M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Abijam King of Judah(A)
15 Abijam [C “My father is the Sea” (symbol of chaos); compare Abijah (“My father is the Lord”) in 2 Chr. 13:1] became king of Judah during the eighteenth year Jeroboam son of Nebat was king of Israel. 2 Abijam ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Abishalom [C David’s son Absalom]. 3 He ·did [committed; L walked in] all the same sins his father before him had ·done [committed]. ·Abijam was not faithful [L His heart was not fully/wholly devoted] to the Lord his God as David, his ·great-grandfather [L father; C in the sense of ancestor], had been. 4 ·Because the Lord loved David [For David’s sake], the Lord gave him a ·kingdom [L lamp; C possibly a metaphor for the reign of a king] in Jerusalem and allowed him to have a son to be king after him. The Lord also ·kept Jerusalem safe [strengthened/established Jerusalem]. 5 David did what ·the Lord said was right [L was right in the eyes/sight of the Lord] and ·obeyed [L had not turned aside from] his commands all his ·life [L days], except ·the one time when David sinned ·against [in the case/matter of] Uriah the Hittite [2 Sam. 11–12].
6 There was war between ·Abijam[a] and Jeroboam during Abijam’s lifetime. 7 Everything else Abijam did is written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 14:19] of the kings of Judah. There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 Abijam ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem], and his son Asa became king in his place.
Asa King of Judah
9 During the twentieth year Jeroboam was king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah. 10 His ·grandmother’s [mother’s; C in the sense of ancestor] name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom [15:2]. Asa ruled in Jerusalem for forty-one years.
11 Asa did what ·the Lord said was right [L was right in the eyes/sight of the Lord], as his ·ancestor [L father] David had done. 12 He ·forced the male prostitutes at the worship places to leave the country [expelled/banished the male cult prostitutes from the land; 14:24]. He also took away the idols that his ·ancestors [fathers] had made. 13 His ·grandmother [mother; ancestor] Maacah had made a ·terrible [obscene; repulsive; abominable] Asherah ·idol [pole; 14:15], so Asa removed her from being queen mother. He cut down ·that idol [her obscene/repulsive/abominable image/pole] and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 The ·places of worship to gods [L high places; 3:2] were not removed. Even so, Asa was ·faithful [devoted; true] to the Lord all his life. 15 Asa brought into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord the gifts he and his father had ·given [dedicated]: gold, silver, and utensils.
16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all ·the time they were kings [their days]. 17 Baasha ·attacked [invaded; L went up against] Judah, and he ·made the town of Ramah strong [fortified Ramah] so he could keep people from leaving or entering ·Judah, Asa’s country [L Asa, king of Judah].
18 Asa took the rest of the silver and gold from the treasuries of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and ·his own palace [L the treasuries of the king’s house] and gave it to his ·officers [officials; servants]. Then he sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, who was the son of Hezion. Ben-Hadad was the king of Aram and ·ruled [lived] in the city of Damascus. Asa said, 19 “Let there be a treaty between you and me as there was between my father and your father. I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will ·leave my land [withdraw from me].”
20 Ben-Hadad ·agreed with [listened to] King Asa, so he sent the commanders of his armies ·to attack [against] the towns of Israel. They defeated the towns of Ijon, Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, as well as all ·Galilee [L Kinnereth] and the area of Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard about these attacks, he stopped ·building up [fortifying] Ramah and ·returned [withdrew] to Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa gave an ·order [proclamation] to all the people of Judah; everyone had to help carry away all the stones and ·wood [timber] Baasha had used in building Ramah, and they used them to build up Geba and Mizpah in the land of Benjamin.
23 Everything else Asa did—his ·victories [power] and the cities he built—·is [L are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 14:19] of the kings of Judah. When he became old, he got a disease in his feet. 24 After Asa ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors], he was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [C Jerusalem], his ·ancestor [father]. Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, ·became king [reigned] in his place.
Nadab King of Israel
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel during the second year Asa was king of Judah. Nadab ·was king of [reigned over] Israel for two years, 26 and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam had led the people of Israel to sin, and Nadab ·sinned in the same way as his father Jeroboam [L walked in the way/path of his father and in his sin].
27 Baasha son of Ahijah, from the ·tribe [L house] of Issachar, ·made plans to kill Nadab [plotted/conspired against him]. Nadab and all Israel were ·attacking [laying siege to] the Philistine town of Gibbethon, so Baasha killed Nadab there. 28 ·This happened [Baasha killed him] during Asa’s third year as king of Judah, and ·Baasha became the next king of Israel [reigned in his place].
