M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

6 Again David summoned all the picked troops of Isra’el, 30,000 men. ² Then David, taking along the entire force he had with him then, set out for Ba‘alei-Y’hudah to bring up from there the ark of God, which bears the Name, the name of Adonai-Tzva’ot enthroned above the k’ruvim. ³ They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Avinadav on the hill, with ‘Uzah and Achyo, the sons of Avinadav, driving the new cart. ⁴ They led it from the house of Avinadav on the hill, with the ark of God; Achyo walked in front of the ark. ⁵ David and the whole house of Isra’el celebrated in the presence of Adonai with all kinds of musical instruments made of cypress-wood, including lyres, lutes, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

⁶ When they arrived at Nakhon’s threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled; and ‘Uzah put out his hand to steady the ark of God. ⁷ But Adonai’s anger blazed up against ‘Uzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his offense, so that he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ It upset David that Adonai had broken out against ‘Uzah; that place has been called Peretz-‘Uzah [breaking-out of ‘Uzah] ever since. ⁹ David was frightened of Adonai that day; he asked, “How can the ark of Adonai come to me?” ¹⁰ So David would not bring the ark of Adonai into the City of David; rather, David took it over to the house of ‘Oved-Edom the Gitti. ¹¹ The ark of Adonai stayed in the house of ‘Oved-Edom the Gitti for three months; and Adonai blessed ‘Oved-Edom and all his household.

¹² King David was told, “Adonai has blessed the house of ‘Oved-Edom and everyone who belongs to him, thanks to the ark of God.” So David went and joyously brought the ark of God up from the house of ‘Oved-Edom into the City of David. ¹³ When those bearing the ark of Adonai had gone only six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened sheep. ¹⁴ Then David danced and spun around with abandon before Adonai, wearing a linen ritual vest. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Isra’el brought up the ark of Adonai with shouting and the sound of the shofar. ¹⁶ As the ark of Adonai entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul, watching from the window, saw King David leaping and spinning before Adonai; and she was filled with contempt for him.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of Adonai in and put it in its place inside the tent that David had set up for it. David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Adonai. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ¹⁹ Then he distributed to all the people of Isra’el, to everyone there, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake, after which the people all left for their homes.

²⁰ When David returned to bless his household, Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul came out to meet him and said, “Such honor the king of Isra’el earned for himself today — exposing himself before his servants’ slave-girls like some vulgar exhibitionist!” ²¹ David answered Mikhal, “In the presence of Adonai — who chose me over your father and over everyone in his family to make me chief over Adonai’s people, over Isra’el — I will celebrate in the presence of Adonai! ²² I will make myself still more contemptible than that, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes, but those slave-girls you mentioned will honor me!” ²³ Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul remained childless until the day she died.

16 Now, in regard to the collection being made for God’s people: you are to do the same as I directed the congregations in Galatia to do. ² Every week, on Motza’ei-Shabbat, each of you should set some money aside, according to his resources, and save it up; so that when I come I won’t have to do fundraising. ³ And when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the people you have approved, and I will send them to carry your gift to Yerushalayim. ⁴ If it seems appropriate that I go too, they will go along with me.

⁵ I will visit you after I have gone through Macedonia, for I am intending to pass through Macedonia, ⁶ and I may stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me continue my travels wherever I may go. ⁷ For I don’t want to see you now, when I am only passing through; because I am hoping to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows it. ⁸ But I will remain in Ephesus until Shavu‘ot, ⁹ because a great and important door has opened for my work, and there are many people opposing me.

¹⁰ If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to be afraid of while he is with you; for he is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. ¹¹ So let no one treat him with disrespect. Help him on his way in peace, so that he will return to me, for the brothers and I are expecting him.

¹² As for brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to go and visit you along with the other brothers; and although it was not at all his desire to come at this time, he will come when he has the opportunity.

¹³ Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, behave like a mentsh, grow strong. ¹⁴ Let everything you do be done in love.

