M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Solomon Made King over Israel
23 (A)Now David became old and full of days, (B)and he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.
The Work of the Levites
3 (C)And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and (D)their number by [a]census of men was 38,000. 4 Of these, 24,000 were (E)to direct the work of the house of Yahweh; and 6,000 were (F)officers and judges, 5 and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and (G)4,000 were praising Yahweh with the instruments which [b]David made for giving praise. 6 And David divided them into divisions (H)according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The Sons of Gershon
7 Of the Gershonites were [c]Ladan and Shimei.
8 The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three.
9 The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three.
These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.
10 The sons of Shimei were Jahath, [d]Zina, Jeush, and Beriah.
These four were the sons of Shimei.
11 Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one [e]unit.
The Sons of Kohath
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13 (I)The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And (J)Aaron was separated in order to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, (K)to offer offerings up in smoke before Yahweh, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever.
14 But as for (L)Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.
15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.
16 The [f]son of Gershom was [g]Shebuel the chief.
17 The [h]son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18 The [i]son of Izhar was [j]Shelomith the chief.
19 The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.
20 The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.
The Sons of Merari
21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.
22 And Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them up as wives.
23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
The Service of the Levites
24 (M)These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, even the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were [k]counted, in the number of names by their [l]census, doing the work for the service of the house of Yahweh, (N)from twenty years old and upward. 25 For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, (O)has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 Also, (P)the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28 For their station is to be on hand for the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of Yahweh, in the courts and in the chambers and in the cleansing of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, 29 (Q)and with the showbread, and (R)the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or (S)what is made on the griddle, or (T)what is well stirred, and (U)all measures of volume and size. 30 And they are to stand every morning to thank and to praise Yahweh, and likewise at evening, 31 and to offer all burnt offerings to Yahweh, (V)on the sabbaths, the new moons and (W)the appointed times in the number set by the judgments concerning them, continually before Yahweh. 32 Thus (X)they shall keep responsibility of the tent of meeting, and responsibility of the holy place, and (Y)responsibility of the sons of Aaron their [m]relatives, for the service of the house of Yahweh.
Keep Fervent in Your Love
4 Therefore, since (A)Christ has [a]suffered in the flesh, (B)arm yourselves also with the same purpose—because (C)he who has [b]suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin— 2 (D)so as to no longer live (E)the rest of the time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the (F)will of God. 3 For (G)the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, [c](H)having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and [d]abominable idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of (I)dissipation, (J)maligning you, 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge (K)the living and the dead. 6 For to this (L)the gospel has been [e]proclaimed even to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh as men, they live in the spirit according to the will of God.
7 (M)The end of all things is at hand; therefore, (N)be of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of [f]prayer. 8 Above all, (O)keep fervent in your love for one another, because (P)love covers a multitude of sins. 9 (Q)Be hospitable to one another without (R)grumbling. 10 (S)As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good (T)stewards of the manifold grace of God— 11 (U)whoever speaks, [g]as one speaking the (V)oracles of God; whoever serves, as one serving [h](W)by the strength which God supplies; so that (X)in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, (Y)to whom belongs the glory and might forever and ever. Amen.
Sharing the Suffering of Christ
12 (Z)Beloved, do not be surprised at the (AA)fiery trial among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. 13 But to the degree you are (AB)sharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the (AC)revelation of His glory (AD)you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are insulted [i](AE)for the name of Christ, (AF)you are blessed, (AG)because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that (AH)none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a [j](AI)troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a (AJ)Christian, he is not to be put to shame, but is to (AK)glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment (AL)to begin [k]with (AM)the house of God; and if it (AN)begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those (AO)who do not obey the (AP)gospel of God? 18 (AQ)And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, [l]what will become of the (AR)godless man and the sinner? 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to (AS)the will of God must entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing good.
An Evil Time
2 Woe to those who (A)devise wickedness,
Who work out evil on their beds!
(B)When the light of the morning comes, they do it,
For it is in the (C)power of their hands.
2 And they (D)covet fields and then (E)tear them away,
And houses, and take them away.
And they (F)oppress a man and his house,
A man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore thus says Yahweh,
“Behold, I am (G)devising against this (H)family an evil demise
From which you (I)cannot remove your necks;
And you will not walk (J)haughtily,
For it will be an (K)evil time.