Baasha King of Israel
29 As soon as Baasha became king, he killed all of Jeroboam’s ·family [L house], leaving no one in Jeroboam’s ·family [L house] alive. He destroyed them all ·as the Lord had said would happen [L according to the word which the Lord spoke] ·through [L by the hand of] his servant Ahijah from Shiloh. 30 All this was because King Jeroboam had sinned very much and had led the people of Israel to sin, ·provoking [arousing] the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger.
31 Everything else Nadab did ·is [L is it not…?]written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 14:19] of the kings of Israel. 32 There was war between Asa [C king of Judah] and Baasha king of Israel all ·the time they ruled [their days].
33 Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel during Asa’s third year as king of Judah. Baasha ruled in Tirzah for twenty-four years, 34 and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam had led the people of Israel to sin, and Baasha ·sinned in the same way as [L walked in the way of] Jeroboam.
2 [L For] I want you to know how hard I ·work [contend; struggle] for you, those in Laodicea [C a city northwest of Colossae; 4:16; Rev. 3:14–22], and others who have never ·seen me [met me personally; L seen my face in the flesh]. 2 I want ·them [L their hearts] to be ·strengthened [encouraged; comforted] and joined together with love so that they may be rich in their ·understanding [L assurance of understanding]. This leads to their knowing fully God’s ·secret [mystery; 1:26], that is, Christ himself. 3 In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are ·safely kept [hidden].
4 I say this so that no one can ·fool [deceive] you by ·arguments that seem good, but are false [persuasive/enticing/specious arguments]. 5 [L For] Though I am absent from you in my body, ·my heart is [in spirit I am] with you, and I ·am happy [rejoice] to see your ·good lives [discipline; orderly lives; or unbroken ranks] and your ·strong [firm; steadfast] faith in Christ.
Continue to Live in Christ
6 [L Therefore] As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to ·live [walk] in him. 7 Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be ·strong [established] in the faith, just as you were taught, ·and always be thankful [abounding/overflowing with gratitude].
8 ·Be sure [Be careful; Watch; See] that no one ·leads you away [takes you captive; captivates you] with ·false [deceptive] and ·empty [worthless] teaching that is ·only human [L according to human traditions], which comes from the ·ruling spirits [elemental spiritual forces (demons); or elementary teachings] of this world, and not from Christ. 9 ·All of God lives fully in Christ [L For in him all the fullness of deity dwells] ·in a human body [bodily; embodied], 10 and you have ·a full and true life in Christ [L been filled in him], who is ·ruler [L head] over every ruler and ·power [authority].
11 In Christ you were also circumcised, but not with a circumcision done by hands [Rom. 2:28; Phil. 3:3]. It was ·a circumcision done by Christ [L the circumcision of Christ], which ·freed you from [put off; cut away] ·the power of your sinful self [your sinful nature; L the body of flesh; C just as OT circumcision cut off the physical flesh, so Christ’s circumcision “cuts off” the “flesh”—the power of our sinful self]. 12 When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in the ·power [working; active agency] of God, who raised Christ from the dead. 13 When you were ·spiritually dead [L dead] ·because of [or in] your sins and ·because you were not free from the power [L in the uncircumcision] of your ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh], God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our ·sins [transgressions]. 14 He ·canceled [wiped out; erased] the ·record [certificate] of debt, ·which listed all the rules we failed to follow [L with its decrees that were against us; C the record of sins revealed through the OT law; Eph. 2:15]. He ·took it away [set it aside; destroyed it] and nailed it to the cross. 15 ·God [or Christ; L He] ·stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority [L disarmed/despoiled the rulers and authorities]. With the cross, he won the victory and ·showed the world that they were powerless [publicly shamed them; made a public spectacle of them; C like a triumphant general displaying his captives in a victory parade].
Don’t Follow People’s Rules
16 So do not let anyone ·make rules for [or criticize; judge; or condemn] you about eating and drinking or about a religious ·feast [festival], a New Moon Festival [2 Kin. 4:23; Neh. 10:33], or a Sabbath day [C religious observances that false teachers pressured the Colossians to keep]. 17 These things ·were like [L are] a shadow of what was to come. But ·what is true and real has come and is found in Christ [or the reality/substance belongs to Christ; L the body (is) of Christ]. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you by ·insisting on [or delighting in] self-denial [asceticism; or false humility] and worship of angels. Such people ·enter into [or talk endlessly about; or pin their hopes on] visions, which ·fill them [puff them up] with ·foolish pride [or empty notions] because of their ·human way of thinking [unspiritual/worldly/carnal minds; L mind of the flesh]. 19 They ·do not hold tightly [or have no connection] to the head [C Christ]. It is from him that all the parts of the body are ·cared for [supported] and held together through its joints and ligaments. So it grows in the way God ·wants [or causes] it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ and were made free from the ·ruling spirits [elemental spiritual forces (demons); or elementary teachings; v. 8] of the world, why do you act as if you still ·belong to [L are living in] this world by following rules like these: 21 “Don’t handle this,” “Don’t taste that,” “Don’t even touch that thing”? 22 These rules refer to ·earthly things that are gone as soon as they are used [L things that all perish with use]. They are only human commands and teachings. 23 They ·seem to be wise [have an appearance of wisdom], with their ·religious devotion [or forced piety; or asceticism], false humility, and ·harsh treatment [severe discipline] of their bodies. But they ·do not really control [have no value against] the ·evil desires [indulgence] of the ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh].
