M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 15
Absalom’s Plot. 1 After this, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run on ahead of him. 2 Absalom was accustomed to arise early and stand by the side of the road that led to the city gate. If someone had a lawsuit to bring before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out and ask him: “Which town do you come from?” and that person would answer: “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
3 Then Absalom would reply: “Your petition may be clearly valid and just, but there is no one who is authorized by the king to hear you.” 4 He would further add: “If only I were appointed as judge in the land, then everyone who has a lawsuit or a claim to be arbitrated could come to me, and I would ensure that he would have his case judged fairly.”
5 Moreover, whenever a man came before him and prostrated himself, Absalom would stretch out his hand, embrace him, and kiss him. 6 By behaving in such a manner to every Israelite who approached the king to seek justice, Absalom captured the affectionate loyalty of the people.
Conspiracy in Hebron. 7 After a period of four years had elapsed, Absalom said to the king: “Please allow me to go to Hebron so that I may fulfill the vow that I have made to the Lord. 8 For while I lived at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I shall worship the Lord in Hebron.’ ” 9 The king replied: “Depart in peace.” Therefore, Absalom arose and went to Hebron.
10 Then Absalom sent messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel with this message: “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’ ”
11 Two hundred men had accompanied Absalom from Jerusalem. They had been invited as guests and had gone with him in complete innocence, totally unaware of what was going on. 12 Absalom also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, who was David’s counselor, and asked him to come from his town of Giloh to join him in offering the sacrifices. Thus the conspiracy grew in strength, and Absalom’s supporters continued to increase in numbers.
13 David Flees from Jerusalem. A messenger came to David with this report: “The men of Israel have transferred their allegiance to Absalom.” 14 Upon hearing this, David said to all of his officials who were with him in Jerusalem: “Get ready to depart! If we do not flee, then none of us will be able to escape from Absalom. Depart as quickly as you can, or he will soon overtake us and inflict disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”[a]
15 The king’s officials then replied: “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are prepared to follow your commands.” 16 Then the king set forth, followed by his entire household, aside from ten concubines whom he left behind to take care of the palace.
17 As the king moved on, followed by all the people, he halted at the last house, with the officials at his side. 18 As he watched, all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all of the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath passed on before him.
19 David and Ittai. Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite: “Why should you also come with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. For you are a foreigner, and in addition you are also an exile from your own country. 20 You arrived only yesterday. How can I ask you to wander about with us today when truly I do not know where I am going? Go back home, therefore, and take your countrymen with you, and may the Lord grant you his kindness and his faithful love.”
21 However, Ittai replied to the king: “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there your servant will also be.”
22 David then said to Ittai: “Go ahead, then, and march on!” Therefore, Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him. 23 Everyone in the countryside wept aloud as the king and all the people crossed the Wadi Kidron and moved on toward the desert wilderness.[b]
24 David and the Priests. Zadok was also there, as well as all the Levites with him, as they carried the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God beside Abiathar until all those who were with them had marched out of the city.
25 Then the king said to Zadok: “Take the Ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and permit me to see both the Ark and the place where it dwells. 26 But if he says: ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then here I am. Let him do with me as he sees fit.”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest: “Aren’t you a seer? You and Abiathar can return safely into the city with your sons, your own son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 I shall wait at the fords of the wilderness until I receive word from you.” 29 Therefore, Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there.
30 David then ascended to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot. All the people with him also covered their heads and wept as they went. 31 When it was revealed to David that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom, he said: “O Lord, I beg you to turn the counsel of Ahithophel into folly.”
32 David and Hushai. When David arrived at the summit where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came forth to meet him with his tunic torn and with dirt upon his head. 33 David said to him: “If you come with me, you will only be a burden to me. 34 However, if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, O king. As I was formerly your father’s servant, now I will be your servant,’ you will make it possible for me to frustrate the advice of Ahithophel.
35 “The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. Report to them everything that you hear in the royal palace. 36 Their two sons are there with them: Zadok’s son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. Through them you shall send word to me of everything you hear.”
37 So David’s friend Hushai came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
The Collection for the Christians of Jerusalem[a]
Chapter 8
Example of Christians of Macedonia. 1 Now we want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God that has been bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia. 2 In a period of severe affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in rich generosity on their part. 3 I can testify that they contributed to the limit of their resources, and even beyond, 4 begging us insistently for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
5 Far exceeding our expectations, they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then, by the will of God, to us. 6 As a result, we urged Titus that, inasmuch as he had already begun this work of charity, he should bring this enterprise to a successful completion among you.
