Bible Reading Plan

1 Samuel 26

Chapter 26

David Again Spares Saul

¹ Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "^(C1)Is David not keeping himself hidden on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite ^(F1)Jeshimon?"² So Saul set out and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, ^(F1)taking with him ^(C1)three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.³ And Saul camped on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite ^(F1)Jeshimon, ^(C1)beside the road, and David was staying in the wilderness. When ^(C2)he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness,⁴ David sent out spies, and he learned that Saul was definitely coming.⁵ David then set out and came to the place where Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and ^(C1)Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him.

⁶ Then David said to Ahimelech ^(C1)the Hittite and to ^(C2)Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, saying, "Who ^(C3)will go down with me to Saul in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you."⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.⁸ Then Abishai said to David, "Today God has handed your enemy over to you; now then, please let me ^(F1)pin him with the spear to the ground with one thrust, and I will not ^(F2)do it to him a second time."⁹ But David said to Abishai, "Do not ^(F1)kill him, for ^(C1)who can reach out with his hand against the LORD'S anointed and remain innocent?"¹⁰ David also said, "As the LORD lives, ^(C1)the LORD certainly will strike him, or ^(C2)his day will come that he dies, or ^(C3)he will go down in battle and ^(F1)perish.¹¹ "^(C1)The LORD forbid that I would reach out with my hand against the LORD'S anointed! But now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let's go."¹² So David took the spear and the jug of water that were at Saul's head, and they left; and no one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone awaken, for they were all asleep, because ^(C1)a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.

¹³ Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance with a large area between them.¹⁴ And David called to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Will you not answer, Abner?" Then Abner replied, "Who are you who calls to the king?"¹⁵ So David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to ^(F1)kill the king your lord!¹⁶ "This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, all of you undoubtedly ^(F1)(C1)must die, because you did not guard your lord, the LORD'S anointed. And now, see where the king's spear is and the jug of water that was at his head!"

¹⁷ Then Saul recognized David's voice and said, "^(C1)Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord the king."¹⁸ He also said, "^(C1)Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?¹⁹ "Now then, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If ^(C1)the LORD has incited you against me, ^(C2)may He ^(F1)accept an offering; but ^(C3)if it is ^(F2)people, cursed ^(F3)are they before the LORD, because ^(C4)they have driven me out today so that I would have no share in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'²⁰ "Now then, do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD; for the king of Israel has come out to search for ^(C1)a single flea, just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

²¹ Then Saul said, "^(C1)I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again since my life was precious in your sight this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have made a very great mistake."²² David replied, "Behold, the spear of the king! Now have one of the young men come over and take it.²³ "And ^(C1)the LORD will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD handed you over to me today, but ^(C2)I refused to reach out with my hand against the LORD'S anointed.²⁴ "Therefore behold, just as your life was ^(C1)highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD, and may He ^(C2)rescue me from all distress."²⁵ Then Saul said to David, "^(C1)Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and assuredly prevail." So ^(C2)David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Psalms 69

Chapter 69

A Cry of Distress and a Curse on Adversaries.

¹ Save me, God,
For the ^(C1)waters have ^(F1)threatened my life.

² I have sunk in deep ^(C1)mud, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a ^(F1)(C2)flood overflows me.

³ I am ^(C1)weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My ^(C2)eyes fail while I wait for my God.

⁴ Those ^(C1)who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would ^(F1)destroy me ^(C2)are powerful, those who oppose me with lies;
^(C3)What I did not steal, I then have to restore.

⁵ God, You know ^(C1)my foolishness,
And ^(C2)my guilt is not hidden from You.

⁶ May those who wait for You not ^(C1)be ashamed because of me, Lord ^(F1)GOD of armies;
May those who seek You not be dishonored because of me, God of Israel,

⁷ Because ^(C1)for Your sake I have endured disgrace;
^(C2)Dishonor has covered my face.

⁸ I have become ^(C1)estranged ^(F1)from my brothers,
And a stranger to my mother's sons.

⁹ For ^(C1)zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And ^(C2)the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me.

¹⁰ When I wept ^(C1)in my soul with fasting,
It became my ^(C2)disgrace.

¹¹ When I made ^(C1)sackcloth my clothing,
I became ^(C2)a proverb to them.

¹² Those who ^(C1)sit in the gate talk about me,
And ^(C2)songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me.

¹³ But as for me, my prayer is to You, LORD, ^(C1)at an acceptable time;
God, in the ^(C2)greatness of Your mercy,
Answer me with ^(F1)Your saving truth.

¹⁴ Rescue me from the ^(C1)mud and do not let me sink;
May I be ^(C2)rescued from those who hate me, and from the ^(C1)depths of water.

¹⁵ May the ^(F1)(C1)flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the ^(C2)pit close its mouth on me.

¹⁶ Answer me, LORD, for ^(C1)Your mercy is good;
^(C2)According to the greatness of Your compassion, ^(C3)turn to me,

¹⁷ And ^(C1)do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am ^(C2)in distress; answer me quickly.

