M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 8
Solomon’s Buildings.[a] 1 At the end of the twenty years that Solomon had taken to build the house of the Lord and his own palace, 2 he rebuilt the cities that Huram had given to him, and he settled the Israelites in them.
3 Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.[b] 4 After that he fortified Tadmor[c] in the wilderness and all the storage towns that he had built in Hamath. 5 He also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6 and Baalath, all the supply cities belonging to Solomon, and all the towns for his chariots and for his cavalry and whatever else Solomon decided to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and throughout his entire dominion.
7 All the people who still remained of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites who did not belong to Israel— 8 that is, from their descendants still surviving in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed—Solomon subjected to forced labor, as is still the case today.[d]
9 However, Solomon did not use the people of Israel as slaves for all the work he wanted done. Rather, they were assigned as soldiers and his officers, as well as the commanders of his soldiers and his cavalry.[e] 10 These served as King Solomon’s officials, two hundred and fifty in number, who exercised authority over the people.
11 Solomon’s Piety. Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the place that he had built for her, for he said: “No wife of mine shall live in the house of King David of Israel, for the places that the Ark of the Lord has entered are sacred.”
12 Then Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord upon the altar of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, 13 in accordance with what was required for each day, offerings in accordance with the law of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the annual dedicated feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.
14 Following the ordinances of his father David, Solomon designated the various divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry alongside the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers designated for specific gates, for such was the command of David, the man of God. 15 The instructions that David had specified in regard to the priests and Levites and also concerning the treasuries were never disregarded.
16 Thus all of Solomon’s work was accomplished, from the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid until the house of the Lord was completed.
17 Solomon’s Glory. Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Elath on the seacoast of Edom, 18 and Huram sent ships under the command of his own officers and manned by experienced seamen familiar with the sea. They went to Ophir, together with the servants of Solomon, and brought back from there four hundred and fifty talents that they presented to King Solomon.
Salutation. 1 The Presbyter[a] to my beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that everything is going well with you and that your bodily health is equal to that of your soul.[b]
Commendation of Gaius. 3 I rejoiced greatly when some of the brethren[c] arrived and related how faithful you are to the truth, and that you continue to walk in the truth. 4 Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 [d]Beloved, you have been faithful in everything you do for the brethren, especially to strangers. 6 They have testified before the Church to your love. Please continue to help them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they began their journey for the sake of the Name,[e] and they have refused to accept any support from nonbelievers. 8 Therefore, we ought to show hospitality to such people so that we may be collaborators in the truth.
Condemnation and Diotrephes. 9 I have previously written something to the Church, but Diotrephes,[f] who enjoys being in a position of leadership, refuses to acknowledge our authority. 10 Therefore, if I come, I shall draw attention to what he is doing. He has circulated false charges against us. And not content with that, he not only refuses to welcome the brethren but interferes with those who want to do so and expels them from the Church.
11 Exhortation to Gaius. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil; rather, imitate what is good. Whoever does what is good is from God. Whoever does what is evil has never seen God.[g]
12 Example of Demetrius. Everyone has spoken favorably about Demetrius,[h] and so has the Truth itself. We also will vouch for him, and you are well aware that our testimony is true.
13 Conclusion.[i]I have much to write to you, but I do not think it prudent to do so with pen and ink. 14 Instead, I hope to visit you in the very near future, when we can talk together face to face.
15 Peace be with you. The friends[j] send you their greetings. Greet each of our friends there by name.
Habakkuk’s Prayer
Chapter 3
Canticle
1 What follows is a prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, accompanied by a plaintive tune.
2 O Lord, I have heard of your renown;
your work, O Lord, fills me with awe.
Make it live once again in our own time;
in the course of the years make it known,
and in your wrath remember to have compassion on us.
3 God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His radiance covers the heavens,
and with his glory the earth is filled.
4 His splendor is like that of the sunrise;
rays shine forth from his hand
where his power lies hidden.
5 Pestilence goes before him,
and plague follows close behind.
6 When he stands up, the earth trembles;
at his glance the nations panic.
The eternal mountains are shattered;
along his ancient pathways,
the age-old hills bow down.
7 The tents of the Ethiopians are in distress;
the dwellings of the land of Midian are trembling.
8 Are you angry with the rivers, O Lord?
Or is your wrath directed against the streams,
or your rage against the sea,
that your horses are mounted
and you drive your chariots to victory?
9 You uncover your bow
and fill your quiver with arrows;
into rivers you split the earth.
10 At the sight of you the mountains tremble;
a torrent of water rushes by
and the ocean thunders aloud.
11 At the glint of your flying arrows
and the gleam of your flashing spear,
the sun forgets to rise
and the moon remains motionless in the heavens.
