M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon^(A)

10 The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s reputation. (He owed his reputation to the name of Yahweh.) So she came to test him with riddles. ² She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of servants, with camels carrying spices, a very large quantity of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she talked to him about everything she had on her mind. ³ Solomon answered all her questions. No question was too difficult for the king to answer.

⁴ When the queen of Sheba saw all of Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he built, ⁵ the food on his table, his officers’ seating arrangement, the organization of his officials and the uniforms they wore, his cupbearers,^[a] and the burnt offerings that he sacrificed at Yahweh’s temple, she was breathless. ⁶ She told the king, “What I heard in my country about your words and your wisdom is true! ⁷ But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and saw it with my own eyes. I wasn’t even told half of it. Your wisdom and wealth surpass the stories I’ve heard. ⁸ How blessed your men must be! How blessed these servants of yours must be because they are always stationed in front of you, listening to your wisdom! ⁹ Thank Yahweh your Elohim, who is pleased with you. He has put you on the throne of Israel. Because of Yahweh’s eternal love for the people of Israel, he has made you king so that you would maintain justice and righteousness.”

¹⁰ She gave the king 9,000 pounds of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such a large quantity of spices brought into Israel as those that the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

¹¹ Hiram’s fleet that brought gold from Ophir also brought a large quantity of sandalwood and precious stones from Ophir. ¹² With the sandalwood the king made supports for Yahweh’s temple and the royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers. Never again was sandalwood like this imported into Israel, nor has any been seen there to this day.

¹³ King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba anything she wanted, whatever she asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal generosity. Then she and her servants went back to her country.

Solomon’s Wealth^(B)

¹⁴ The gold that came to Solomon in one year weighed 49,950 pounds, ¹⁵ not counting the gold which came from the merchants, the traders’ profits, all the Arab kings, and the governors of the country.

¹⁶ King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, using 15 pounds of gold on each shield. ¹⁷ He also made 300 small shields of hammered gold, using four pounds of gold on each shield. The king put them in the hall which he called the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁸ The king also made a large ivory throne and covered it with fine gold. ¹⁹ Six steps led to the throne. Carved into the back of the throne was a calf’s head. There were armrests on both sides of the seat. Two lions stood beside the armrests. ²⁰ Twelve lions stood on six steps, one on each side. Nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

²¹ All King Solomon’s cups were gold, and all the utensils for the hall which he called the Forest of Lebanon were fine gold. (Nothing was silver, because it wasn’t considered valuable in Solomon’s time.) ²² The king had a fleet headed for Tarshish with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the Tarshish fleet would bring gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

²³ In wealth and wisdom King Solomon was greater than all the other kings of the world. ²⁴ The whole world wanted to listen to the wisdom that Elohim gave Solomon. ²⁵ So everyone who came brought him gifts: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. This happened year after year.

²⁶ Solomon built up his army with chariots and war horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 war horses. He stationed some in chariot cities and others with himself in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as fig trees in the foothills.

²⁸ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. The king’s traders bought them from Kue for a fixed price. ²⁹ Each chariot was imported from Egypt for 15 pounds of silver and each horse for 6 ounces of silver. For the same price they obtained horses to export to all the Hittite and Aramean kings.

Greeting

1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Yeshua.

To God’s people in the city of Philippi and their bishops^[a] and deacons^[b]—to everyone who is united with Christ Yeshua.

² Good will^[c] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua Christ are yours!

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians

³ I thank my God for all the memories I have of you. ⁴ Every time I pray for all of you, I do it with joy. ⁵ I can do this because of the partnership we’ve had with you in the Good News from the first day you believed until now. ⁶ I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Yeshua. ⁷ You have a special place in my heart. So it’s right for me to think this way about all of you. All of you are my partners. Together we share God’s favor,^[d] whether I’m in prison or defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. ⁸ God is my witness that, with all the compassion of Christ Yeshua, I long to see every one of you.

⁹ I pray that your love will keep on growing because of your knowledge and insight. ¹⁰ That way you will be able to determine what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. ¹¹ Yeshua Christ will fill your lives with everything that God’s approval produces. Your lives will then bring glory and praise to God.

