M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Rehoboam Rules

10 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem. All Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. ² When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it, he returned from Egypt. For Jeroboam had run to Egypt to get away from King Solomon. ³ And the people sent for him. Jeroboam and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said, ⁴ “Your father gave us a heavy load to carry. So now make our work easier than your father made us work. Do not let our load be as heavy as the one he put on us. And we will work for you.” ⁵ Rehoboam said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people left.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam spoke with the leaders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He said, “Tell me, how do you think I should answer these people?” ⁷ They said to him, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.” ⁸ But Rehoboam would not listen to the wise words of the leaders. He spoke with the young men who grew up with him and served him. ⁹ He said to them, “Tell me, how do you think I should answer these people who have said to me, ‘Do not let our load be as heavy as the one your father put on us’?” ¹⁰ The young men who grew up with him said to him, “Say this to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our load heavy, but you make it easier for us.’ Tell them, ‘My little finger is bigger around than my father’s body! ¹¹ My father gave you a heavy load. I will add to your load. My father punished you with whips. But I will punish you with scorpions.’”

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had told them, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” ¹³ The king answered them with strong words. King Rehoboam did not listen to the wise words of the leaders. ¹⁴ Instead he listened to the words of the young men. And he said to them, “My father made your load heavy, but I will add to it. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people. God made this happen so that He might make His Word come true which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶ All Israel saw that the king did not listen to them. So the people said to the king, “What share do we have in David? We have no share in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David!” So all Israel left and went to their tents. ¹⁷ But Rehoboam ruled over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. ¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, the man who made the people work. But the people of Israel killed him with stones. So King Rehoboam got on his war-wagon in a hurry, to go to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Israel has been against the family of David to this day.

1 The things that are written in the Book are made known by Jesus Christ. God gave these things to Christ so He could show them to the servants He owns. These are things which must happen very soon. Christ sent His angel to John who is a servant owned by Him. Christ made these things known to John. ² John tells that the Word of God is true. He tells of Jesus Christ and all that he saw and heard of Him. ³ The man who reads this Book and listens to it being read and obeys what it says will be happy. For all these things will happen soon.

John Writes to the Seven Churches in Asia

⁴ This is John writing to the seven churches in the country of Asia. May you have loving-favor and peace from God Who was and Who is and Who is to come. May you have loving-favor and peace from the seven Spirits who are before His throne. ⁵ May you have loving-favor and peace from Jesus Christ Who is faithful in telling the truth. Jesus Christ is the first to be raised from the dead. He is the head over all the kings of the earth. He is the One Who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood. ⁶ Christ has made us a holy nation of religious leaders who can go to His God and Father. He is the One to receive honor and power forever! Let it be so. ⁷ See! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see Him. Even the men who killed Him will see Him. All the people on the earth will cry out in sorrow because of Him. Yes, let it be so.

⁸ The Lord God says, “I am the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of all things. I am the All-powerful One Who was and Who is and Who is to come.”

What God Wanted to Show John of Christ

⁹ I, John, am your Christian brother. I have shared with you in suffering because of Jesus Christ. I have also shared with you His holy nation and we have not given up. I was put on the island called Patmos because I preached the Word of God and told about Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was under the Spirit’s power on the Lord’s Day when I heard a loud voice behind me like the loud sound of a horn. ¹¹ It said, “(*I am the First and the Last.) Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches. They are in the cities of Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum and Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

¹² I turned around to see who was speaking to me. As I turned, I saw seven lights made of gold. ¹³ Among the lights stood One Who looked like the Son of Man. He had on a long coat that came to His feet. A belt of gold was around His chest. ¹⁴ His head and His hair were white like white wool. They were as white as snow. His eyes were like fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like shining brass as bright as if it were in a fire. His voice sounded like powerful rushing water. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in His right hand. A sharp sword that cuts both ways came out of His mouth. His face was shining as bright as the sun shines at noon. ¹⁷ When I saw Him, I fell down at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever. I have power over death and hell. ¹⁹ So write the things you have seen and the things that are and the things that will happen later. ²⁰ This is what the seven stars and the seven lights made of gold mean that you saw in My right hand. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. The seven lights are the seven churches.

A Call to Turn from Sin

2 Gather together. Gather together, O nation without shame, ² before you are driven away like the waste from the grain. Gather together before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger. ³ Look for the Lord, all you people of the earth who are not proud, and who have obeyed His Laws. Look for what is right and good. Have no pride. You may be kept safe on the day of the Lord’s anger.

The Nations around Israel Are Judged

⁴ For Gaza will be left empty. Ashkelon will be laid waste. Ashdod’s people will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be pulled up by the roots. ⁵ It is bad for the people who live by the sea, the nation of the Cherethites! The Word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines. I will destroy you so that no people will be left living in you. ⁶ The land by the sea will be open fields, a place for shepherds and fences for sheep. ⁷ The land by the sea will be for those left of the people of Judah. They will let their flocks eat there. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. For the Lord their God will care for them and return their riches.