12 In fury you stride across the earth;
in anger you trample the nations.
13 You go forth to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You shatter the house of the wicked,
laying bare its foundations to the bedrock.
14 You pierced with your arrows
the leader of those warriors
who stormed toward us like a whirlwind,
ready to devour the wretched who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the mighty abyss.
16 I hear, and my body trembles;
my lips quiver at the sound.
Decay afflicts my bones,
and my legs tremble beneath me.
I wait calmly for the day of disaster
that will dawn on the people who attack us.
17 Even though the fig tree does not blossom
and there is no fruit on the vines,
even though the olive crop will fail
and the orchards will yield no food,
even though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
18 I will continue to rejoice in the Lord,
and exult in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength;
he makes my feet as swift as those of a deer
and enables me to tread on the heights.
The Passion and Resurrection[a]
Chapter 22
The Conspiracy against Jesus.[b] 1 Now the feast of Unleavened Bread, known as the Passover, was drawing near, 2 and the chief priests and the scribes were looking for some way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.
Judas Betrays Jesus.[c] 3 Then Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. 4 And he went to the chief priests and temple guards to discuss how he might betray Jesus to them 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He accepted their offer and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
The Last Supper[d]
The Preparations for the Passover.[e] When the day of the feast of Unleavened Bread arrived, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed, 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make the preparations for us to eat the Passover.” 9 They asked him, “Where do you want us to make the preparations?”10 He replied, “When you enter the city, a man will meet you carrying a jug of water. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says this to you: “Where is the room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 12 Then he will show you a large upper room that is furnished. Make the preparations there.” 13 They went forth and found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
14 The Last Supper.[f] When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table along with the apostles. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you that from this moment on I shall never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from this moment I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 Jesus Gives His Body and His Blood.[g] Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you. Do this in memory of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be poured out for you.
21 The Betrayer Foretold.[h]“But behold, the hand of the one who will betray me is here with me on the table. 22 The Son of Man goes on his appointed path, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.” 23 Then they began to question among themselves as to which one of them might do this.
24 The Disciples Are To Serve on Earth.[i] Then a dispute also broke out among them as to which one of them should be considered the greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them are given the title of ‘Benefactor.’[j]
26 “But it must not be so with you. Rather, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater—the one seated at table or the one who serves? Surely, the one who sits at table. And yet I am in your midst as one who serves.
28 Judges of the Twelve Tribes.[k]“You are the ones who have stood by my side in my trials, 29 and now I confer on you a kingdom just as my Father has conferred one on me. 30 In my kingdom, you will eat and drink at my table, and you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.[l]
31 Peter’s Denial Foretold.[m]“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to sift all of you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brethren.” 33 Simon said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
35 Instructions for the Time of Crisis.[n] Then Jesus said to them, “When I sent you forth without a money bag or sack or sandals, were you ever in need of anything?” They answered, “No, not a thing.” 36 He then remarked, “But now, the one who has a money bag should take it with him, as well as a sack. And if you do not have a sword, sell your cloak and purchase one.
37 “For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘He was numbered with the wicked.’ Indeed, everything written about me is being fulfilled.” 38 They said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” He said to them, “That is enough.”
The Passion
39 The Agony in the Garden.[o] Jesus then went forth and made his way, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 After withdrawing from them about a stone’s throw, he knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”
43 [p]Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish, he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like great drops of blood falling on the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted by grief. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
47 Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested.[q] While he was still speaking, a crowd of men suddenly approached, and the one called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He came up to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When Jesus’ disciples realized what was about to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck a servant of the high priest, slicing off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “Stop! No more of this!” He then touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come for him, “Why are you coming forth with swords and clubs as though I were a bandit? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not raise a hand against me. But this is the hour for you and the power of darkness.”[r]
54 Peter Denies Jesus.[s] Then they arrested Jesus and led him away. They brought him into the house of the high priest, and Peter followed at a distance. 55 Lighting a fire in the middle of the courtyard, they sat around it, and Peter sat with them.
56 A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire, looked closely at him, and said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 A short time later, someone else saw him and said, “You too are one of them,” but Peter replied, “No, I am not.”
59 About an hour later, another person strongly insisted, “This man was unquestionably with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter said, “My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.” At that very moment, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed, 61 and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter recalled the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept uncontrollably.
63 The men who were guarding Jesus began to mock him and to beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they continued to taunt him with insult after insult.
66 Jesus before the Sanhedrin.[t] When the dawn came, the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the scribes, assembled, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin.[u] 67 Then they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us!” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I question you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
70 All of them asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “It is you who say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What need do we have for any further testimony? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.