M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

22 Then David said, “This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”^(A)

David’s Preparations for the Temple

² So David gave orders to gather the resident aliens that were in the land of Israel,^(B) and he appointed stonecutters to cut finished stones for building God’s house.^{(C) 3} David supplied a great deal of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the fittings, together with an immeasurable quantity of bronze,^{(D) 4} and innumerable cedar logs because the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to David.^{(E) 5} David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly great and famous and glorious in all the lands.^(F) Therefore, I will make provision for it.” So David made lavish preparations for it before his death.

⁶ Then he summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. ⁷ “My son,” David said to Solomon, “It was in my heart to build a house for the name of the Lord my God,^{(G) 8} but the word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for my name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before me.^{(H) 9} But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies,^(I) for his name will be Solomon,^[a](J) and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign.^{(K) 10} He is the one who will build a house for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’^(L)

¹¹ “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you,^(M) and may you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he said about you. ¹² Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.^{(N) 13} Then you will succeed if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances the Lord commanded Moses for Israel.^(O) Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or discouraged.^(P)

¹⁴ “Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the Lord—3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver,^[b](Q) and bronze and iron that can’t be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them. ¹⁵ You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work ¹⁶ in gold, silver, bronze, and iron—beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you.”^(R)

¹⁷ Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon: ¹⁸ “The Lord your God is with you, isn’t he? And hasn’t he given you rest on every side?^(S) For he has handed the land’s inhabitants over to me, and the land has been subdued before the Lord and his people. ¹⁹ Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.^(T) Get started building the Lord God’s sanctuary so that you may bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant and the holy articles of God to the temple that is to be built^(U) for the name of the Lord.”^(V)

Wives and Husbands

3 In the same way, wives,^(A) submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word,^(B) they may be won over^(C) without a word by the way their wives live^{(D) 2} when they observe your pure, reverent lives.^{(E) 3} Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes,^{(F) 4} but rather what is inside the heart^[a](G)—the imperishable quality of a gentle^(H) and quiet^(I) spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. ⁵ For in the past, the holy^(J) women who put their hope^(K) in God also adorned themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, ⁶ just as Sarah^(L) obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.^(M)

⁷ Husbands,^(N) in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner,^(O) showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Do No Evil

⁸ Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another,^(P) and be compassionate^(Q) and humble,^{[b] 9} not paying back evil for evil^(R) or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing,^(S) since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

Undeserved Suffering

¹³ Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness,^(Z) you are blessed. Do not fear them^[c](AA) or be intimidated,^{[d](AB) 15} but in your hearts regard^[e] Christ^[f] the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.^{(AC) 16} Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience,^(AD) so that when you are accused,^[g] those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. ¹⁷ For it is better to suffer^(AE) for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered^(AF) for sins once for all,^(AG) the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.^(AH) He was put to death in the flesh^[h](AI) but made alive by the Spirit,^{[i] 19} in which^[j] he also went and made proclamation to the spirits^(AJ) in prison ²⁰ who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah^(AK) while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people^[k](AL)—were saved through water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body,^(AM) but the pledge^[l] of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,^{(AN) 22} who has gone into heaven^(AO) and is at the right hand of God^(AP) with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.^(AQ)

1 The word of the Lord that came^(A) to Micah^(B) the Moreshite^(C)—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham,^(D) Ahaz,^(E) and Hezekiah,^(F) kings of Judah.

Coming Judgment on Israel

Micah’s Lament

Sending Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two^[a] others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go. ² He told them,^(A) “The harvest^(B) is abundant, but the workers^(C) are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.^{(D) 3} Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.^{(E) 4} Don’t carry a money-bag,^(F) traveling bag,^(G) or sandals; ^(H) don’t greet anyone along the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace^(I) to this household.’ ⁶ If a person of peace is there, your peace^(J) will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages.^(K) Don’t move from house to house. ⁸ When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you.^{(L) 9} Heal the sick^(M) who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God^(N) has come near^(O) you.’ ¹⁰ When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘We are wiping off even the dust of your town that clings to our feet as a witness against you.^(P) Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, on that day^(Q) it will be more tolerable for Sodom^(R) than for that town.^(S)

Unrepentant Towns

¹³ “Woe^(T) to you,^(U) Chorazin!^(V) Woe to you, Bethsaida!^(W) For if the miracles^(X) that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,^(Y) they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.^{(Z) 14} But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment^(AA) than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum,^(AB) will you be exalted to heaven?^(AC) No, you will go down to Hades.^{(AD) 16} Whoever listens to you listens to me.^(AE) Whoever rejects you rejects me.^(AF) And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”^(AG)

The Return of the Seventy-Two

¹⁷ The seventy-two^[b](AH) returned with joy, saying,^(AI) “Lord, even the demons^(AJ) submit to us in your name.”^(AK)

¹⁸ He said to them, “I watched Satan^(AL) fall from heaven like lightning.^{(AM) 19} Look, I have given you the authority^(AN) to trample^(AO) on snakes^(AP) and scorpions^(AQ) and over all the power of the enemy; ^(AR) nothing at all will harm you.^{(AS) 20} However, don’t rejoice that^[c] the spirits ^(AT) submit to you,^(AU) but rejoice that your names are written^(AV) in heaven.”

The Son Reveals the Father

²¹ At that time^(AW) he^[d] rejoiced in the Holy^[e] Spirit^(AX) and said, “I praise^[f] you, Father,^(AY) Lord of heaven and earth,^(AZ) because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent^(BA) and revealed them to infants.^(BB) Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure.^{[g](BC) 22} All things have^[h] been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires^[i] to reveal him.”^(BD)

²³ Then turning to his disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things you see! ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see but didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.”^(BE)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ Then^(BF) an expert in the law^(BG) stood up to test^(BH) him, saying, “Teacher,^(BI) what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ^(BJ)

²⁶ “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “Love the Lord your God^(BK) with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,”^(BL) and “your neighbor as yourself.”^[j](BM)

²⁸ “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”^(BN)

²⁹ But wanting to justify himself,^(BO) he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ^(BP)

³⁰ Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan^(BQ) on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.^{(BR) 34} He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil^(BS) and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day^[k] he took out two denarii,^[l] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

³⁷ “The one who showed mercy^(BT) to him,” he said.

Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”

Martha and Mary

³⁸ While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha^(BU) welcomed him into her home.^{[m] 39} She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s^[n] feet^(BV) and was listening to what he said.^{[o] 40} But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care^(BW) that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”^[p](BX)

⁴¹ The Lord^[q] answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,^{(BY) 42} but one thing is necessary.^[r](BZ) Mary has made the right choice,^[s] and it will not be taken away from her.”