M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Absalom Calls for Hushai’s Counsel
17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. 2 (A)And I will come upon him while he is weary with his hands falling limp and throw him into utter fright, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then (B)I will strike down the king alone, 3 and I will cause all the people to return to you. [a]The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at (C)peace.” 4 And the word was right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
5 Then Absalom said, “Call now (D)Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what is also in his mouth.” 6 Then Hushai came to Absalom. And Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken [b]thus. Shall we [c]carry out his word? If not, you speak.” 7 And Hushai said to Absalom, “(E)This time the counsel that Ahithophel has counseled is not good.” 8 Then Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are bitter of soul, (F)like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not spend the night with the people. 9 Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the [d]caves or in another place; and it will be [e]when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ 10 And even the one who is a man of valor, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, (G)will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are men of valor. 11 But I counsel that all Israel be utterly gathered to you, (H)from Dan even to Beersheba, (I)as the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that [f]you personally go into battle. 12 So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will set down on him (J)as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. 13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall carry ropes to that city, and we will (K)drag it into the [g]valley until not even a small stone is found there.” 14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For (L)Yahweh had [h]ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Yahweh might bring calamity on Absalom.
Hushai Informs David
15 Then (M)Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “[i]This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and [j]this is what I have counseled. 16 So now, send quickly and inform David, saying, ‘(N)Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’” 17 (O)Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at (P)En-rogel, and a servant-woman would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. 18 But a boy did see them and informed Absalom; so the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man (Q)in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down [k]into it. 19 And (R)the woman [l]took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered crushed grain on it, so that nothing was known. 20 Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And (S)the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21 Now it happened after they went away, that they came up out of the well and went and informed King David; and they said to David, “(T)Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.” 22 Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by [m]dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.
23 Now Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not [n]followed. So he [o]saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to (U)his city, and [p](V)set his house in order, and (W)strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.
24 Now David came to (X)Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 25 And Absalom set (Y)Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was [q]Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of (Z)Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26 And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.
27 Now it happened that when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi (AA)the son of Nahash from (AB)Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, (AC)Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and (AD)Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28 brought (AE)beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds, 29 honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, (AF)to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”
Paul Defends His Authority
10 Now (A)I, Paul, myself (B)plead with you by the (C)gentleness and forbearance of Christ—I who (D)am humble when face-to-face with you, but courageous toward you when absent! 2 But I beg that (E)when I am present I need not act so courageously with the confidence that I consider to daringly use against (F)some, who consider us as if we walked (G)according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war (H)according to the flesh, 4 for the (I)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but [a]divinely powerful (J)for the tearing down of strongholds, 5 as we tear down speculations and every (K)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the (L)obedience of Christ, 6 and are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever (M)your obedience is fulfilled.
7 [b](N)You are looking at [c]things as they are outwardly. (O)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, (P)so also are we. 8 For even if (Q)I boast somewhat [d]further about our (R)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame, 9 [e]for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his [f]personal presence is (S)weak and (T)his [g]words contemptible.” 11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
12 For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with [h]some of those who (U)commend themselves, but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 13 But we will not boast (V)beyond our measure, but [i](W)within the measure of the area of influence which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach you, (for (X)we were the first to come even as far as you in the (Y)gospel of Christ), 15 not boasting (Z)beyond our measure in (AA)other men’s labors, but having the hope—that as (AB)your faith grows—to be (AC)enlarged even more by you [j]within our area of influence, 16 so as to (AD)proclaim the gospel even to (AE)the regions beyond you, and not to boast [k](AF)in what has been accomplished in the area of influence of another. 17 But (AG)he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. 18 For it is not the one who (AH)commends himself that is approved, but the one (AI)whom the Lord commends.
The Parable of the Boiling Pot
24 And the word of Yahweh came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, 2 “Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon [a]has (A)laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 Speak a (B)parable to the (C)rebellious house, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh,
“Put on the (D)pot, put it on and also pour water in it;
4 [b](E)Put in it the pieces,
Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder;
Fill it with choice bones.
5 Take the (F)choicest of the flock,
And also pile [c]wood under [d]the pot.
Make it seethe vigorously.
Also boil its bones in it.”
6 ‘Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh,
“Woe to the (G)city of blood,
To the pot in which there is rust
And whose rust has not gone out of it!
Take out of it piece after piece,
[e]Without making a choice.