The Example of Christ. 7 Now, inasmuch as you excel in everything—in your faith, your eloquence, your knowledge, your concern for others, and your love for us[b]—so we want you also to excel in this generous undertaking.
8 I am not saying this to you as a command, but rather I am testing the genuine character of your love by the concern you show for others. 9 For you are well aware of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although he was rich, he became poor for your sake so that by his poverty you might become rich.[c]
10 I will now give you my advice about what I believe is appropriate in this matter. Last year, you were the first not only to engage in this good work but also to do so willingly. 11 Now finish it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. 12 As long as the goodwill is present, the gift will be acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
13 I am not suggesting that others should have relief while you are reduced to difficult straits. Rather, there should be an equitable balance. 14 Your surplus at the present time should relieve the needs of others, so that at another time their surplus may relieve your needs, and in this way there will be equality. 15 As it is written,
“The one who gathered much did not have too much,
and the one who gathered less did not have too little.”
16 Paul Recommends the Delegates. Thanks be to God for putting into the heart of Titus a concern for you that is the equal of mine. 17 For he not only welcomed our request, but, because of his great concern, he is coming to you of his own accord. 18 Together with him, we are sending the brother who is praised by all the Churches for his proclamation of the gospel.[d] 19 In addition, he has also been appointed by the Churches to be our traveling companion as we engage in our charitable work for the glory of the Lord and to show our eagerness to be of service.
20 In this way, we want to ensure that no one will be able to criticize us for our handling of this generous collection. 21 For we intend to do what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others.
22 And with them, we are also sending our brother[e] whose dedication we have tested in many ways and found to be exemplary. Now he is even more dedicated than before because of his great confidence in you.
23 As for Titus, he is my partner and coworker in your service. And as for the others, they are the apostles of the Churches and the glory of Christ. 24 Therefore, show these men, and all the Churches, the proof of your love and the legitimacy of our boasting about you.
Chapter 22
The Sins of Jerusalem. 1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, are you ready to judge? Will you judge this city renowned for its bloodshed and confront her with all of her abominable deeds?
3 Say to her: Thus says the Lord: Woe to the city that sheds blood within itself. You thus hasten your doom, having made idols and thereby defiling yourself. 4 You have incurred guilt by the blood that you have shed, and you have become defiled by the gods that you have fashioned. Thus, you have shortened your lifespan; the end of your years are at hand. This is why you are now regarded by the nations as a disgrace. You have become a laughingstock to all foreign lands. 5 Those who are near you and those who are far off shall mock you because you have become infamous for your great perversity.
6 The princes of Israel who dwell in your land are there only for the purpose of shedding blood. 7 The fathers and the mothers within your borders are treated with contempt. The resident aliens are forced to endure extortion. Orphans and widows are oppressed. 8 You have spurned what is holy to me, and you have profaned my Sabbaths.
9 In you are those whose slander incites to bloodshed; in you are those who eat[a] on the mountains and revel in their lewdness. 10 In you are men who have exposed the nakedness of their fathers and who violate women during their menstrual periods. 11 In you are men who engage in abominable practices with their neighbors’ wives and lewdly defile their daughters-in-law. Still others among you ravish their sisters, the daughters of their fathers. 12 In you are those who take bribes to shed blood. Others lend for profit and charge interest. Still others profit from extortion against their neighbors. You have forgotten about me, says the Lord God.
13 I will strike my hands together because of the unjust profits you have made and the unending bloodshed in your midst. 14 Will your courage endure and your hands remain strong in the days when I will deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I intend to act. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you throughout foreign countries, and I will thereby purge you of your filthiness. 16 When I shall be profaned through you in the sight of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.
17 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 18 Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross in my eyes; all of them are nothing more than copper and tin, iron and lead, that have become dross in the midst of a furnace.
19 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because all of you have become dross, I will gather you together inside Jerusalem. 20 As one gathers silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin and smelts it in a blazing furnace, so I will gather you in my furious wrath and cause you to be melted down. 21 When I have assembled you, I will blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted down within the city. 22 As silver is smelted in a furnace, so shall you be melted down within the city, and you will know that I, the Lord, have poured forth my wrath upon you.
