M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Solomon Completes His Construction(A)
8 It took Solomon 20 years to build the Lord’s house and his own house. 2 He rebuilt the cities Huram gave him, and he had Israelites live in them.
3 Then Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and conquered it. 4 He rebuilt Tadmor in the desert and built all the storage cities in Hamath. 5 He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon into cities fortified with walls, double-door gates, and bars. 6 ⌞He also rebuilt⌟ Baalath and all the storage cities that he owned. He built all the cities for his chariots, all the cities for his war horses, and whatever ⌞else⌟ he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or the entire territory that he governed.
7 The Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites had been left ⌞in the land⌟ because the Israelites had not been able to destroy them.[a] They were not Israelites, 8 but they had descendants who were still in the land. Solomon drafted them for slave labor. (They are still ⌞slaves⌟ today.) 9 But Solomon didn’t make any of the Israelites slaves for his projects. Instead, they were the soldiers, officers, generals, and commanders of his chariot and cavalry units.
10 These were the officers in charge of King Solomon’s projects: 250 foremen for the people who did the work.
11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter from the City of David to a palace he had built for her. He said, “My wife will not live in the palace of King David of Israel because these places where the Lord’s ark has come are holy.”
12 Then Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord on the Lord’s altar that he built in front of the entrance hall. 13 He sacrificed every day, on weekly days of rest—holy days, on the New Moon Festivals, and on the three annual festivals (the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths) as Moses had commanded. 14 As Solomon’s father David had directed, he set up the divisions of priests for their service and the ⌞divisions of⌟ Levites for their appointed places. ⌞The Levites⌟ were to lead in praising ⌞the Lord⌟ and to serve beside the priests by doing whatever needed to be done each day. Solomon also set up divisions of doorkeepers at every gate because this is what David, the man of God, had commanded. 15 No one neglected the king’s orders to the priests or the Levites in any matter, including the ⌞temple’s⌟ finances. 16 All of Solomon’s work was carried out from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid until it was completed. The Lord’s temple was ⌞now⌟ finished.
17 Then Solomon went to the coast near Ezion Geber and Elath in Edom. 18 Huram sent his own servants and his experienced sailors with ships to Solomon. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, got 33,750 pounds of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.
Greeting
1 From the church leader.[a]
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love because we share the truth.
Encouragement for Gaius
2 Dear friend, I know that you are spiritually well. I pray that you’re doing well in every other way and that you’re healthy. 3 I was very happy when some believers came and told us that you are living according to the truth. 4 Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children are living according to the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are showing your faith in whatever you do for other believers, especially when they’re your guests. 6 These believers have told the congregation about your love. You will do well to support them on their trip in a way that proves you belong to God. 7 After all, they went on their trip to serve the one named Christ, and they didn’t accept any help from the people to whom they went. 8 We must support believers who go on trips like this so that we can work together with them in spreading the truth.
Criticism of Diotrephes
9 I wrote a letter to the congregation. But Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, won’t accept us. 10 For this reason, when I come I will bring up what he’s doing. He’s not satisfied with saying malicious things about us. He also refuses to accept the believers ⌞we send⌟ as guests. He even tries to stop others who want to accept them and attempts to throw those people out of the congregation.
Praise for Demetrius
11 Dear friend, never imitate evil, but imitate good. The person who does good is from God. The person who does evil has never seen God.
12 Everyone, including the truth itself, says good things about Demetrius. We also say good things about him, and you know that what we say is true.
Farewell
13 I have a lot to write to you. However, I would rather not write. 14 I hope to visit you very soon. Then we can talk things over personally.
15 Peace be with you! Your friends here send you their greetings. Greet each of our friends by name.
A Psalm
3 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk; according to shigionoth.[a]
2 Lord, I have heard the report about you.
Lord, I fear your work.
In the course of the years, renew it.
In the course of the years, reveal it.
In all this chaos, remember to be merciful.
3 God comes from Teman.
The Holy One comes from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covers the heavens.
His praise fills the earth.
4 His brightness is like the sunlight.
Rays of light ⌞stream⌟ from his hand.
That is where his power is hidden.
5 Diseases go ahead of him.
Plagues follow after him.
6 He stands and shakes the earth.
He casts a glance and startles the nations.
The oldest mountains break apart.
The ancient hills sink.
The ancient paths belong to him.
7 I see trouble in the tents of Cushan.
I see trembling in the tents of Midian.
8 The Lord is not angry with the rivers, is he?
If you are angry with the rivers,
if you are furious with the sea,
⌞why⌟ do you ride your horses,
your chariots of salvation?
9 You get your bow ready for action,
for the arrows ⌞you⌟ promised. Selah
You split the land with rivers.
10 The mountains look at you. They writhe in pain.
Floodwaters pass by.
The deep ocean roars. Its waves rise up high.
11 The sun and the moon stand still.
They scatter at the light of your arrows,
at the bright lightning of your spear.
12 You march through the earth with fury.
You trample the nations in anger.
13 You go out to save your people,
to save your anointed.[b]
You crush the leader of the wicked household,
stripping him bare from head to toe. Selah
14 You pierce the leader of his gang with his own arrows.
His soldiers come like a violent storm to scatter me.
They are arrogant like those who secretly eat up the poor.
15 You march with your horses into the sea,
into the mighty raging waters.
16 I have heard, so there’s trembling within me.
At the report my lips quivered.
A rotten feeling has entered me.
I tremble where I stand.
I wait for the day of trouble
to come to the people who will attack us.
17 Even if the fig tree does not bloom
and the vines have no grapes,
even if the olive tree fails to produce
and the fields yield no food,
even if the sheep pen is empty
and the stalls have no cattle—
18 even then,
I will be happy with the Lord.