The Land Is Divided
45 “‘When you divide the land for the Israelite tribes by throwing lots, you must give a part of the land to belong to the Lord. It will be ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·about six miles [L twenty thousand cubits] wide; all of this land will be holy. 2 From this land, an area ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [L five hundred cubits] square will be for the ·Temple [sanctuary]. There will be an open space around the Temple that is ·eighty-seven and one-half feet [L fifty cubits] wide. 3 In the holy area you will measure a part ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles wide [L ten thousand cubits], and in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 This ·holy part [sacred portion] of the land will be for the priests who ·serve [minister] in the ·Temple [sanctuary], who come near to the Lord to ·serve [minister to] him. It will be a place for the priests’ houses and ·for the Temple [L a holy place for the sanctuary]. 5 Another area ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles wide [L ten thousand cubits] will be for the Levites, who ·serve [minister] in the Temple area. It will belong to them so they will have cities in which to live.
6 “‘You must give the city an area that is ·about one and one-half miles [L five thousand cubits] wide and ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long, along the side of the holy area. It will belong to all the ·people [L house] of Israel.
7 “‘The ·ruler [prince] will have land on both sides of the holy ·area [allotment; contribution] and the city. On the west of the holy area, his land will reach to the eastern border [C apparently the Mediterranean Sea]. On the east of the holy area, his land will reach to the eastern border [C of the country]. It will be as long as the land given to each tribe. 8 Only this land will be the ruler’s ·property [possession] in Israel. So my rulers will not ·be cruel to [oppress] my people anymore [C such a large portion would keep the king from wanting to seize land, as Ahab had done (1 Kin. 21); see v. 9], but they will let each tribe in the ·nation [L house] of Israel have its share of the land.
9 “‘This is what the Lord God says: ·You have gone far enough [Enough!], you ·rulers [princes] of Israel! Stop ·being cruel and hurting people [your violence and oppression], and do what is right and ·fair [just]. Stop ·forcing my people out of their homes [evicting my people], says the Lord God. 10 You must have ·honest [just] scales, an ·honest [just] ·dry measurement [L ephah] and an ·honest [just] ·liquid measurement [L bath]. 11 The dry measure [L ephah] and the liquid measure [L bath] will be the same: The ·liquid measure [L bath] will always be a tenth of a homer [C the Hebrew means “donkey-load,” and was about five bushels of dry measure and 55 gallons of liquid measure], and the dry measure [L ephah] will always be a tenth of a homer. The ·measurement they follow [standard measure] will be the homer. 12 The shekel [C coin weighing about two-fifths of an ounce] will be worth twenty gerahs, and a mina will be worth ·sixty shekels [L twenty shekels and twenty-five shekels and fifteen shekels].
Offerings and Holy Days
13 “‘This is the ·gift [offering] you should offer: a sixth of an ephah [v. 11] from every homer [v. 11] of wheat, and a sixth of an ephah from every homer of barley. 14 The amount of oil you are to offer is a tenth of a bath [v. 11] from each cor. (Ten baths make a homer and also make a cor.) 15 You should give one sheep from each flock of two hundred from the watering places of Israel. All these are to be offered for the ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] to ·remove the sins of [make atonement for] the people, says the Lord God. 16 All people in the land will give this special offering to the ·ruler [prince] of Israel. 17 It will be the ·ruler’s [prince’s] responsibility to supply the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], and drink offerings. These offerings will be given at the ·feasts [appointed festivals], at the New Moons, on the Sabbaths, and at all the other feasts of [L the house of] Israel. He will supply the ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3], ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings, and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] to pay for the sins of [L the house of] Israel.
18 “‘This is what the Lord God says: On the first day of the first month take a young bull ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect]. Use it to ·make the Temple pure and ready for God’s service [L purify the sanctuary]. 19 The priest will take some of the blood from this ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3] and put it on the doorposts of the ·Temple [L house], on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate to the inner courtyard. 20 You will do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned ·by accident [unintentionally] or ·without knowing it [through ignorance]. This is how you make ·the Temple pure and ready for God’s service [L atonement for the house].