23 This word of the Lord came to me: 24 Son of man, say to the land: You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained upon in the day of my anger. 25 Your princes have been like a roaring lion tearing apart its prey. They have devoured people, absconded with their wealth and precious treasures, and caused many women within it to become widows.
26 Your priests have violated my law and made profane my holy things. They have failed to make any distinction between the sacred and the profane, nor have they taught the difference between the clean and the unclean. They have completely ignored my Sabbaths, and I have been profaned in their midst. 27 Your priests are like wolves tearing apart their prey, shedding blood, and killing people in the pursuit of dishonest gain. 28 Your prophets whitewash their deeds by revealing false visions and offering lying prophecies asserting that the Lord God has spoken when the Lord has not spoken. 29 Meanwhile the people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and forced resident aliens to submit to injustice.
30 I searched among my people for someone who could build a barricade and stand before me in the breach to keep me from destroying the land, but I found no one. 31 Therefore, I poured forth my fury upon them and consumed them with my fiery wrath. I have brought down their conduct upon their heads, says the Lord God.
Psalm 69[a]
Cry of Anguish in Distress
1 For the director.[b] According to “Lilies.” Of David.
2 [c]Save me, my God,
for the waters have risen to my neck.
3 I am sinking in muddy depths
and can find no foothold.
I have fallen into deep waters,
and the floods[d] overwhelm me.
4 I am exhausted from crying out;
my throat is parched.
My eyes have been worn out
searching for my God.
5 More numerous than the hairs of my head
are those who hate me for no reason.[e]
Many are those who seek to destroy me,
and they are treacherous.
How can I restore
what I have not stolen?
6 O God, you know how foolish I am;
my guilty deeds are not hidden from you.[f]
7 Do not allow those who hope in you
to be put to shame because of me,
O Lord of hosts.
Do not let those who seek you
suffer disgrace because of me,
O God of Israel.
8 It is for your sake that I endure reproach
and that shame covers my face.
9 I have become alienated from my brothers,[g]
a stranger to my mother’s sons.
10 Zeal for your house[h] consumes me,
and the insults directed at you fall on me.
11 When I mortified myself with fasting,
I exposed myself to scorn.
12 When I clothed myself in sackcloth,
I became a laughingstock.
13 Those who sit at the gate taunt me,
and drunkards make me the target of their ditties.
14 But I lift up my prayer to you, O Lord,
in the time of your favor.[i]
In your great kindness, O God,
respond to me with your certain help.
15 Draw me out of the mire,
and do not let me plunge any deeper.
Deliver me from my enemies
and from the deep waters.
16 Do not let the flood waters sweep over me,
or the depths swallow me up,
or the pit close its jaws around me.
17 Answer me, O Lord, for your kindness[j] is wonderful;
in your great compassion turn toward me.
18 Do not hide your face[k] from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in distress.
19 Draw near to me and redeem me;
deliver me from my enemies.
20 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
all my oppressors are in your sight.
21 Insults have so broken my heart
that I am near the end of my strength.
I looked for compassion, but in vain,
for some consolers, but I found none.[l]
22 They put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar[m] to drink.
23 [n]Let their table become a trap for them;
let their well-being become a snare.[o]
24 Let their eyes dim so that they cannot see,
and let their limbs tremble constantly.
25 Vent your wrath on them,
and let your burning anger take hold of them.
26 Let their camp be left desolate;
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.[p]
27 For they pursue the one you struck down
and tell of the pain of the one you hurt.
28 Charge them with crime after crime;
let them not share in your salvation.
29 Blot them out from the book of the living;[q]
do not number them among the upright.
30 But I am filled with pain and suffering;
may your saving power, O God, raise me up.
31 [r]I will praise the name of God with a song
and glorify him with a hymn of thanksgiving.
32 This will gratify the Lord more than an ox
or a young bull with horns and hoofs:[s]
33 “Let the poor[t] see this and rejoice;
let those who seek God take heart.
34 For the Lord hears the needy
and does not turn his back on captives.
35 Let the heavens and the earth offer praise,
the seas and everything that moves therein.”
36 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
His people will live there and possess it;
37 his servants’ children will inherit it,
and those who love his name will dwell there.
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