M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

7 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. ² For he built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was one hundred cubits,^[a] its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. ³ It was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams that were on the pillars, fifteen in a row. ⁴ There were beams in three rows, and window was facing window in three ranks. ⁵ All the doors and posts were made square with beams; and window was facing window in three ranks. ⁶ He made the hall of pillars. Its length was fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits, with a porch before them, and pillars and a threshold before them. ⁷ He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. ⁸ His house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch, was of the same construction. He made also a house for Pharaoh’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this porch. ⁹ All these were of costly stones, even of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court. ¹⁰ The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. ¹¹ Above were costly stones, even cut stone, according to measure, and cedar wood. ¹² The great court around had three courses of cut stone with a course of cedar beams, like the inner court of Yahweh’s house and the porch of the house.

¹³ King Solomon sent and brought Hiram out of Tyre. ¹⁴ He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill to work all works in bronze. He came to King Solomon and performed all his work. ¹⁵ For he fashioned the two pillars of bronze, eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them. ¹⁶ He made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. ¹⁷ There were nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars: seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. ¹⁸ So he made the pillars; and there were two rows of pomegranates around the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and he did so for the other capital. ¹⁹ The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits. ²⁰ There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network. There were two hundred pomegranates in rows around the other capital. ²¹ He set up the pillars at the porch of the temple. He set up the right pillar and called its name Jachin; and he set up the left pillar and called its name Boaz. ²² On the tops of the pillars was lily work. So the work of the pillars was finished.

²³ He made the molten sea ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape. Its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it. ²⁴ Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. ²⁵ It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward. ²⁶ It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.

²⁷ He made the ten bases of bronze. The length of one base was four cubits, four cubits its width, and three cubits its height. ²⁸ The work of the bases was like this: they had panels; and there were panels between the ledges; ²⁹ and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. ³⁰ Every base had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze; and its four feet had supports. The supports were cast beneath the basin, with wreaths at the side of each. ³¹ Its opening within the capital and above was a cubit. Its opening was round like the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its opening were engravings, and their panels were square, not round. ³² The four wheels were underneath the panels; and the axles of the wheels were in the base. The height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. ³³ The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all of cast metal. ³⁴ There were four supports at the four corners of each base. Its supports were of the base itself. ³⁵ In the top of the base there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the base its supports and its panels were the same. ³⁶ On the plates of its supports and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, each in its space, with wreaths all around. ³⁷ He made the ten bases in this way: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form. ³⁸ He made ten basins of bronze. One basin contained forty baths.^[b] Every basin measured four cubits. One basin was on every one of the ten bases. ³⁹ He set the bases, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house. He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward and toward the south.

⁴⁰ Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he worked for King Solomon in Yahweh’s house: ⁴¹ the two pillars; the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; ⁴² the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; ⁴³ the ten bases; the ten basins on the bases; ⁴⁴ the one sea; the twelve oxen under the sea; ⁴⁵ the pots; the shovels; and the basins. All of these vessels, which Hiram made for King Solomon in Yahweh’s house, were of burnished bronze. ⁴⁶ The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. ⁴⁷ Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them. The weight of the bronze could not be determined.

⁴⁸ Solomon made all the vessels that were in Yahweh’s house: the golden altar and the table that the show bread was on, of gold; ⁴⁹ and the lamp stands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; ⁵⁰ the cups, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, of the temple, of gold.

⁵¹ Thus all the work that King Solomon did in Yahweh’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the vessels—and put them in the treasuries of Yahweh’s house.

4 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all. ⁷ But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. ⁸ Therefore he says,

⁹ Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

¹¹ He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds^[a] and teachers; ¹² for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; ¹⁵ but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, ¹⁶ from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

¹⁷ This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹ They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. ²⁰ But you didn’t learn Christ that way, ²¹ if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: ²² that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

²⁵ Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. ²⁶ “Be angry, and don’t sin.”^(B) Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ and don’t give place^[b] to the devil. ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. ²⁹ Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

37 Yahweh’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in Yahweh’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ² He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry. ³ He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I answered, “Lord Yahweh, you know.”

⁴ Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear Yahweh’s word. ⁵ The Lord Yahweh says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. ⁶ I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”’”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’”

¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

¹¹ Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³ You will know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people. ¹⁴ I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it and performed it,” says Yahweh.’”

¹⁵ Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, ¹⁶ “You, son of man, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.’ Then take another stick, and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions.’ ¹⁷ Then join them for yourself to one another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.

¹⁸ “When the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’ ¹⁹ tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in my hand. ²⁰ The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.”’ ²¹ Say to them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land. ²² I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. One king will be king to them all. They will no longer be two nations. They won’t be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. ²³ They won’t defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. So they will be my people, and I will be their God.

²⁴ “‘“My servant David will be king over them. They all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in my ordinances and observe my statutes, and do them. ²⁵ They will dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived. They will dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever. David my servant will be their prince forever. ²⁶ Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will place them, multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forever more. ²⁷ My tent also will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ²⁸ The nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever more.”’”

A Psalm by the sons of Korah; a Song.

A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Suffering of Affliction.” A contemplation by Heman, the Ezrahite.