M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Solomon’s Administration
4 And so King Solomon ruled over all of Israel. 2 Here’s a list of his officials: Zadok’s son Azariah was priest, 3 Shisha’s sons Elihoreph and Ahijah were his secretaries, Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was recorder, 4 Jehoiada’s son Benaiah commanded the army, Zadok and Abiathar served as priests, 5 Nathan’s son Azariah supervised the governors, Nathan’s son Zabud the priest was the king’s counselor, 6 Ahishar supervised palace matters, and Abda’s son Adoniram supervised conscripted labor. 7 Solomon also appointed twelve governors over all of Israel, each of whom were responsible for providing one month’s food provisions to the king and to his administration during each year.
8 Here’s a list of their names: Ben-hur from the hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-deker in Makaz, Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh and Elonbeth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed served in Arubboth (where he supervised Socoh and all of the territory of Hepher); 11 Ben-abinadab supervised the Dor heights (Solomon’s daughter Taphath was his wife); 12 Ahilud’s son Baana served Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth-shean near Zarethan below Jezreel, including from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam; 13 Ben-geber in Ramoth-gilead, including the towns that belonged to Manasseh’s descendant Jair that are in Gilead; 14 Iddo’s son Ahinadab served in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz served in Naphtali (he was married to Solomon’s daughter Basemath); 16 Hushai’s son Baana served in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Paruah’s son Jehoshaphat served in Issachar; 18 Ela’s son Shimei served in Benjamin; 19 and Uri’s son Geber served in the territory of Gilead, the territory formerly ruled by King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan (he was the only governor over that territory).
Solomon’s Magnificence
20 Judah and Israel became as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They enjoyed abundance, and ate, drank, and rejoiced regularly. 21 [a]Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River[b] to the territory of the Philistines and south[c] to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon throughout his lifetime. 22 Solomon’s daily provisions were 30 kors of fine flour, 60 kors of meal, 23 ten fattened oxen, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and domestic poultry. 24 He ruled over everything west of the Euphrates[d] River from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all of the kings west of the Euphrates[e] River, and he enjoyed peace on all sides around him.
25 Judah and Israel lived safely, and everyone enjoyed their own vine and fig tree from Dan to Beer-sheba through all of Solomon’s life. 26 Solomon owned 40,000 stalls for the horses that drove his chariots, and he employed 12,000 men to drive them.[f] 27 His officers supplied provisions for King Solomon and for everyone who visited King Solomon’s palace,[g] each in their respective month of service responsibility.[h] Nothing ever ran out. 28 They also provided barley and straw for the horses and camels to their respective locations, each consistent with their responsibilities.
Solomon’s Fame
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and great discernment. His insights were as numerous as sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon was wiser than any of the eastern leaders and wiser than anyone in Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone of his day—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, and wiser than Mahol’s sons Calcol and Darda.
His reputation was known throughout the surrounding nations. 32 Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 33 He described trees—everything from cedars[i] that grow in Lebanon to hyssop that grows on a garden wall. He described animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. 34 People came from everywhere to hear Solomon’s advice. Every king on the earth heard of his wisdom.
Preparations to Build the Temple(A)
5 [j]King Hiram of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he learned that Solomon[k] had been anointed king to replace his father, because Hiram had been David’s lifelong friend.[l] 2 Solomon sent this message to Hiram:
3 “You know that my father David was unable to build a temple dedicated to[m] the Lord his God because he was busy fighting wars all around him until the Lord defeated his enemies. 4 But now the Lord has given me rest all around, since I have neither foreign adversaries nor domestic crises. 5 So now I’m planning to build a temple dedicated to[n] the Lord my God, just as the Lord told my father when he said, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne to replace you, will build the Temple dedicated to me.’[o] 6 Now therefore please order that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants, and I will pay your servants whatever wages you set, because you know there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians do.”
7 As soon as Hiram received the message from Solomon, he became so ecstatic that he exclaimed, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given David a wise son to rule this great people!” Then he sent this message to Solomon:
8 “I have read the letter that you sent me. I’ll do what you’ve asked about the cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants will transport them from Lebanon to the sea, where we’ll make them into rafts and float them by sea to the port that you tell me to send them. We’ll have them prepared for transport there and then you can carry them from there. You can meet my needs by providing provisions for my household.”
10 That’s how Hiram came to provide Solomon as much cedar and cypress timber as he needed. 11 In return, Solomon paid Hiram 20,000 kors of wheat as food for his household, and 20 kors of beaten oil. Solomon provided this amount every year during the construction.[p]
12 The Lord continued giving Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised, and Hiram and Solomon entered into a peace treaty between themselves.
Conscripted Labor for the Building Program
13 King Solomon conscripted laborers from throughout Israel. The work force numbered 30,000 men. 14 He sent 10,000 men to Lebanon in shifts lasting one month. They worked one month in Lebanon for every two months they worked at home. Adoniram was placed in charge of the conscripted labor. 15 Solomon also employed 70,000 heavy-lift workers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country. 16 Solomon also employed 3,300 officials to supervise the work and to manage the people employed in the construction. 17 The king specified that large, expensive stones be quarried so the foundation of the Temple could be laid with cut stones. 18 As a result, Solomon’s builders worked with Hiram’s builders, accompanied by the Gebalites, to quarry the stone and to prepare the timber and other[q] stone for the Temple’s construction.
God Has Brought Us from Death to Life
2 You used to be dead because of your offenses and sins 2 that you once practiced as you lived according to the ways of this present world and according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now active in those who are disobedient.[a] 3 Indeed, all of us once behaved like[b] them in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and senses. By nature we were destined for[c] wrath, just like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us[d] 5 even when we were dead because of our offenses, made us alive together with[e] the Messiah[f] (by grace you have been saved), 6 raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm in the Messiah[g] Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the limitless riches of his grace that comes to us through his kindness in the Messiah[h] Jesus. 8 For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God 9 and not the result of actions, to put a stop to all boasting.[i] 10 For we are God’s[j] masterpiece,[k] created in the Messiah[l] Jesus to perform good actions that God prepared long ago to be our way of life.[m]
All Believers are One in the Messiah
11 So then, remember that at one time you gentiles by birth[n] were called “the uncircumcised” by those who called themselves “the circumcised.” They underwent physical circumcision done by human hands. 12 At that time you were without the Messiah,[o] excluded from citizenship in Israel,[p] and strangers to the covenants of promise. You had no hope and were in the world without God. 13 But now, in union with the Messiah[q] Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.[r]
14 For it is he who is our peace. Through his mortality[s] he made both groups one by tearing down the wall of hostility that divided them.[t] 15 He rendered the Law inoperative, along with its commandments and regulations, thus creating in himself one new humanity from the two, thereby making peace, 16 and reconciling both groups to God in one body through the cross, on which he eliminated the hostility. 17 He came and proclaimed peace for you who were far away and for you who were near. 18 For through him, both of us[u] have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 That is why you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the Messiah[v] Jesus himself being the cornerstone.[w] 21 In union with him the whole building is joined together and rises into a holy sanctuary for the Lord. 22 You, too, are being built in him, along with the others, into a place for God’s Spirit to dwell.
Prophecy against Mount Seir
35 A message came to me from the Lord and it went like this: 2 “Son of Man, turn your attention[a] toward Mount Seir[b] and begin to prophesy against it. 3 Tell them,[c] ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“Watch out! I’m coming to get you, Mount Seir!
I’m stretching out my hand to strike you,
and I’m going to turn you into a desolate wasteland.
4 I’m going to turn your cities into ghost towns,
and you will become a ruin.
Then you will learn
that I am the Lord.
5 “Because of your undying hatred, you kept on making the Israelis experience abuse[d] during the time of their calamity, even when they were in their final stages[e] of punishment, 6 therefore as I’m alive and living,” declares the Lord God, “I’m turning you over to bloodshed,[f] and bloodshed will certainly overtake you, since you never have hated shedding blood. That’s why bloodshed will certainly pursue you. 7 I’m turning Mount Seir over to ruin and desolation. I’m going to eliminate everyone who comes and goes, 8 and I’ll fill that[g] mountain with the dead. Those who die by violence[h] will cover your hills, and fill your valleys and all your ravines! 9 I will turn you into an everlasting wasteland, and your cities will never be inhabited. Then you’ll learn that I am the Lord!
10 “Because you have claimed, ‘These two nations and these two lands are going to belong to me, and we will take possession of them, even though the Lord is there,’ 11 therefore as I’m alive and living” declares the Lord God, “I’m going to deal with you as your anger deserves. When I judge you, I’ll treat you like you did the Israelis[i]—that is, with the same kind of envy that motivated your constant hatred of them. 12 That’s how you’ll know that I, the Lord, have heard every loathsome, reviling thing that you’ve had to say against the mountains of Israel, such as, ‘They’re desolate, and we’ll eat them for dinner!’ 13 Not only that, you’ve arrogantly reviled me many times over, and I’ve heard every word!
14 “So this is what the Lord God says: ‘Just as the earth rejoices, I’m going to turn you into a desolate wasteland. 15 Just as you rejoiced when Israel’s inheritance became desolate, I’m going to do the same thing to you. Mount Seir, you and Edom—all of you—will become a desolate wasteland.’ Then they will learn that I am the Lord.”
To the Director: A Psalm by the descendants of Korah.
Restore Us, God
85 Lord you have favored your land
and restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You took away the iniquity of your people,
forgiving all their sins.
3 You withdrew all your wrath
and turned away from your burning anger.
4 Restore us, God of our salvation,
and stop being angry with us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger from generation to generation?
6 Will you restore our lives again
so that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Lord, show your gracious love
and deliver us.
8 Let me listen to what God, the Lord, says;
for the Lord will promise peace
to his people, to his holy ones;
may they not return to foolishness.
9 Surely, he will soon deliver those who fear him,
for his glory will live in our land.
10 Gracious love and truth meet;
righteousness and peace kiss.
11 Truth sprouts up from the ground,
while righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 The Lord will also provide what is good,
and our land will yield its produce.
13 Righteousness will go before him
to prepare a path for his steps.
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