M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

28 In due time the P’lishtim assembled their armies for war against Isra’el. Akhish told David, “You know, of course, that you and your men will join me and the army in battle.” ² David answered Akhish, “I see that you already know what your servant will do.” Akhish said to David, “For that answer, I am making you my personal bodyguard for life.”

³ Now Sh’mu’el was dead; all Isra’el had mourned him and buried him in his city, Ramah. Also Sha’ul had expelled from the land those who tell the future by communicating with the dead or with a demonic spirit.

⁴ The P’lishtim assembled; then they went and pitched camp at Shunem; while Sha’ul gathered all Isra’el together and pitched camp at Gilboa. ⁵ When Sha’ul saw the army of the P’lishtim, he became afraid — it struck terror in his heart. ⁶ But when he consulted Adonai, Adonai didn’t answer him — not by dreams, not by urim and not by prophets.

⁷ Then Sha’ul said to his servants, “Try to find a woman who tells the future by communicating with the dead; I want to go and consult with her.” His servants answered him, “Yes, there’s a woman in ‘Ein-Dor who tells the future by communicating with the dead.” ⁸ So Sha’ul disguised himself by wearing different clothing, went with two men, came to the woman by night and said, “Tell me the future, please. Bring up from the dead the person I name to you.” ⁹ The woman answered, “Here, you know what Sha’ul did, how he expelled from the land those who tell the future by communicating with the dead or with a demonic spirit. Why are you trying to entrap me into causing my own death?” ¹⁰ But Sha’ul swore to her by Adonai, “As Adonai lives, you will not be punished for doing this.” ¹¹ Then the woman asked, “Whom should I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up for me Sh’mu’el.” ¹² When the woman saw Sh’mu’el, she let out a shriek. Then the woman said to Sha’ul, “Why have you deceived me? You yourself are Sha’ul!” ¹³ The king replied, “Don’t be afraid. Just tell me what you see.” The woman said to Sha’ul, “I see a god-like being coming up out of the earth.” ¹⁴ He asked her, “What does he look like?” She said, “An old man is coming up; he’s wearing a cloak.” Sha’ul realized it was Sh’mu’el, so he bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

¹⁵ Sh’mu’el asked Sha’ul, “Why have you disturbed me and brought me up?” Sha’ul answered, “I’m very upset; because the P’lishtim are making war against me; and God has left me and doesn’t answer me any more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. This is why I’ve called you, so that you can let me know what to do.” ¹⁶ Sh’mu’el said, “Why ask me, if Adonai has left you and become your enemy? ¹⁷ Adonai has done for himself what he foretold through me — Adonai has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to your fellow countryman David, ¹⁸ because you didn’t obey what Adonai said and execute his furious anger toward ‘Amalek. That’s why Adonai is doing this to you today. ¹⁹ Adonai is giving Isra’el as well as yourself over into the power of the P’lishtim, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Adonai will hand over Isra’el’s army to the power of the P’lishtim.”

²⁰ Sha’ul immediately fell full length on the ground and became terribly frightened because of what Sh’mu’el had said. He had no strength left in him, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night. ²¹ The woman approached Sha’ul, saw that he was panic-stricken and said to him, “Here, your servant listened to what you said; I put my life in my hands and did what you requested me to do. ²² Now therefore, please, you listen to what your servant says: let me put a little food in front of you; then eat, so you will have some strength when you go on your way.” ²³ But he refused and said, “I won’t eat.” Then his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded what they said. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf in the house; she hurried to slaughter it; then she took flour, kneaded it and baked matzah with it. ²⁵ She served it to Sha’ul and his servants, and they ate. Afterwards, they got up; and they went away that night.

9 Am I not a free man? Am I not an emissary of the Messiah? Haven’t I seen Yeshua our Lord? And aren’t you yourselves the result of my work for the Lord? ² Even if to others I am not an emissary, at least I am to you; for you are living proof that I am the Lord’s emissary. ³ That is my defense when people put me under examination.

⁴ Don’t we have the right to be given food and drink? ⁵ Don’t we have the right to take along with us a believing wife, as do the other emissaries, also the Lord’s brothers and Kefa? ⁶ Or are Bar-Nabba and I the only ones required to go on working for our living? ⁷ Did you ever hear of a soldier paying his own expenses? or of a farmer planting a vineyard without eating its grapes? Who shepherds a flock without drinking some of the milk? ⁸ What I am saying is not based merely on human authority, because the Torah says the same thing — ⁹ for in the Torah of Moshe it is written, “You are not to put a muzzle on an ox when it is treading out the grain.”^[a] If God is concerned about cattle, ¹⁰ all the more does he say this for our sakes. Yes, it was written for us, meaning that he who plows and he who threshes should work expecting to get a share of the crop. ¹¹ If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? ¹² If others are sharing in this right to be supported by you, don’t we have a greater claim to it?

But we don’t make use of this right. Rather, we put up with all kinds of things so as not to impede in any way the Good News about the Messiah. ¹³ Don’t you know that those who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrifices offered there? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord directed that those who proclaim the Good News should get their living from the Good News.

¹⁵ But I have not made use of any of these rights. Nor am I writing now to secure them for myself, for I would rather die than be deprived of my ground for boasting! ¹⁶ For I can’t boast merely because I proclaim the Good News — this I do from inner compulsion: woe is me if I don’t proclaim the Good News! ¹⁷ For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if I do it unwillingly, I still do it, simply because I’ve been entrusted with a job. ¹⁸ So then, what is my reward? Just this: that in proclaiming the Good News I can make it available free of charge, without making use of the rights to which it entitles me.

¹⁹ For although I am a free man, not bound to do anyone’s bidding, I have made myself a slave to all in order to win as many people as possible. ²⁰ That is, with Jews, what I did was put myself in the position of a Jew, in order to win Jews. With people in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah, I put myself in the position of someone under such legalism, in order to win those under this legalism, even though I myself am not in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah. ²¹ With those who live outside the framework of Torah, I put myself in the position of someone outside the Torah in order to win those outside the Torah — although I myself am not outside the framework of God’s Torah but within the framework of Torah as upheld by the Messiah. ²² With the “weak” I became “weak,” in order to win the “weak.” With all kinds of people I have become all kinds of things, so that in all kinds of circumstances I might save at least some of them.

²³ But I do it all because of the rewards promised by the Good News, so that I may share in them along with the others who come to trust. ²⁴ Don’t you know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one wins the prize? So then, run to win! ²⁵ Now every athlete in training submits himself to strict discipline, and he does it just to win a laurel wreath that will soon wither away. But we do it to win a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Accordingly, I don’t run aimlessly but straight for the finish line; I don’t shadow-box but try to make every punch count. ²⁷ I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that, after proclaiming the Good News to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

7 The word of Adonai came to me: ² “As for you, human being, here is what Adonai Elohim says about the land of Isra’el: