M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Israel Turns Against Rehoboam(A)
10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the Israelites had gone to make him king. 2 Jeroboam son of Nebat was in Egypt, where he had ·gone to escape [fled] from King Solomon. When Jeroboam heard about Rehoboam being made king, he returned from Egypt. 3 After the people ·sent for [summoned; L sent and called for] him, he and the people went to Rehoboam and said to him, 4 “Your father ·forced us to work very hard [L made our yoke heavy]. Now, ·make it easier for us, and don’t make us work as he did [L lighten the hard labor and heavy yoke of your father]. Then we will serve you.”
5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people left.
6 King Rehoboam ·asked [consulted] the elders who had advised Solomon during his lifetime, “How do you ·think I should [advise/counsel me to] answer these people?”
7 They answered, “·Be kind [L If you are fair] to these people. If you please them and give them a ·kind [cordial] answer, they will serve you always.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected ·this advice [L the advice/counsel of the elders]. Instead, he ·asked [consulted] the young men who had grown up with him and who ·served as his advisers [served/attended him]. 9 Rehoboam asked them, “What is your ·advice [counsel]? How should we answer these people who said to me, ‘·Don’t make us work as hard as your father did’ [L Lighten the yoke your father put on us]?”
10 The young men who had grown up with him answered, “The people said to you, ‘Your father ·forced us to work very hard [L made our yoke heavy]. Now make our work ·easier [lighter].’ You should tell them, ‘My little ·finger [L one] is ·bigger than my father’s legs [L thicker than my father’s loins/waist]. 11 ·He forced you to work hard [L My father laid a heavy yoke on you], but I will ·make you work even harder [L add to your yoke]. My father ·beat [scourged; disciplined] you with whips, but I will ·beat [scourge; discipline] you with ·whips that have sharp points [L scorpions; C either a metaphor or an especially painful kind of whip].’”
12 Rehoboam had told the people, “Come back to me in three days.” So after three days Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam. 13 King Rehoboam spoke ·cruel words [harshly] to them, because he had rejected the ·advice [counsel] of the elders. 14 He followed the ·advice [counsel] of the young men and said, “My father ·forced you to work hard [L laid a heavy yoke on you], but I will ·make you work even harder [L add to your yoke]. My father beat you with whips, but I will ·beat [scourge; discipline] you with ·whips that have sharp points [L scorpions; v. 11].”
15 So the king ·did not [refused to] listen to the people. God caused this ·to happen [turn of events] so that the Lord could ·keep the promise he had made [fulfill/establish the word he spoke] to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh.
16 When all the Israelites saw that the king refused to listen to them, they said to the king,
“·We have no share [L What share/part/T portion have we…?] in David [C in David’s dynasty]!
We have no ·part [inheritance; interest; heritage] in the son of Jesse!
People of Israel, ·let’s go to our own homes [L each one to your tents]!
Let David’s son ·rule his own people [L look after your own house; C that is, the tribe of Judah].”
So all the Israelites ·went home [L left for their tents]. 17 But Rehoboam ·still ruled [continued to reign] over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
18 ·Adoniram [or Hadoram] was in charge of the ·forced labor [labor force]. When Rehoboam sent him to the people, they ·threw stones at him until he died [stoned him to death]. But King Rehoboam ·ran to his [hurriedly jumped into his] chariot and ·escaped [fled] to Jerusalem. 19 Since then, Israel has been in rebellion against the ·family [dynasty; L house] of David.
John Tells About This Book
1 This is the revelation ·of Jesus Christ [about Jesus Christ; or given by Jesus Christ; C the author could be intentionally ambiguous], which God gave to him, to show his servants what must ·soon [quickly] happen. And Jesus sent his angel to ·show it [make it known] to his servant John, 2 who has ·told [witnessed; testified to] everything he has seen. It is the word of God; it is the ·message [witness; testimony] from Jesus Christ. 3 ·Blessed [Happy] is the one who reads the words of ·God’s message [L the prophecy], and ·blessed [happy] are the people who hear this message and ·do [keep; obey] what is written in it [C the context envisioned is a leader reading to a congregation]. ·The time is near when all of this will happen [L For the time is near].
Jesus’ Message to the Churches
4 From John.
To the seven churches in Asia [C the Roman province of Asia, today part of western Turkey]:
Grace and peace to you from the One who is and [the One who] was and [the One who] is coming [C these three descriptions function like titles for God; Ex. 3:14–15], and from ·the seven spirits [C referring either to angels or to the “sevenfold Spirit”—the Holy Spirit portrayed in his perfection (the number seven indicating completeness)] before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is ·the faithful witness [or the faithful one, the witness], the ·first among those raised from [L firstborn of/from among] the dead. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth.
·He is the One [L To him] who loves us, who made us free[a] from our sins ·with the blood of his death [L by his blood]. 6 He made us to be a ·kingdom of priests [or kingdom and priests; or kingdom, that is, priests; Ex. 19:6] who serve ·God his Father [L his God and Father]. To ·Jesus Christ [L him] be glory and ·power [dominion] forever and ever! Amen.
7 Look [T Behold], Jesus is coming with the clouds [Dan. 7:13–14], and ·everyone [L every eye] will see him, even those who ·stabbed [pierced] him [C a reference to the crucifixion; Zech. 12:10]. And all ·peoples [people groups; tribes] of the earth will ·cry loudly [wail; mourn] because of him. ·Yes, this will happen [So it shall be; L Yes]! Amen.
8 The Lord God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega [C the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; 21:6; 22:13]. I am the One who is and [the One who] was and [the One who] is coming [see 1:4]. I am the ·Almighty [All-powerful].”
9 I, John, ·am your brother. All of us share [L your brother and partner] ·with Jesus [or in Jesus; C referring to salvation as joining oneself to Christ] in ·suffering [persecution], in the kingdom, and in ·patience to continue [perseverance]. I was on the island of Patmos [C a small island in the Aegean Sea near Asia Minor, present-day Turkey], because ·I had preached [L of] the word of God and the ·message [witness; testimony] about Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s day [C probably a reference to the first day of the week, Sunday, when Christians met for worship] I was in the ·Spirit [or spirit; C a state of deep spiritual communion with God], and I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet [C trumpet blasts often precede a divine appearance or speech; Ex. 19:16, 19]. 11 The voice said, “Write what you see in a ·book [scroll] and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea [C locations in western Asia Minor, present-day Turkey].”
12 I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands 13 and someone among the lampstands who was “like a Son of Man [C referring to Jesus; the title he most often used to refer to himself; Dan. 7:13–14].” He was dressed in a long robe and had a gold ·band [sash] around his chest [C the clothes of a dignitary; Dan. 10:5]. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow [Dan. 7:9], and his eyes were like ·flames of [blazing] fire [Dan. 10:6]. 15 His feet were like bronze ·that glows hot [refined; fired] in a furnace [Dan. 10:6], and his voice was like the noise of ·flooding water [rushing water; L many waters; Ezek. 43:2]. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword came out of his mouth. ·He [L His face] looked like the sun shining ·at its brightest time [or with full power/force; L in its strength].
17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the One who lives; I was dead, but ·look [T behold], I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and ·to the place of the dead [L Hades]. 19 So write the things you ·see [or have seen], ·what is now [L what is] and what will happen ·later [L after these things]. 20 Here is the ·secret [mystery] of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the ·angels [or messengers; C these may be guardian angels, human leaders, or the personified “spirit” of each church] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
The Lord Asks People to Change
2 Gather together, gather,
you ·unwanted [shameful; undesirable] people.
2 Do it before ·it’s too late [L the decree takes effect],
before ·you are blown away like chaff [or the day passes like chaff],
before the Lord’s ·terrible [fierce; burning] anger reaches you,
before the day of the Lord’s anger comes to you.
3 ·Come to [Seek] the Lord, all you who are ·not proud [humble; meek],
who obey his ·laws [commands].
·Do what is right [Seek righteousness]. ·Learn [Seek] to be humble.
Maybe you will ·escape [be protected; L be hidden]
on the day the Lord shows his anger.
Philistia Will Be Punished
4 ·No one will be left in the city of Gaza [L Gaza will be abandoned; C Gaza sounds like Hebrew for “abandoned”; all four of these were cities in Philistia],
and the city of Ashkelon will be ·destroyed [desolated; a heap of ruins].
Ashdod will be empty by noon,
and the people of Ekron will be ·chased away [L uprooted; C Ekron sounds like Hebrew for “uprooted”].
5 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] you who live by the ·Mediterranean Sea [L sea],
you ·Philistines [L nation of Cerethites; C either another name for the Philistines or a neighboring people group; the name suggests they came from the island of Crete; 2 Sam. 8:18; Ezek. 25:16]!
The word of the Lord is against you,
Canaan, land of the Philistines.
“I will destroy you
so that no ·one [inhabitant] will be left.”
6 The land by the ·Mediterranean Sea, in which you live [L sea],
will become pastures, ·fields [or shelters; or having wells] for shepherds, and pens for ·sheep [flocks].
7 It will ·belong to [L be for] the ·descendants of Judah who are left alive [L remnant of the house of Judah].
There they will ·let their sheep eat grass [graze; find pasture].
At night they will ·sleep [lay down]
in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will ·pay attention to [care for] them
and will ·make their life good again [restore their fortunes; or return their exiles].
Moab and Ammon Will Be Punished
8 “I have heard the ·insults [taunts] of Moab[C the country]
and the ·threats [insults; reproach] of the ·people [L sons/descendants] of Ammon.
They have ·insulted [taunted] my people
and ·have taken [or harrassed; threatened; or boasted about] their ·land [borders].”
9 So the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says,
“As surely as I live,
Moab will ·be destroyed [L become] like Sodom,
and ·Ammon [L the sons/descendant of Ammon] will ·be destroyed [become] like Gomorrah [C two cities destroyed for their great wickedness; Gen. 19]—
a heap of weeds, a pit of salt,
and a ·ruin [wasteland] forever.
·Those of my people who are left alive [The remnant of my people] will ·take whatever they want from [plunder] them;
·those who are left from my nation [the survivors] will ·take their land [L inherit/possess them].”
10 This is what Moab and Ammon get for being proud,
because they ·insulted [taunted] and ·made fun of [boasted against] the people of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
11 The Lord will ·frighten [terrify; be awesome against] them,
because he will ·destroy [or weaken; or starve] all the gods of the earth.
Then everyone in ·faraway places [or the coastlands of the nations]
will ·worship [bow down to] him wherever they are.
Cush and Assyria Will Be Destroyed
12 “You ·Cushites [Ethiopians] also
will be ·killed [slain] by my sword.”
13 Then the Lord will ·turn [L stretch out his hand] against the north
and destroy Assyria.
He will make Nineveh
a ·ruin [desolation] as dry as a desert.
14 Flocks and herds will lie down there,
and all ·wild animals [kinds of beasts].
The ·owls [horned owls; or pelicans] and ·crows [or screech owls; or hedgehogs] will sit
on ·the stone pillars [her columns/capitals].
The owl will hoot through the windows,
·trash [rubble; devastation] will be in the ·doorways [thresholds],
and the ·wooden boards [cedar work] of the buildings will be ·gone [or exposed].
15 This is the ·happy [boisterous; exultant] and ·safe [secure] city
that ·thinks [L said in her heart] ·there is no one else as strong as it is [L “I am it, and there is no one besides me”].
But what a ruin it will be,
a place where wild animals live.
All those who pass by will ·make fun [scoff; L hiss]
and shake their fists.
Jesus Rises from the Dead(A)
24 Very early on the first day of the week, at dawn, the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the entrance of the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were ·wondering [puzzling; perplexed] about this, two men in ·shining [dazzling; gleaming like lightning; 9:29] clothes suddenly stood beside them. 5 The women were ·very afraid [terrified] and bowed their ·heads [faces] to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for ·a living person in this place for the dead [L the living among the dead]? 6 He is not here; he has risen from the dead. Do you remember what he told you [L while he was still] in Galilee? 7 He said the Son of Man must be ·handed over [betrayed] to sinful people, be crucified, and rise from the dead on the third day.” 8 Then the women remembered what Jesus had said.