4 On that day they will (L)take up against you a [a]taunt
And [b](M)utter a bitter wailing and say,
‘We are completely (N)devastated!
He exchanges the portion of my people;
How He removes it from me!
To the faithless one, He (O)apportions our fields.’
5 Therefore you will have no one [c](P)stretching a measuring line
For you by lot in the assembly of Yahweh.
6 ‘(Q)Do not speak, dripping out words,’ they say while dripping out words.
But if [d]they do (R)not drip out words concerning these things,
(S)Dishonor will not be turned back.
7 Is it being said, O house of Jacob:
‘Is the Spirit of Yahweh (T)impatient?
Are these His deeds?’
Do not My words (U)do good
To the one (V)walking uprightly?
8 [e]And recently My people have arisen as an (W)enemy—
You (X)strip the [f]robe off the garment
From (Y)unsuspecting passers-by,
From those returned from war.
9 The women of My people you (Z)drive out,
Each one from her pleasant house.
From her infants you take My (AA)splendor forever.
10 Arise and go,
For this is no place (AB)of rest
Because of the (AC)uncleanness that wreaks destruction,
A painful destruction.
11 If a man walking after wind and (AD)lying
Had acted falsely and said,
‘I will speak, dripping out words to you concerning (AE)wine and liquor,’
He would be one who drips out words as a spokesman to (AF)this people.
12 “I will surely (AG)assemble all of you, Jacob;
I will surely gather the (AH)remnant of Israel.
I will put them together like sheep in the fold;
Like a flock in the midst of its pasture
They will be noisy with men.
13 The breaker goes up before them;
They break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it.
So their king goes on before them,
And Yahweh at their head.”
The Lord’s Prayer
11 And it happened that while [a]Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “(A)When you pray, say:
‘[b]Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us (B)each day our [c]daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who (C)is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
5 Then He said to them, “Which of you has a friend and will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [d]and I are in bed; I cannot rise up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not arise and give him anything because he is his friend, yet (D)because of his [e]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, [f](E)ask, and it will be given to you; [g]seek, and you will find; [h]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 But what father among you, if his son asks for a [i]fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or, if his son asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 (F)If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your [j]heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
A Kingdom Divided
14 (G)And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. Now it happened that when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons (H)by (I)Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16 And others, testing Him, (J)were seeking from Him [k]a sign from heaven. 17 (K)But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “[l]Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against [m]itself falls. 18 But if (L)Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by (M)Beelzebul. 19 And if I by (N)Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons by the (O)finger of God, then (P)the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When [n]a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are [o]undisturbed. 22 But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. 23 (Q)He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.
24 “(R)When the unclean spirit goes out of [p]a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”
27 Now it happened that while [q]Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “(S)Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” 28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are (T)those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
The Sign of Jonah
29 Now as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “(U)This generation is a wicked generation; it (V)seeks [r]a sign, and yet no [s]sign will be given to it but the [t]sign of Jonah. 30 For just as (W)Jonah became [u]a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The (X)Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because (Y)they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
33 “(Z)No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 (AA)The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is [v]clear, your whole body also is full of light, but when it is [w]bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 36 If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”
Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee *asked Him to have a meal with him. And He went in and reclined at the table. 38 But when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first [x](AB)ceremonially washed before the [y]meal. 39 But (AC)the Lord said to him, “Now (AD)you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but [z]inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40 (AE)You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But (AF)give that which is within as charity, and [aa]then all things are (AG)clean for you.
42 “(AH)But woe to you Pharisees! For you (AI)pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God, but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you (AJ)love the best seat in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the marketplaces. 44 (AK)Woe to you! For you are like [ab]concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”
45 Now one of the (AL)scholars of the Law answered and said to Him, “Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us too.” 46 But He said, “Woe to you (AM)scholars of the Law as well! For (AN)you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 (AO)Woe to you! For you build the [ac]tombs of the prophets, but your fathers killed them. 48 So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 For this reason also (AP)the wisdom of God said, ‘(AQ)I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will [ad]persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed (AR)since the foundation of the world, may be [ae]charged against this generation, 51 from (AS)the blood of Abel to (AT)the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be [af]charged against this generation.’ 52 Woe to you, (AU)scholars of the Law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; (AV)you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”
53 And when He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, 54 (AW)plotting (AX)to catch [ag]Him in something He might say.
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