M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

22 Then David said, “The house of the Lord God^(A) is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

Preparations for the Temple

² So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners^(B) residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters^(C) to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. ³ He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.^{(D) 4} He also provided more cedar logs^(E) than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.

⁵ David said, “My son Solomon is young^(F) and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor^(G) in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

⁶ Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build^(H) a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁷ David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart^(I) to build^(J) a house for the Name^(K) of the Lord my God. ⁸ But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars.^(L) You are not to build a house for my Name,^(M) because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. ⁹ But you will have a son who will be a man of peace^(N) and rest,^(O) and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon,^[a](P) and I will grant Israel peace and quiet^(Q) during his reign. ¹⁰ He is the one who will build a house for my Name.^(R) He will be my son,^(S) and I will be his father. And I will establish^(T) the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’^(U)

¹¹ “Now, my son, the Lord be with^(V) you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. ¹² May the Lord give you discretion and understanding^(W) when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. ¹³ Then you will have success^(X) if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws^(Y) that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous.^(Z) Do not be afraid or discouraged.

¹⁴ “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents^[b] of gold, a million talents^[c] of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them.^{(AA) 15} You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters,^(AB) as well as those skilled in every kind of work ¹⁶ in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen^(AC) beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you.”

¹⁷ Then David ordered^(AD) all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. ¹⁸ He said to them, “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest^(AE) on every side?^(AF) For he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hands, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. ¹⁹ Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God.^(AG) Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.”

3 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves^(A) to your own husbands^(B) so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over^(C) without words by the behavior of their wives, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.^{(D) 4} Rather, it should be that of your inner self,^(E) the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.^{(F) 5} For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God^(G) used to adorn themselves.^(H) They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶ like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord.^(I) You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

⁷ Husbands,^(J) in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Good

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded,^(K) be sympathetic, love one another,^(L) be compassionate and humble.^{(M) 9} Do not repay evil with evil^(N) or insult with insult.^(O) On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,^(P) because to this^(Q) you were called^(R) so that you may inherit a blessing.^{(S) 10} For,

¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?^{(U) 14} But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.^(V) “Do not fear their threats^[b]; do not be frightened.”^{[c](W) 15} But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer^(X) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope^(Y) that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience,^(Z) so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.^{(AA) 17} For it is better, if it is God’s will,^(AB) to suffer for doing good^(AC) than for doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once^(AD) for sins,^(AE) the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.^(AF) He was put to death in the body^(AG) but made alive in the Spirit.^{(AH) 19} After being made alive,^[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits^(AI)— ²⁰ to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently^(AJ) in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.^(AK) In it only a few people, eight in all,^(AL) were saved^(AM) through water, ²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you^(AN) also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience^(AO) toward God.^[e] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,^{(AP) 22} who has gone into heaven^(AQ) and is at God’s right hand^(AR)—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.^(AS)

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth^(A) during the reigns of Jotham,^(B) Ahaz^(C) and Hezekiah,^(D) kings of Judah^(E)—the vision^(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

Weeping and Mourning

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two^(A)(B)(C)

10 After this the Lord^(D) appointed seventy-two^[a] others^(E) and sent them two by two^(F) ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.^{(G) 2} He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.^{(H) 3} Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.^{(I) 4} Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.^(J) Do not move around from house to house.

⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.^{(K) 9} Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God^(L) has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you.^(M) Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’^{(N) 12} I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom^(O) than for that town.^(P)

¹³ “Woe to you,^(Q) Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth^(R) and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum,^(S) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.^[b]

¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”^(T)

¹⁷ The seventy-two^(U) returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”^(V)

¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan^(W) fall like lightning from heaven.^{(X) 19} I have given you authority to trample on snakes^(Y) and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”^(Z)

²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.^(AA) Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²² “All things have been committed to me by my Father.^(AB) No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”^(AC)

²³ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”^(AD)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan^(AE)

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”^(AF)

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[c];^(AG) and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”^(AH)

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”^(AI)

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself,^(AJ) so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.^{(AK) 32} So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan,^(AL) as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

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

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha^(AM) opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary,^(AN) who sat at the Lord’s feet^(AO) listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care^(AP) that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried^(AQ) and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[f](AR) Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”