M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Temple Construction(A)
3 So Solomon began construction of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah where the Lord[a] had appeared to his father David, that is, where David had prepared Ornan the Jebusite’s threshing floor. 2 He began construction on the second day[b] of the second month of the fourth year of his reign.
Dimensions of the Temple
3 These are the foundations that Solomon set in place for God’s Temple. The length in terms of the former standard measurements: 60 cubits;[c] its width: 20 cubits.[d] 4 A portico extended in front of the Temple for its entire width of 20 cubits,[e] and was[f] 120 cubits[g] high. Inside he had it overlaid with pure gold. 5 The main room of the Temple was trimmed with a wainscoting composed of cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold ornamented with palm trees and chains. 6 The Temple was adorned with precious stones, including gold from the Orient.[h] 7 The Temple was overlaid with gold, including the beams, thresholds, walls, and doors. Cherubim were engraved on the walls. 8 With respect to the Most Holy Place in the Temple, its length across the width of the Temple was 20 cubits,[i] and its width extended 20 cubits.[j]
Materials of the Temple
Solomon[k] overlaid it with 600 talents[l] of pure gold. 9 The gold nails weighed 50 shekels.[m] He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold. 10 He crafted two cherubim from wood, overlaid them with gold, and placed them in the Most Holy Place in the Temple. 11 The wingspan of the cherubim was 20 cubits;[n] the wing of one, five cubits[o] long, touched the wall of the Temple, and its other wing, five cubits[p] long, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other cherub, five cubits[q] long, touched the opposite[r] wall of the Temple and its other wing, five cubits[s] long, touched the wing of the first[t] cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended for 20 cubits[u] as they stood on their feet and faced the front of[v] the Temple. 14 He constructed the veil from blue,[w] purple, crimson, and fine linen, embroidering cherubim on it. 15 He also made two pillars 35 cubits[x] high for the front of the Temple, topped by a capital that was five cubits[y] high. 16 He crafted chains for the inner sanctuary and placed them on top of the pillars, attaching 100 pomegranates to each of the chains. 17 He set up the pillars at the front of the Temple, one on the south side of the entrance[z] and the other on the north side of the entrance.[aa] He named the south pillar Jachin[ab] and the north pillar Boaz.[ac]
Furnishing the Temple(B)
4 Solomon[ad] also constructed a bronze[ae] altar 20 cubits[af] long, 20 cubits[ag] wide, and ten cubits[ah] high. 2 He crafted a circular sea of cast metal 10 cubits[ai] from rim to rim and five cubits[aj] tall. A line 30 cubits[ak] long surrounded it. 3 Underneath, figurines resembling oxen[al] encircled the circular sea[am] beneath it, ten oxen[an] every cubit,[ao] and encircling the sea completely. The oxen were in two rows, cast all at the same time. 4 The sea stood on top of twelve oxen, three of which faced to the north, three of which faced to the west, three of which faced to the south, and three of which faced toward the east. The sea was placed on top of the oxen, with all of their hindquarters turned inwards. 5 It was a handbreadth[ap] thick, with its brim fashioned like the brim of a cup. Similar in shape to a lily blossom, it could hold 3,000 baths.[aq] 6 Solomon[ar] also made ten wash basins, placing five on the right side and five on the left. The basins were intended for use to rinse burnt offerings, and the sea was intended for use by the priests to wash in.
7 Solomon[as] made ten gold lamp stands as he had been directed and set them in the Temple, five on the south side and five on the north side. 8 He also made ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five on the right side and five on the left side. He also constructed 100 gold basins. 9 He made the court of the priests, the great court, and doors for the court, overlaying their doors with bronze. 10 He set the sea at the southeast corner of the Temple.
11 Hiram-abi[at] crafted the pots, shovels, and basins, thus completing the work that he did for King Solomon on the Temple of God; 12 that is, the two pillars, the bowls, the two capitals on top of the pillars, the two lattice works that covered the two bowls for the capitals that were on top of the pillars; 13 the 400 pomegranate-shaped ornaments for the latticework of the two pillars (each latticework having two rows of ornaments at the bowl-shaped top of each pillar); 14 the ten[au] stands with their ten basins; 15 the large bronze basin called the Sea with the twelve oxen underneath, 16 along with its pots, shovels, forks, and all of its other implements that Hiram-abi made from polished bronze for King Solomon and the Lord’s Temple. 17 The king had them forged in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah in the Jordan plain. 18 Solomon made so many utensils in such great quantities that the weight of the bronze was never fully recorded.
19 Solomon also made these items for God’s Temple: the golden altar, the tables for the Bread of the Presence, 20 the lamp stands and their lamps made of pure gold to burn in front[av] of the inner sanctuary, as required, 21 the pure gold ornaments in the shape of flowers, the lamps, and the tongs (all made of the purest gold), 22 the gold trimming instruments, basins, pans, censers, and the gold door sockets for the inner sanctuary (that is, the Most Holy Place), and for the doors to the main hall of the Temple.
We are God’s Children
3 See what kind of love the Father has given us: We are called God’s children—and that is what we are![a] For this reason the world does not recognize us, because it did not recognize him, either.
2 Dear friends, we are now God’s children, but what we will be like has not been revealed yet. We know that when the Messiah[b] is revealed, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope based on him keeps himself pure, just as the Messiah[c] is pure. 4 Everyone who keeps living in sin also practices disobedience. In fact, sin is disobedience. 5 You know that the Messiah[d] was revealed to take away sins,[e] and there is not any sin in him. 6 No one who remains in union with him keeps on sinning. The one who keeps on sinning hasn’t seen him or known him.