¹⁸ Come near to my soul and ^(C1)redeem it;
^(C2)Ransom me because of my enemies!

¹⁹ You know my ^(C1)disgrace, my shame, and my dishonor;
All my enemies are ^(F1)known to You.

²⁰ Disgrace has ^(C1)broken my heart, and I am so sick.
And ^(C2)I waited for sympathy, but there was none;
And for ^(C3)comforters, but I found none.

²¹ They also gave me ^(F1)(C1)a bitter herb in my food,
And for my thirst they ^(C2)gave me vinegar to drink.

²² May ^(C1)their table before them become a snare;
And ^(F1)(C2)when they are at peace, may it become a trap.

²³ May their ^(C1)eyes grow dim so that they cannot see,
And make their ^(C2)hips shake continually.

^24 (C1)Pour out Your indignation on them,
And may Your burning anger overtake them.

²⁵ May their ^(F1)(C1)camp be desolated;
May there be none living in their tents.

²⁶ For they have ^(C1)persecuted him whom ^(C2)You Yourself struck,
And they tell of the pain of those whom ^(C3)You have ^(F1)wounded.

²⁷ Add ^(C1)guilt to their guilt,
And ^(C2)may they not come into ^(C3)Your righteousness.

²⁸ May they be ^(C1)wiped out of the ^(C2)book of life,
And may they not be ^(F1)(C3)recorded with the righteous.

²⁹ But I am ^(C1)afflicted and in pain;
^(F1)May Your salvation, God, ^(C2)set me safely on high.

³⁰ I will ^(C1)praise the name of God with song,
And ^(C2)exalt Him with ^(C3)thanksgiving.

³¹ And it will ^(C1)please the LORD better than an ox
Or bull with horns and hoofs.

³² The ^(C1)humble ^(F1)have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, ^(C2)let your heart ^(F2)revive.

³³ For ^(C1)the LORD hears the needy,
And ^(C2)does not despise those of His who are prisoners.

^34 (C1)Heaven and earth shall praise Him,
The seas and ^(C2)everything that moves in them.

³⁵ For God will ^(C1)save Zion and ^(C2)build the cities of Judah,
So that they may live there and ^(C3)possess it.

³⁶ The ^(F1)(C1)descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name ^(C2)will live in it.

Romans 14

Chapter 14

Principles of Conscience

¹ Now ^(C1)accept the one who is ^(C2)weak ^(F1)in faith, but not ^(F2)to have quarrels over opinions.^2 (C1)One person has faith that he may eat all things, but the one who is ^(C2)weak eats only vegetables.³ The one who eats is not to ^(C1)regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to ^(C2)judge the one who eats, for God has ^(C3)accepted him.^4 (C1)Who are you to judge the ^(F1)servant of another? To his own ^(F2)master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

^5 (C1)One person ^(F1)values one day over another, another ^(F1)values every day the same. Each person must be ^(C2)fully convinced in his own mind.⁶ The one who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and the one who eats, ^(F1)does so with regard to the Lord, for he ^(C1)gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God.⁷ For not one of us ^(C1)lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;⁸ for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore ^(C1)whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.⁹ For to this end ^(C1)Christ died and lived again, that He might be ^(C2)Lord both of the dead and of the living.

¹⁰ But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you as well, why do you ^(C1)regard your brother or sister with contempt? For ^(C2)we will all appear before the judgment seat of God.¹¹ For it is written:

"^(C1)AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, ^(C2)TO ME EVERY KNEE WILL BOW,
AND EVERY TONGUE WILL ^(F1)GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

¹³ Therefore let's not ^(C1)judge one another anymore, but rather ^(F1)determine this: ^(C2)not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's or sister's way.¹⁴ I know and am convinced ^(F1)in the Lord Jesus that ^(C1)nothing is ^(F2)unclean in itself; but to the one who ^(C2)thinks something is ^(F2)unclean, to that person it is ^(F2)unclean.¹⁵ For if because of food your brother or sister is hurt, you are no longer ^(C1)walking in accordance with love. ^(C2)Do not destroy with your choice of food that person for whom Christ died.¹⁶ Therefore ^(C1)do not let what is for you a good thing be ^(F1)spoken of as evil;¹⁷ for the kingdom of God ^(C1)is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and ^(C2)peace and ^(C2)joy in the Holy Spirit.¹⁸ For the one who ^(C1)serves Christ in this way is ^(C2)acceptable to God and approved by other people.¹⁹ So then we ^(C1)pursue the things ^(F1)which make for peace and the ^(C2)building up of one another.^20 (C1)Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. ^(C2)All things indeed are clean, but ^(C3)they are evil for the person who eats ^(F1)and causes offense.^21 (C1)It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother or sister stumbles.²² The faith which you have, have ^(F1)as your own conviction before God. Happy is the one who ^(C1)does not condemn himself in what he approves.²³ But ^(C1)the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.