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until today.(I) But the leaders don’t think you are reliable. 7 Now go back quietly and you won’t be doing anything the Philistine leaders think is wrong.”
8 “But what have I done?” (J) David replied to Achish. “From the first day I entered your service until today, what have you found against your servant to keep me from going to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 Achish answered David, “I’m convinced that you are as reliable as an angel of God.(K) But the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’(L) 10 So get up early in the morning, you and your masters’ servants who came with you.[d](M) When you’ve all gotten up early, go as soon as it’s light.” 11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
David’s Defeat of the Amalekites
30 David and his men(N) arrived in Ziklag(O) on the third day. The Amalekites(P) had raided the Negev and attacked and burned Ziklag. 2 They also had kidnapped the women and everyone[e] in it from youngest to oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off(Q) as they went on their way.
3 When David and his men arrived at the town, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped. 4 David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives,(R) Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped. 6 David was in an extremely difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him,(S) for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.(T)
7 David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.”(U) So Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David asked the Lord,(V) “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” (W)
The Lord replied to him, “Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.”(X)
9 So David and the six hundred men with him(Y) went. They came to the Wadi Besor, where some stayed behind.(Z) 10 David and four hundred of the men continued the pursuit, while two hundred stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor.
11 David’s men found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink. 12 Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate he revived,(AA) for he hadn’t eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.
13 Then David said to him, “Who do you belong to? Where are you from?”
“I’m an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite man,” he said. “My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago. 14 We raided the south country of the Cherethites,(AB) the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb,(AC) and we burned Ziklag.”(AD)
15 David then asked him, “Will you lead me to these raiders?”
He said, “Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or turn me over to my master, and I will lead you to them.”
16 So he led him, and there were the Amalekites, spread out over the entire area, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the great amount of plunder(AE) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. 17 David slaughtered them from twilight until the evening of the next day.(AF) None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who got on camels and fled.(AG)
18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing of theirs was missing from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, and all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back.(AH) 20 He took all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, “This is David’s plunder!” (AI)
21 When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had been left at the Wadi Besor,(AJ) they came out to meet him and to meet the troops with him. When David approached the men, he greeted them, 22 but all the corrupt and worthless men among those who had gone with David argued, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”
23 But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the Lord has given us. He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us. 24 Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally.”(AK) 25 And it has been so from that day forward. David established this policy[f] as a law and an ordinance for Israel and it still continues today.
26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you(AL) from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”(AM) 27 He sent gifts[g] to those in Bethel,(AN) in Ramoth of the Negev,(AO) and in Jattir;(AP) 28 to those in Aroer,(AQ) in Siphmoth,(AR) and in Eshtemoa;(AS) 29 to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites,(AT) and in the towns of the Kenites;(AU) 30 to those in Hormah,(AV) in Bor-ashan,(AW) and in Athach; 31 to those in Hebron,(AX) and to those in all the places where David and his men had roamed.(AY)
Warnings from Israel’s Past
10 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors(A) were all under the cloud,(B) all passed through the sea,(C) 2 and all were baptized(D) into Moses(E) in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food,(F) 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock(G) that followed them, and that rock was Christ.(H) 5 Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness.(I)
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire(J) evil things as they did.[a](K) 7 Don’t become idolaters(L) as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.[b][c](M) 8 Let us not commit sexual immorality(N) as some of them did,[d] and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died.(O) 9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did[e] and were destroyed by snakes.(P) 10 And don’t grumble(Q) as some of them did,[f](R) and were killed by the destroyer.[g](S) 11 These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction,(T) on whom the ends of the ages[h](U) have come.(V) 12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.(W) 13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful;(X) he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out(Y) so that you may be able to bear it.
Warning against Idolatry
14 So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup(Z) of blessing(AA) that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread(AB) that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one(AC) body, since all of us share the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel.[i] Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?(AD) 19 What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I do say that what they[j] sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons! 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?(AE)
Christian Liberty
23 “Everything is permissible,”[k] but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,”[l] but not everything builds up. 24 No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.(AF)
25 Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, without raising questions for the sake of conscience, 26 since the earth is the Lord’s,(AG) and all that is in it.[m](AH) 27 If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This is food from a sacrifice,” do not eat it,(AI) out of consideration for the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience.[n] 29 I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged(AJ) by another person’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thanksgiving,(AK) why am I criticized because of something for which I give thanks?
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.(AL) 32 Give no offense(AM) to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, 33 just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many,(AN) so that they may be saved.
Visionary Journey to Jerusalem
8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting in front of me,(A) and there the hand of the Lord God came down on me.(B) 2 I looked, and there was someone who looked like a man.[a] From what seemed to be his waist down was fire, and from his waist up was something that looked bright,(C) like the gleam of amber.(D) 3 He stretched out what appeared to be a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God(E) to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate that faces north, where the offensive statue that provokes jealousy(F) was located. 4 I saw the glory of the God of Israel(G) there, like the vision I had seen in the plain.(H)
Pagan Practices in the Temple
5 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” I looked to the north, and there was this offensive statue north of the Altar Gate, at the entrance. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing here—more detestable acts that the house of Israel is committing(I)—so that I must depart from my sanctuary? You will see even more detestable acts.”
7 Then he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked there was a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Son of man, dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall and discovered a doorway. 9 He said to me, “Go in and see the detestable, wicked acts they are committing here.”
10 I went in and looked, and there engraved all around the wall was every kind of abhorrent thing—crawling creatures and beasts—as well as all the idols of the house of Israel.(J) 11 Seventy elders from the house of Israel were standing before them, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan(K) standing among them. Each had a firepan in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising up. 12 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his idol? For they are saying, ‘The Lord does not see us. The Lord has abandoned the land.’”(L) 13 Again he said to me, “You will see even more detestable acts that they are committing.”
14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house, and I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 15 And he said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even more detestable acts than these.”
16 So he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house, and there were about twenty-five men at the entrance of the Lord’s temple, between the portico and the altar,(M) with their backs to the Lord’s temple and their faces turned to the east.(N) They were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.(O) 17 And he said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the detestable acts they are doing here, that they must also fill the land with violence(P) and repeatedly anger me,(Q) even putting the branch to their nose?[b] 18 Therefore I will respond with wrath.(R) I will not show pity or spare them.(S) Though they call loudly in my hearing,(T) I will not listen to them.”
Psalm 46
God Our Refuge
For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.(A)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.(B)
2 Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,(C)
3 though its water roars and foams
and the mountains quake with its turmoil.(D)Selah
4 There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.(E)
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.(F)
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when he lifts his voice.(G)
7 The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(H)Selah
8 Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.(I)
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
he sets wagons ablaze.(J)
10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”(K)
11 The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(L)Selah
Psalm 47
God Our King
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;(M)
shout to God with a jubilant cry.(N)
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awe-inspiring,
a great King over the whole earth.(O)
3 He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.(P)
4 He chooses for us our inheritance—
the pride of Jacob, whom he loves.(Q)Selah
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