⁸ “I have heard how Moab has made fun of My people and the sons of Ammon have spoken strong words against them. They have spoken in pride against My people’s land. ⁹ So as I live,” says the Lord of All, the God of Israel, “Moab will be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon will be like Gomorrah, a land taken over by thistles and salt, a waste land forever. Those left of My people will rob them. Those left of My nation will take their land.” ¹⁰ This will happen to them because of their pride, because they have made fun of the people of the Lord of All. ¹¹ They will be filled with fear because of the Lord. He will destroy all the gods of the earth. All the nations beside the sea will worship Him, every one in his own land. ¹² “You also, O Ethiopians, will be killed by My sword.” ¹³ He will put out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria. And He will destroy Nineveh, making it a waste land like the desert. ¹⁴ Flocks will lie down in it, all the animals of the field. The pelican and the hedgehog will live in the tops of its pillars. Birds will sing in the window. And the doorways will be broken down. The pieces of cedar will not be covered. ¹⁵ This is the city that is full of joy and takes it easy and thinks it is safe. It says to itself, “I am, and there is no one else.” How it has become a waste, a resting place for animals! All who pass by will make fun of her and laugh at her shaking their hands.

Jesus Is Raised from the Dead ^(A)

24 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went to the grave taking the spices they had made ready. ² They found the stone had been pushed away from the grave. ³ They went in but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴ While they wondered about what had happened, they saw two men standing by them in shining clothes. ⁵ They were very much afraid and got down with their faces to the ground. The men said to them, “Why do you look for the living One among those who are dead? ⁶ He is not here. He is risen. Do you not remember what He said to you when He was yet in Galilee? ⁷ He said, ‘The Son of Man must be given over into the hands of sinful men. He must be nailed to a cross. He will rise again three days later.’” ⁸ They remembered what He had said.

⁹ When they came back from the grave, they told all these things to the eleven followers and to all the others. ¹⁰ They were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James. Other women who were with them told these things to the followers also. ¹¹ Their words sounded like foolish talk. The followers did not believe them. ¹² But Peter got up and ran to the grave. He got down to look in and saw only the linen clothes. Then he went away, surprised about what had happened.

The Followers of Jesus Do Not Believe He Is Risen ^(B)

¹³ That same day two of His followers were going to the town of Emmaus. It was about a two-hour walk from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They talked of all these things that had happened. ¹⁵ While they were talking together, Jesus Himself came and walked along with them. ¹⁶ Something kept their eyes from seeing Who He was.

¹⁷ He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk?” They stood still and looked sad. ¹⁸ One of them, whose name was Cleopas, said to Him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who has not heard of the things that have happened here these days?” ¹⁹ Jesus said to them, “What things?” They answered, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth. He was the great One Who spoke for God. He did powerful works and spoke powerful words in the sight of God and the people. ²⁰ And the religious leaders and the leaders of the people gave Him over to be killed and nailed Him to a cross. ²¹ We were hoping He was the One Who was going to make the Jewish people free. But it was three days ago when these things happened.

²² “Some of the women of our group have surprised us and made us wonder. They went to the grave early this morning. ²³ They did not find His body. They came back saying they had seen angels in a special dream who said that He was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the grave and found it as the women had said. But they did not see Him.”

²⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish men. How slow you are to believe what the early preachers have said. ²⁶ Did not Christ have to go through these hard things to come into His shining-greatness?” ²⁷ Jesus kept on telling them what Moses and all the early preachers had said about Him in the Holy Writings.

²⁸ When they came to the town where they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going farther. ²⁹ But they said to Him, “Stay with us. It will soon be evening. The day is about over.” He went in to stay with them. ³⁰ As He sat at the table with them, He took the bread and gave thanks and broke it. Then He gave it to them. ³¹ And their eyes were opened and they knew Him. Then He left them and could not be seen. ³² They said to each other, “Were not our hearts filled with joy when He talked to us on the road about what the Holy Writings said?”

³³ Then they got up at once and went back to Jerusalem. They found the eleven followers together and others with them. ³⁴ They said, “For sure the Lord is risen and was seen by Simon.” ³⁵ Then they told what had happened on the road and how they came to know Him when He broke the bread.

Jesus Is Seen by the Other Ten Followers

³⁶ As they talked, Jesus Himself stood among them. He said, “May you have peace.” ³⁷ But they were afraid and full of fear. They thought they saw a spirit. ³⁸ Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Why do you have doubts in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at My hands and My feet. See! It is I, Myself! Touch Me and see for yourself. A spirit does not have flesh and bones as I have.” ⁴⁰ When Jesus had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.

⁴¹ They still wondered. It was hard for them to believe it and yet it made them happy. Then He said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave Jesus a piece of fish that had been cooked and some honey. ⁴³ He took it and ate it in front of them.

Jesus Sends His Followers to Teach ^(C)

⁴⁴ Jesus said to them, “These are the things I told you while I was yet with you. All things written about Me in the Law of Moses and in the Books of the early preachers and in the Psalms must happen as they said they would happen.” ⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds to understand the Holy Writings. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “It is written that Christ should suffer and be raised from the dead after three days. ⁴⁷ It must be preached that men must be sorry for their sins and turn from them. Then they will be forgiven. This must be preached in His name to all nations beginning in Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are to tell what you have seen. ⁴⁹ See! I will send you what My Father promised. But you are to stay in Jerusalem until you have received power from above.”

Jesus Goes to Be Beside His Father ^(D)

⁵⁰ Jesus led them out as far as Bethany. Then He lifted up His hands and prayed that good would come to them. ⁵¹ And while He was praying that good would come to them, He went from them (*and was taken up to heaven and ⁵² they worshiped Him). Then they went back to Jerusalem with great joy. ⁵³ They spent all their time in the house of God honoring and giving thanks to God.