Nothing Matters Except That People Are Told about Christ

¹² I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what happened to me has helped to spread the Good News. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear to all the soldiers who guard the emperor and to everyone else that I am in prison because of Christ. ¹⁴ So through my being in prison, the Lord has given most of our brothers and sisters confidence to speak God’s word more boldly and fearlessly than ever.

¹⁵ Some people tell the message about Christ because of their jealousy and envy. Others tell the message about him because of their good will. ¹⁶ Those who tell the message about Christ out of love know that God has put me here to defend the Good News. ¹⁷ But the others are insincere. They tell the message about Christ out of selfish ambition in order to stir up trouble for me while I’m in prison. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? Nothing matters except that, in one way or another, people are told the message about Christ, whether with honest or dishonest motives, and I’m happy about that.

Paul Honors Christ Whether He Lives or Dies

Yes, I will continue to be happy ¹⁹ for another reason. I know that I will be set free through your prayers and through the help that comes from the Spirit of Yeshua Christ. ²⁰ I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of. I will speak very boldly and honor Christ in my body, now as always, whether I live or die. ²¹ Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die I’ll have even more. ²² If I continue to live in this life, my work will produce more results. I don’t know which I would prefer. ²³ I find it hard to choose between the two. I would like to leave this life and be with Christ. That’s by far the better choice. ²⁴ But for your sake it’s better that I remain in this life. ²⁵ Since I’m convinced of this, I know that I will continue to live and be with all of you. This will help you to grow and be joyful in your faith. ²⁶ So by coming to you again, I want to give you even more reason to have pride in Christ Yeshua with me.

Fighting for the Faith

²⁷ Live as citizens who reflect the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I’ll hear all about you. I’ll hear that you are firmly united in spirit, united in fighting for the faith that the Good News brings. ²⁸ So don’t let your opponents intimidate you in any way. This is God’s way of showing them that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved. ²⁹ God has given you the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him. ³⁰ You are involved in the same struggle that you saw me having. Now you hear that I’m still involved in it.

The New Temple of God

40 It was the tenth day of the month in the beginning of the twenty-fifth year of our captivity and fourteen years after Jerusalem was captured. At that time Yahweh’s power came over me, and he brought me to Jerusalem. ² In visions, Elohim brought me to Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. On the south side of the mountain were some buildings that looked like those in a city. ³ He brought me closer. I saw a man who looked like he was covered with bronze. The man was holding a linen tape measure and a measuring stick, and he stood in a gateway. ⁴ He said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and listen with your ears. Pay close attention to everything I’m going to show you. You were brought here to be shown these things. Tell the nation of Israel everything that you see.”

The East Gateway

⁵ I saw a wall that surrounded the temple. The man had a measuring stick that was 10½ feet long. He measured the wall. It was 10½ feet thick and 10½ feet high.

⁶ Then the man went to the gateway that faced east. He went up its steps and measured the entrance to the gateway. It was 10½ feet wide. ⁷ There were also guardrooms. Each guardroom was 10½ feet long and 10½ feet wide. The space between the guardrooms was 9 feet thick. And the entrance to the gateway by the entrance hall of the temple was 10½ feet wide. ⁸ He also measured the entrance hall of the gateway. ⁹ It extended 14 feet from the temple. Its recessed walls were 3½ feet thick. The gateway’s entrance hall faced the temple.

¹⁰ Now, there were three guardrooms on each side of the eastern gateway. All three rooms on each side were the same size, and the recessed walls on each side were the same size.

¹¹ Then the man measured the width of the entrance to the gateway. It was 17½ feet wide, and the gateway was 23 feet long. ¹² There was a barrier about 21 inches in front of each guardroom. The guardrooms were 10½ feet square.

¹³ He measured the gateway from the top of one guardroom to the top of the opposite guardroom. It was 44 feet wide from one door to the opposite door. ¹⁴ He also measured the entrance hall. It was 35 feet wide. In front of the entrance hall to the gateway was a courtyard on all sides.

¹⁵ The total length of the gateway from the front of the outer part to the front of the inner part of the entrance hall was 87½ feet.

¹⁶ The guardrooms and recessed walls inside the gateway had small windows all around. The entrance hall also had windows all around on the inside. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls.

The Outer Courtyard

¹⁷ Then the man brought me into the outer courtyard. I saw rooms there and pavement all around the courtyard. There were 30 rooms along the edge of the pavement. ¹⁸ The pavement in the lower courtyard ran alongside the gateways. It was as wide as it was long. ¹⁹ The man measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner courtyard. It was 175 feet from east to north.

The North Gateway

²⁰ Then the man measured the length and width of the gateway, leading to the outer courtyard. This was the gateway that faced north. ²¹ Its three guardrooms, its recessed walls, and its entrance hall were the same size as those in the east gateway. The gateway was 87½ feet long and 44 feet wide. ²² Its windows, recessed walls, and palm tree pictures were the same size as those in the east gateway. Seven steps went up to it and led to its entrance hall. ²³ The inner courtyard had a gateway opposite the north gate just like the east gateway. The man measured the distance from one gate to the other gate. It was 175 feet.

The South Gateway

²⁴ Then the man led me to the south side, and I saw a gateway that faced south. He measured its recessed walls and its entrance hall. They were the same size as those of the other gateways. ²⁵ The gateway and its entrance hall had windows on all sides like the windows in the other gateways. It was 87½ feet long and 44 feet wide. ²⁶ Seven steps went up to it and led to its entrance hall. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls, one picture on each side. ²⁷ The inner courtyard had a gateway facing south. The man measured the distance from the gateway on the south side to its opposite gateway. It was 175 feet.

The Inner Courtyard

²⁸ Then the man brought me to the inner courtyard through the south gateway. He measured the south gateway. It was the same size as the others. ²⁹ Its guardrooms, recessed walls, and entrance hall were the same size as the other gateways. The guardrooms and the entrance hall had windows all around. The gateway was 87½ feet long and 44 feet wide. ³⁰ There were entrance halls all around the inner courtyard. They were all 44 feet long and 9 feet wide. ³¹ The entrance halls faced the outer courtyard. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls, and eight steps led up to each gateway.

³² Then the man brought me to the east side of the inner courtyard. He measured the gateway. It was the same size as the others. ³³ Its guardrooms, recessed walls, and entrance halls were the same size as those of the other gateways. Its guardrooms and entrance hall had windows all around. The gateway was 87½ feet long and 44 feet wide. ³⁴ Its entrance hall faced the outer courtyard. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls, and eight steps led up to the gateway.

³⁵ Then the man brought me to the north gateway. He measured it. It was the same size as the others. ³⁶ Its guardrooms, recessed walls, and entrance hall had windows all around. The gateway was 87½ feet long and 44 feet wide. ³⁷ Its recessed walls faced the outer courtyard. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls, and eight steps led up to the gateway.

Special Rooms

³⁸ There was a room with a door that opened toward the entrance hall of the gateway. This is the room where the priests washed the animals for the burnt offerings. ³⁹ In the entrance hall of the gateway there were two tables on each side of the room. On these tables the animals were slaughtered for burnt offerings, offerings for sin, and guilt offerings. ⁴⁰ On each side of the entrance to the north gateway there were two tables, and on the other side of the entrance hall of the gateway there were two tables. ⁴¹ So there were four tables on each side of the gateway, eight tables in all, on which they slaughtered animals. ⁴² There were four tables made of cut stone for burnt offerings. They were 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 21 inches high. On these tables the priests laid the utensils that were used to slaughter animals for burnt offerings and sacrifices. ⁴³ Double-pronged hooks, three inches long, were attached to the wall all around the room, and the tables were for the meat of the animals. ⁴⁴ Outside the gateways to the inner courtyard were the rooms for the singers in the inner courtyards. One room was at the side of the north gateway. It faced south. The other room was at the side of the south gateway. It faced north. ⁴⁵ The man said to me, “This room that faces south is for the priests who serve in the temple. ⁴⁶ The room that faces north is for the priests who serve at the altar. These priests are Zadok’s descendants. They are the only Levites who are able to come near Yahweh and serve him.” ⁴⁷ The man measured the courtyard. It was a perfect square—175 feet long and 175 feet wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.

⁴⁸ Then the man brought me to the entrance hall of the temple and measured its recessed walls. They were 9 feet on each side. The gateway was 24½ feet wide, and the walls on each side were 5 feet wide. ⁴⁹ The entrance hall was 35 feet long and 21 feet wide. Steps led up to it. Pillars stood by the recessed walls, one on each side of the entrance hall.

Psalm 91