¹⁵ Now, brothers, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first people in Achaia to put their trust in the Messiah, and they have devoted themselves to serving God’s people. ¹⁶ I urge you to submit yourselves to people like these and to everyone who works and toils with them. ¹⁷ I am glad that Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus are here, because they have helped make up for your not being here. ¹⁸ They have refreshed my spirit, just as they have yours. I want you to show appreciation for people like these.

¹⁹ The congregations in the province of Asia send greetings to you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you in union with the Lord, as does the congregation that meets in their house. ²⁰ All the brothers send you their greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

14 Then certain of Isra’el’s leaders came to me; and while they were sitting with me, ² the word of Adonai came to me: ³ “Human being, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, thus setting in front of themselves the stumblingblock that leads to sin. Should I let them consult me at all? ⁴ Therefore speak to them, and tell them that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Everyone in the house of Isra’el who takes his idols into his heart, thus setting in front of himself the stumblingblock that leads to sin, and then comes to the prophet, I myself, Adonai, will answer him in a manner suited to his many idols, ⁵ in order to grab hold of the house of Isra’el in their hearts; since, through their idols, they have all fallen away from me.’

⁶ “Therefore say to the house of Isra’el that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Repent! Turn yourselves away from your idols, turn your faces away from all your disgusting practices! ⁷ For everyone, whether from the house of Isra’el or a foreigner living in Isra’el, who separates himself from me and takes his idols into his heart, thus setting in front of himself the stumblingblock that leads to sin, and then comes to the prophet, asking him to consult me for him, I myself, Adonai, will answer him. ⁸ I will set my face against that person, make him a warning sign and an example, and cut him off from my people. Then you will know that I am Adonai.

⁹ “‘Now, whenever a prophet is enticed into speaking a word, it will be I, Adonai, who will have enticed that prophet. I will stretch out my hand over him and destroy him from among my people Isra’el. ¹⁰ The prophets will bear the guilt for their sins — the sin of the prophet will be the same as the sin of the inquirer — ¹¹ so that the house of Isra’el will no longer wander away from me or defile themselves with all their crimes; rather, they will be my people and I will be their God,’ says Adonai Elohim.”

¹² The word of Adonai came to me: ¹³ “Human being, when a land sins against me by dealing treacherously with me, so that I stretch out my hand over it and break off its food supply, sending it famine and eliminating both its humans and its animals; ¹⁴ even if these three men were in it — Noach, Dani’el and Iyov — they would by their righteousness save only themselves,” says Adonai Elohim.

¹⁵ “If I unleash wild beasts on the land, and they kill its children and desolate it, so that no one can pass through because of the animals; ¹⁶ even if these three men were in it, as I live,” says Adonai Elohim, “they would save neither sons nor daughters; only they themselves would be saved, and the land would remain barren.

¹⁷ “Or if I bring the sword down on that land, saying, ‘Let the sword pass through the land,’ so that I eliminate both its humans and its animals; ¹⁸ even if these three men were in it, as I live,” says Adonai Elohim, “they would save neither sons nor daughters; only they themselves would be saved.

¹⁹ “Or if I bring a plague into that land and pour out my fury on it in bloodshed, so that I eliminate both its humans and its animals; ²⁰ even if Noach, Dani’el and Iyov were in it, as I live,” says Adonai Elohim, “they would save neither a son nor a daughter; they would save only themselves by their righteousness.”

²¹ For here is what Adonai Elohim says: “Even if I inflict my four dreadful judgments on Yerushalayim — sword, famine, wild animals and plagues — to eliminate both its humans and its animals; ²² there will still be left a remnant in it to be brought out, including both sons and daughters. When they come out to you, and you see their way of life and how they act, then you will be consoled over the calamity I have brought upon Yerushalayim, over everything I have done to it. ²³ Yes, they will console you when you see their way of life and how they act; and you will understand that it was not without good reason that I did what I did in [Yerushalayim],” says Adonai Elohim.