7 For her blood is in her midst;
She placed it on the bare rock;
She did not (H)pour it on the ground
To cover it with dust.
8 That it may (I)cause wrath to come up to take vengeance,
I have put her blood on the bare rock,
That it may not be covered.”
9 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh,
“(J)Woe to the city of blood!
I also will make the pile great.
10 Heap on the wood, kindle the fire,
Completely cook the flesh
And mix in the spices
And let the bones be burned.
11 Then (K)stand it empty on its coals
So that it may be hot
And its bronze may [f]glow
And its (L)uncleanness may be melted in it,
Its rust brought to a complete end.
12 She has (M)wearied Me with toil,
Yet her great rust has not gone from her;
Let her rust be in the fire!
13 In your uncleanness is lewdness.
Because I would have cleansed you,
Yet you are (N)not clean;
You will not be cleansed from your uncleanness again
Until I have [g](O)caused My wrath against you to be at rest.
14 I, Yahweh, have spoken; it is (P)coming, and I will act. I will not regret, and I will not (Q)pity, and I will not [h]relent; (R)according to your ways and according to your deeds [i]I will judge you,” declares Lord Yahweh.’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies as a Sign
15 And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 16 “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the (S)desire of your eyes with a (T)blow; but you shall not (U)mourn, and you shall not weep, and your (V)tears shall not come. 17 Groan silently; make (W)no mourning for the dead. Bind on your headdress and put your shoes on your feet and do not cover your mustache and (X)do not eat the bread of men.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. 19 The people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of Yahweh came to me saying, 21 ‘Say to the house of Israel, “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the (Y)desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul; and your (Z)sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. 22 And you will do as I have done; you will not cover your mustache, and you will not eat the bread of men. 23 And your headdresses will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet. You (AA)will not mourn, and you will not weep, but (AB)you will rot away in your iniquities, and you will groan [j]to one another. 24 Thus Ezekiel will be a (AC)wondrous sign to you; according to all that he has done you will do; when it comes, then you will know that I am Lord Yahweh.’”
25 ‘Now as for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their (AD)strong defense, the joy of their beauty, the desire of their eyes, and what lifts up their soul, their sons and their daughters, 26 that on that day he who (AE)escapes will come to you with a report for your ears? 27 On that day your (AF)mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and be mute no longer. Thus you will be a wondrous sign to them, and they will know that I am Yahweh.’”
Give the King Your Judgments
Of Solomon.
72 O God, give the king (A)Your judgments,
And (B)Your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 [a]May [b]he (C)render judgment to Your people with righteousness
And (D)Your [c]afflicted with justice.
3 Let the mountains lift up [d](E)peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
4 [e]May he (F)give justice to the [f]afflicted of the people,
Save the children of the needy,
And crush the oppressor.
5 [g]Let them fear You (G)while the sun endures,
And [h]as long as the moon, from generation to all generations.
6 [i]May he come down (H)like rain upon the mown grass,
Like (I)showers that water the earth.
7 [j]May the (J)righteous flourish in his days,
And (K)abundance of peace until the moon is no more.
8 May he also have dominion (L)from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 [k]Let (M)the desert creatures (N)kneel before him,
And his enemies (O)lick the dust.
10 [l]Let the kings of (P)Tarshish and of the (Q)coastlands bring a present;
The kings of (R)Sheba and (S)Seba (T)offer tribute.
11 [m]And let all (U)kings bow down to him,
All (V)nations serve him.
12 For he will (W)deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The [n]afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will have (X)compassion on the poor and needy,
And the [o]lives of the needy he will save.
14 He will (Y)redeem their [p]life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be (Z)precious in his sight;
15 So may he live! And may they give to him the (AA)gold of Sheba;
And let each pray for him continually;
Let each bless him all day long.
16 May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains;
May its fruit wave like the cedars of (AB)Lebanon;
And may those from the city blossom like (AC)vegetation of the earth.
17 May his (AD)name endure forever;
May his name [q]increase [r](AE)as long as the sun shines;
Let all nations [s](AF)be blessed in him;
(AG)Let all nations call him blessed.
18 (AH)Blessed be Yahweh God, the God of Israel,
Who alone (AI)works wondrous deeds.
19 And blessed be His (AJ)glorious name forever;
And may the whole (AK)earth be filled with His glory.
(AL)Amen, and Amen.
20 [t]The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are completed.
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