Bible Reading Plan

1 Samuel 13

Chapter 13

War with the Philistines

¹ Saul was ^(F1)thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for ^(F2)forty-two years over Israel.

² Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in ^(C1)Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at ^(C2)Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent.³ And Jonathan attacked ^(C1)the garrison of the Philistines that was in ^(C2)Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul ^(C3)blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"⁴ And all Israel heard ^(F1)the news that Saul had attacked the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ^(C1)had become repulsive to the Philistines. Then the people were summoned ^(F2)to Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and ^(C1)people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of ^(C2)Beth-aven.⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then ^(C1)the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits.⁷ And some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of ^(C1)Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

⁸ Now ^(C1)he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.⁹ So Saul said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And ^(C1)he offered the burnt offering.¹⁰ But as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and ^(C1)Saul went out to meet him and to ^(F1)greet him.¹¹ But Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Since I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come at the appointed ^(F1)time, and that ^(C1)the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,¹² I ^(F1)thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not ^(F2)asked the favor of the LORD.' So I worked up the courage and offered the burnt offering."¹³ But Samuel said to Saul, "^(C1)You have acted foolishly! ^(C2)You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for the LORD would now have established your kingdom ^(F1)over Israel ^(C3)forever.¹⁴ "But ^(C1)now your kingdom shall not endure. ^(C2)The LORD has sought for Himself a man ^(F1)after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

¹⁵ Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to ^(C1)Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul ^(F1)counted the people who were ^(F2)present with him, ^(C2)about six hundred men.¹⁶ Now Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were ^(F1)present with them were staying in ^(C1)Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash.¹⁷ Then ^(F1)(C1)raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three ^(F2)companies: one ^(F3)company turned ^(F4)toward ^(C2)Ophrah, to the land of Shual,¹⁸ and another ^(F1)company turned ^(F2)toward ^(C1)Beth-horon, and another ^(F1)company turned ^(F2)toward the border that overlooks the Valley of ^(C2)Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹ Now ^(C1)no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make ^(F1)(C2)swords or spears."²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.²¹ The charge was ^(F1)two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the ^(F2)cattle goads.²² So it came about on the day of battle that ^(C1)neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan.²³ And ^(C1)the garrison of the Philistines went out to ^(C2)the gorge of Michmash.

Psalms 58

Chapter 58

Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.

¹ Do you indeed ^(F1)speak righteousness, you ^(F2)gods?
Do you ^(C1)judge ^(F3)fairly, you sons of mankind?

² No, in heart you ^(C1)practice injustice;
On earth you ^(C2)clear a way for the violence of your hands.

³ The wicked have turned away ^(C1)from the womb;
These who speak lies ^(C2)go astray from ^(F1)birth.

⁴ They have venom like the ^(C1)venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,

⁵ So that it ^(C1)does not hear the voice of ^(F1)(C2)charmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.

⁶ God, ^(C1)shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, LORD.

⁷ May they ^(C1)flow away like water that runs off;
When he ^(F1)(C2)aims his arrows, may they be as ^(F2)headless shafts.

⁸ May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
Like the ^(C1)miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.

⁹ Before your ^(C1)pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will ^(C2)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the ^(F1)green and the burning alike.

¹⁰ The ^(C1)righteous will rejoice when he ^(C2)sees vengeance;
He will ^(C3)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

¹¹ And people will say, "There certainly is ^(F1)(C1)a reward for the righteous;
There certainly is a God who ^(C2)judges on the earth!"

Romans 4

Chapter 4

Abraham's Justification by Faith

¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, ^(F1)our forefather ^(C1)according to the flesh, has found?² For if Abraham was justified ^(F1)by works, he has something to boast about; but ^(C1)not ^(F2)before God.³ For what does the Scripture say? "^(C1)ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."⁴ Now to the one who ^(C1)works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due.⁵ But to the one who does not work, but ^(C1)believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,⁶ just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁷ "^(C1)BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.

⁸ "^(C1)BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT ^(C2)TAKE INTO ACCOUNT."

⁹ Is this blessing then on ^(F1)(C1)the circumcised, or on ^(F2)the uncircumcised also? For ^(C2)we say, "^(C3)FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."¹⁰ How then was it credited? While he was ^(F1)circumcised, or ^(F2)uncircumcised? Not while ^(F1)circumcised, but while ^(F2)uncircumcised;¹¹ and he ^(C1)received the sign of circumcision, ^(C2)a seal of the righteousness of the faith which ^(F1)he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be ^(C3)the father of ^(C4)all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,¹² and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which ^(F1)he had while uncircumcised.

¹³ For ^(C1)the promise to Abraham or to his ^(F1)descendants ^(C2)that he would be heir of the world was not ^(F2)through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.¹⁴ For ^(C1)if those who are ^(F1)of the Law are heirs, then faith is made void and the promise is nullified;¹⁵ for ^(C1)the Law brings about wrath, but ^(C2)where there is no law, there also is no violation.

¹⁶ For this reason it is ^(F1)by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with ^(C1)grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to ^(C2)all the ^(F2)descendants, not only to ^(F3)those who are of the Law, but also to ^(F3)(C3)those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is ^(C4)the father of us all,¹⁷ (as it is written: "I HAVE MADE YOU ^(C1)A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS") in the presence of Him whom he believed, that is, God, ^(C2)who gives life to the dead and ^(C3)calls into being ^(C4)things that do not exist.¹⁸ In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become ^(C1)a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "^(C2)SO SHALL YOUR ^(F1)DESCENDANTS BE."¹⁹ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now ^(C1)as good as dead since ^(C2)he was about a hundred years old, and ^(C3)the deadness of Sarah's womb;²⁰ yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, ^(C1)giving glory to God,²¹ and ^(C1)being fully assured that ^(C2)what God had promised, He was able also to perform.²² Therefore ^(C1)IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.²³ Now ^(C1)not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him,²⁴ but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, to us ^(C1)who believe in Him who ^(C2)raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,²⁵ He who was ^(C1)delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was ^(C2)raised because of our justification.