I will truly find joy in God, who saves me.
19 The Lord Almighty is my strength.
He makes my feet like those of a deer.
He makes me walk on the mountains.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments.
The Plot to Kill Jesus(A)
22 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, called Passover, was near. 2 The chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings were looking for some way to kill Jesus. However, they were afraid of the people.
3 Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles. 4 Judas went to the chief priests and the temple guards and discussed with them how he could betray Jesus. 5 They were pleased and agreed to give him some money. 6 So Judas promised to do it. He kept looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus to them when there was no crowd.
The Passover(B)
7 The day came during the Festival of Unleavened Bread when the Passover lamb had to be killed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John and told them, “Go, prepare the Passover lamb for us to eat.”
9 They asked him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”
10 He told them, “Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him into the house he enters. 11 Tell the owner of the house that the teacher asks, ‘Where is the room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12 He will take you upstairs and show you a large furnished room. Get things ready there.”
13 The disciples left. They found everything as Jesus had told them and prepared the Passover.
14 When it was time to eat the Passover meal, Jesus and the apostles were at the table. 15 Jesus said to them, “I’ve had a deep desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 I can guarantee that I won’t eat it again until it finds its fulfillment in God’s kingdom.” 17 Then he took a cup and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He said, “Take this, and share it. 18 I can guarantee that from now on I won’t drink this wine until God’s kingdom comes.”
The Lord’s Supper(C)
19 Then Jesus took bread and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He broke the bread, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given up for you. Do this to remember me.”
20 When supper was over, he did the same with the cup. He said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new promise [a] made with my blood.”
Jesus Knows Who Will Betray Him(D)
21 “The hand of the one who will betray me is with me on the table. 22 The Son of Man is going to die the way it has been planned for him. But how horrible it will be for that person who betrays him.”
23 So they began to discuss with each other who could do such a thing.
An Argument about Greatness
24 Then a quarrel broke out among the disciples. They argued about who should be considered the greatest.
25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of nations have power over their people, and those in authority call themselves friends of the people. 26 But you’re not going to be that way! Rather, the greatest among you must be like the youngest, and your leader must be like a servant. 27 Who’s the greatest, the person who sits at the table or the servant? Isn’t it really the person who sits at the table? But I’m among you as a servant.
28 “You have stood by me in the troubles that have tested me. 29 So as my Father has given me a kingdom, I’m giving it to you. 30 You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. You will also sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial(E)
31 ⌞Then the Lord said,⌟ “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to have you apostles for himself. He wants to separate you from me as a farmer separates wheat from husks. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. So when you recover, strengthen the other disciples.”
33 But Peter said to him, “Lord, I’m ready to go to prison with you and to die with you.”
34 Jesus replied, “Peter, I can guarantee that the rooster won’t crow tonight until you say three times that you don’t know me.”
35 Then Jesus said to them, “When I sent you out without a wallet, traveling bag, or sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?”
“Not a thing!” they answered.
36 Then he said to them, “But now, the person who has a wallet and a traveling bag should take them along. The person who doesn’t have a sword should sell his coat and buy one. 37 I can guarantee that the Scripture passage which says, ‘He was counted with criminals,’ must find its fulfillment in me. Indeed, whatever is written about me will come true.”
38 The disciples said, “Lord, look! Here are two swords!”
Then Jesus said to them, “That’s enough!”
Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane(F)
39 Jesus went out ⌞of the city⌟ to the Mount of Olives as he usually did. His disciples followed him. 40 When he arrived, he said to them, “Pray that you won’t be tempted.”
41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 “Father, if it is your will, take this cup ⌞of suffering⌟ away from me. However, your will must be done, not mine.”
43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 So he prayed very hard in anguish. His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.[b]
45 When Jesus ended his prayer, he got up and went to the disciples. He found them asleep and overcome with sadness. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up, and pray that you won’t be tempted.”
Jesus Is Arrested(G)
47 While he was still speaking to the disciples, a crowd arrived. The man called Judas, one of the twelve apostles, was leading them. He came close to Jesus to kiss him.
48 Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you intend to betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 The men who were with Jesus saw what was going to happen. So they asked him, “Lord, should we use our swords to fight?” 50 One of the disciples cut off the right ear of the chief priest’s servant.
51 But Jesus said, “Stop! That’s enough of this.” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple guards, and leaders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal? 53 I was with you in the temple courtyard every day and you didn’t try to arrest me. But this is your time, when darkness rules.”
54 So they arrested Jesus and led him away to the chief priest’s house.
Peter Denies Jesus(H)
Peter followed at a distance.
55 Some men had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard. As they sat together, Peter sat among them. 56 A female servant saw him as he sat facing the glow of the fire. She stared at him and said, “This man was with Jesus.”
57 But Peter denied it by saying, “I don’t know him, woman.”
58 A little later someone else saw Peter and said, “You are one of them.”
But Peter said, “Not me!”
59 About an hour later another person insisted, “It’s obvious that this man was with him. He’s a Galilean!”
60 But Peter said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Just then, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 Then the Lord turned and looked directly at Peter. Peter remembered what the Lord had said: “Before a rooster crows today, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” 62 Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.
The Trial in Front of the Jewish Council(I)
63 The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him as they beat him. 64 They blindfolded him and said to him, “Tell us who hit you.” 65 They also insulted him in many other ways.
66 In the morning the council of the people’s leaders, the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings, gathered together. They brought Jesus in front of their highest court and asked him, 67 “Tell us, are you the Messiah?”
Jesus said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. 68 And if I ask you, you won’t answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne.”
70 Then all of them said, “So you’re the Son of God?”
Jesus answered them, “You’re right to say that I am.”
71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We’ve heard him say it ourselves.”
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