7 Little children, don’t let anyone deceive you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, just as the Messiah[f] is righteous. 8 The person who practices sin belongs to the evil one, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason that the Son of God was revealed was to destroy what the Devil has been doing. 9 No one who has been born from God practices sin, because God’s[g] seed abides in him. Indeed, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born from God. 10 This is how God’s children and the Devil’s children are distinguished.[h] No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God.
Love One Another
11 This is the message that you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain,[i] who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because what he was doing was evil and his brother’s actions[j] were righteous. 13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love one another. The person who does not love[k] remains spiritually[l] dead. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life present in him. 16 This is how we have come to know love: the Messiah[m] gave his life for us. We, too, ought to give our lives for our brothers. 17 Whoever has earthly possessions and notices a brother in need and yet withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God be present in him? 18 Little children, we must stop expressing love merely by our words and manner of speech; we must love[n] also in action[o] and in truth. 19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be able to keep ourselves[p] strong in his presence.
20 If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God. 22 Whatever we request we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus the Messiah,[q] and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The person who keeps his commandments abides in God,[r] and God abides in him.[s] This is how we can be sure that he remains in us: he has given us his Spirit.
The Coming Invasion of Nineveh
2 [a]You are being attacked by advancing forces!
Guard your rampart!
Watch your roads![b]
Prepare yourselves![c]
Marshall your defenses![d]
2 For the Lord will restore the glory of Jacob,
just as he will restore[e] the glory of Israel,
although plunderers have devastated them,
vandalizing their vine branches.
3 The shields deployed by[f] Israel’s[g] elite forces are scarlet,
their valiant men are clothed in crimson.
When they are prepared,
the polished armament on their chariots will shine,
and lances will be brandished about ferociously.[h]
4 Their chariots storm through the streets,
jostling each other along broad avenues.
They look like torches,
as they dart around like lightning.
5 He will remember to summon[i] his finest troops.
They will stumble on their way,
hurrying over to Nineveh’s[j] wall.
Their defensive shield is in place.
6 The river gates will be opened,
and the palace will collapse.
7 It has been determined:
The woman[k] is unveiled and sent away,
her servant girls mourn.
Beating their breasts,
they whimper like doves.
8 Nineveh is a reservoir whose water is draining away.
“Wait! Wait!” they cry,[l]
yet not even one person[m] looks back.
9 Take the silver! Take the gold!
There is no end to the treasure—
fabulous riches of every imagination.
10 Nineveh[n] is devastated, deserted, and desolate.
Her heart melts, her knees knock.
Every stomach is upset,
every face grows pale.[o]
Nineveh: the Lion’s Den Destroyed
11 Where is this lion’s den?
Where is the place where the young lions fed,
where the lion and its mate walked with their young,
the place where they feared nothing?
12 This lion renders its prey to pieces to feed its whelps,
and strangles enough prey[p] for its mate,
filling its lairs with prey
and its dens with rendered flesh.
13 “I am against you,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies,
“and I will send your chariots up in smoke.
A sword will devour your young lions,
I will eliminate your prey from the earth,
and the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.”
The Parable about the Judge and the Widow
18 Jesus[a] told his disciples[b] a parable about their need to pray all the time and never give up. 2 He said, “In a city there was a judge who didn’t fear God or respect people. 3 In that city there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while the judge[c] refused. But later, he told himself, ‘I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice. Otherwise, she will keep coming and wear me out.’”
6 Then the Lord added, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. 7 Won’t God grant his chosen people justice when they cry out to him day and night? Is he slow to help them? 8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The Parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Jesus[d] also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves, thinking they were righteous, but who looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘O God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—thieves, dishonest people, adulterers, or even this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of my entire income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven. Instead, he continued to beat his chest and said, ‘O God, be merciful to me, the sinner that I am!’[e] 14 I tell you, this man, rather than the other one, went down to his home justified, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus Blesses the Little Children(A)
15 Now some people[f] were even bringing their infants to Jesus[g] to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people[h] not to do that. 16 Jesus, however, called for the children[i] and said, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these. 17 I tell all of you[j] with certainty, whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never get into it at all.”
A Rich Man Comes to Jesus(B)
18 Then an official asked Jesus,[k] “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Nobody is good except for one—God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Never commit adultery.[l] Never murder.[m] Never steal.[n] Never give false testimony.[o] Honor your father and mother.’”[p]
21 The official[q] replied, “I have kept all of these since I was a young man.”
22 When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still need to do one thing. Sell everything you have and give the money[r] to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.” 23 But when the official[s] heard this he became sad, because he was very rich.
Salvation and Reward(C)
24 So when Jesus saw how sad he was, he[t] said, “How hard it is for rich people to get into the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who were listening to Jesus[u] asked, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus[v] replied, “The things that are impossible for people are possible for God.”
28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left everything we have and followed you.”
29 Jesus[w] told them, “I tell all of you[x] with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God 30 who will not receive many times as much in this world, as well as eternal life in the age to come.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time(D)
31 Jesus[y] took the Twelve aside and told them, “Pay attention! We’re going up to Jerusalem. Everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled, 32 because he’ll be handed over to the unbelievers,[z] and will be mocked, insulted, and spit on. 33 After they have whipped him, they’ll kill him, but on the third day he’ll rise again.” 34 But they didn’t understand any of this. What he said was hidden from them, and they didn’t know what he meant.
Jesus Heals a Blind Man(E)
35 As Jesus[aa] was approaching Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the road begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him that Jesus from Nazareth[ab] was coming by. 38 So he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 The people at the front of the crowd[ac] sternly told him to be quiet, but he started shouting even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 Then Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus[ad] asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
He said, “Lord, I want to see again!”
42 So Jesus told him, “See again! Your faith has made you well.” 43 Immediately the man[ae] could see again and began to follow Jesus,[af] glorifying God. All the people saw this and gave praise to God.
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