Passover Feast Offerings
21 “‘On the fourteenth day of the first month you will celebrate the Feast of Passover [Ex. 12:1–20; Lev. 23:4–8; Num. 28:16–25; Deut. 16:1–5]. It will be a feast of seven days when you eat ·bread made without yeast [unleavened bread]. 22 On that day the ·ruler [prince] ·must offer [will provide] a bull for himself and for all the people of the land as a ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3]. 23 During the seven days of the feast he ·must offer [will provide] seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams] ·that have nothing wrong with them [without blemish/defect]. They will be burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord, which the ruler will offer every day of the seven days of the feast. He must also offer a male goat every day as a ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3]. 24 The ruler ·must give [will provide] as a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] ·one-half bushel [L an ephah; v. 11] for each bull and ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] for each sheep. He must give a ·gallon [L hin] of olive oil for each half bushel.
25 “‘Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you celebrate the ·Feast of Shelters [L Feast/Festival; Lev. 23:33–44; Num. 28:12–40], the ruler will supply the same ·things [provisions] for seven days: the ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3], burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], and the olive oil.
The Lord, the Fair and Holy King
99 The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; Rev. 19:6].
Let the peoples ·shake [tremble; C with fear].
He sits between the ·gold creatures with wings [L cherubim; C above the Ark of the Covenant; Ex. 25:17–22; 1 Kin. 8:7].
Let the earth shake.
2 The Lord in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] is great;
he is ·supreme [exalted] over all the peoples.
3 Let them ·praise [thank] your name;
it is great, holy and ·to be feared [awesome].
4 The King is ·powerful [strong] and loves justice.
Lord, you ·made [established] things fair;
you have done what is ·fair [righteous] and ·right [just]
for the people of Jacob [C another name for Israel].
5 ·Praise [Exalt] the Lord our God,
and ·worship [bow down] at the footstool of his feet [C the Ark located in the Temple].
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel was among ·his worshipers [L those who called on his name].
They called to the Lord,
and he answered them [Ex. 32:11–13, 30–32; Num. 12:13; 14:13–19; 1 Sam. 7:5, 8–9; 12:16–18; Jer. 15:1].
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud [Ex. 13:21].
They ·kept [observed; guarded] the ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and ·laws [decrees; testimonies] he gave them.
8 Lord our God, you answered them.
You showed them that you are a forgiving God,
but you ·punished them [are an avenger] for their wrongs [Deut. 32:35; Is. 34:8; Ezek. 24:8; 25:14–17; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 12:19; 1 Thess. 4:6].
9 ·Praise [Exalt] the Lord our God,
and ·worship [bow down] at his holy mountain,
because the Lord our God is holy.
A Call to Praise the Lord
A psalm of thanks.
100 Shout to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with joy;
come before him with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
He made us [Gen. 1–2], and ·we belong to him [or not ourselves];
we are his people, the sheep ·he tends [L of his pasture; 74:1; 79:13; John 10:11–14].
4 Come into his ·city [L gates] with songs of thanksgiving
and into his courtyards with songs of praise.
·Thank [Praise] him and ·praise [bless] his name.
5 The Lord is good. His ·love [loyalty] is forever,
and his ·loyalty [faithfulness] ·goes on and on [L for all generations].
A Promise to Rule Well
A psalm of David.
101 I will sing of your ·love [loyalty] and ·fairness [justice; judgment];
Lord, I will ·sing praises [make a psalm] to you.
2 I will ·be careful to live [lead; or study] ·an innocent life [the way that is blameless].
When will ·you [or it; C the “way that is blameless”] come to me?
I will ·live [go; walk] ·an innocent life [L in the blamelessness of my heart] in my house.
3 I will not ·look at [L set before my eyes] anything ·wicked [vile].
I hate those who ·turn against you [are crooked/transgressors];
they will not ·be found near [cling to] me.
4 Let those who ·want to do wrong [L have a perverse heart] stay away from me;
I ·will have nothing to do with [L do not know] evil.
5 If anyone secretly ·says things against [slanders] his neighbor,
I will ·stop [destroy; silence] him.
I will not allow people
to ·be proud [L have broad hearts] and ·look down on others [L haughty eyes; 131:1].
6 ·I will look for trustworthy people [L My eyes are on the faithful of the land]
so ·I can live with them [L they may dwell with me].
Only those who ·live innocent lives [L walk in the way of blamelessness]
will ·be my servants [L serve me].
7 No one who ·is dishonest [deceives] will live in my house;
no ·liars [L one who speaks falsehoods] will ·stay around me [L be established before my eyes].
8 Every morning I will ·destroy [silence] all the wicked in the land.
I will ·rid [cut off] the Lord’s city [C Jerusalem; 46:4] of people who do evil.
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