9 The women ·left [returned from] the tomb and told all these things to ·the eleven apostles [L the Eleven] and ·the other followers [L all the rest]. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some other women who told the apostles ·everything that had happened at the tomb [L these things]. 11 But they did not believe the women, because it ·sounded [seemed] like nonsense. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Bending down and looking in, he saw only the [linen] cloth that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. Peter went away to his home, ·wondering [amazed; marveling] about what had happened.
Jesus on the Road to Emmaus(B)
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a town named Emmaus, about seven miles [C Greek: sixty stadia; a stadion was about 600 ft.] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking about everything that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and began walking with them, 16 but ·they [L their eyes] were kept from recognizing him. 17 Then he said, “What are these things you are ·talking about [discussing] while you walk?”
The two followers stopped, looking ·very sad [downcast]. 18 The one named Cleopas answered, “·Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not [or Are you only a visitor in Jerusalem and don’t] know what just happened there?”
19 Jesus said to them, “What ·are you talking about [L things]?”
They said, “About Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet ·who said and did many powerful things [L powerful in deed and word] before God and all the people. 20 Our ·leading [T chief] priests and ·leaders [rulers] handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he would ·free [rescue; redeem] Israel. Besides [L all] this, it is now the third day since this happened. 22 ·And [L But also; Moreover] some women among us ·amazed [astonished] us. Early this morning they went to the tomb, 23 but they did not find his body there. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive! 24 So some of our group went to the tomb, too. They found it just as the women said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 Then Jesus said to them, “·You are foolish [L O foolish ones] and slow [L in heart] to believe everything the prophets said. 26 ·They said [L Was it not necessary…?] that the ·Christ [Messiah] must suffer these things before he enters his glory.” 27 Then starting with what Moses and all the prophets [C a way of referring to the whole Old Testament] had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in [L all] the Scriptures.
28 They came near the town ·of Emmaus [L to which they were going], and Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they ·begged [urged] him, “Stay with us, because it is late; it is almost night.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When Jesus ·was at the table [L reclined; C the posture of a formal meal] with them, he took some bread, ·gave thanks [blessed it], ·divided [broke] it, and gave it to them [C Jesus, the guest, functions like the host in a Eucharist-like meal]. 31 And then, ·they were allowed to recognize Jesus [L their eyes were opened]. But when they saw who he was, he disappeared. 32 They said to each other, “·It felt like a fire burning in [L Didn’t our hearts burn within…?] us when Jesus talked to us on the road and ·explained [opened] the Scriptures to us.”
33 So ·the two followers [L they] got up ·at once [L the same hour] and went back to Jerusalem. There they found ·the eleven apostles [L the Eleven] and others gathered. 34 They were saying, “The Lord really has risen from the dead! He showed himself to Simon.”
35 Then ·the two followers [L they] told what had happened on the road and how they recognized Jesus when he ·divided [broke] the bread.
Jesus Appears to His Followers(C)
36 While ·the two followers [they] were telling this, Jesus himself stood right in the middle of them and said, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were ·fearful [startled] and terrified and thought they were seeing a ·ghost [spirit]. 38 But Jesus said, “Why are you ·troubled [frightened]? Why do ·you doubt what you see [L doubts rise in your heart]? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is ·I myself [really me]! Touch me and see, because a ·ghost [spirit] does not have ·a living body [L flesh and bones] as you see I have.”
40 After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because they were happy [joyful] and amazed, Jesus said to them, “Do you have any food here?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish. 43 ·While the followers watched [In their presence; L In front of them], Jesus took the fish and ate it.
44 He said to them, “·Remember [L This is what I said….] when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must ·happen [be fulfilled]—everything in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms [C a way of referring to the whole Old Testament; see v. 27].”
45 Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “It is written that the ·Christ [Messiah] would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that ·a change of hearts and lives and [L repentance for the] forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, starting at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 [L And look/T behold] I will send you what my Father has promised, but you must stay in ·Jerusalem [L the city] until you ·have received [L are clothed with] that power from ·heaven [L on high].”
Jesus Goes Back to Heaven
50 Jesus led his followers as far as Bethany, and he raised his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he ·was separated [parted] from them and ·carried [taken up] into heaven. 52 They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem ·very happy [with great joy]. 53 They ·stayed in the Temple all the time [were continually in the Temple], praising God.
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