M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jeroboam’s Son Dies
14 At that time Jeroboam’s son Abijah became very sick. 2 So Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go to Shiloh. Go to see the prophet Ahijah. He is the one who said I would become king of Israel. But dress yourself so people won’t know you are my wife. 3 Give the prophet ten loaves of bread, some cakes and a jar of honey. Then ask him what will happen to our son. And he will tell you.” 4 So the king’s wife did as he said. She went to Ahijah’s home in Shiloh.
Now Ahijah was very old and had become blind. 5 But the Lord had said to him, “Jeroboam’s son is sick. So Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about him. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.” Then the Lord told Ahijah what to say.
6 When Ahijah heard her walking to the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have bad news for you. 7 Go back and tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jeroboam, I chose you from among all the people of Israel. I made you the leader of my people. 8 I took the kingdom away from David’s family. And I gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David. He always obeyed my commands. He followed me with all his heart. He did only the things I said were right. 9 But you have done more evil things than anyone who ruled before you. You have quit following me. You have made other gods and idols of metal. This has made me very angry. 10 So I will bring disaster to the family of Jeroboam. I will kill all of the men in your family, both slaves and free men. I will destroy your family as completely as fire burns up manure. 11 Anyone from your family who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs. And anyone from your family who dies in the fields will be eaten by the birds. The Lord has spoken!’”
12 Then Ahijah said to Jeroboam’s wife, “Now go home. When you enter your city gate, your son will die. 13 All Israel will be sad for him and bury him. He will be the only one of Jeroboam’s family who will be buried. This is because he is the only one in Jeroboam’s family who pleased the Lord, the God of Israel.
14 “The Lord will put a new king over Israel. That king will destroy Jeroboam’s family. This will happen soon. 15 Then the Lord will punish Israel. The people of Israel will be like grass moving in the water. The Lord will pull up Israel from this good land. This is the land he gave their ancestors. But he will scatter Israel beyond the Euphrates River. This will happen because the Lord is angry with the people. They made him angry when they made idols to worship Asherah. 16 Jeroboam sinned, and then he made the people of Israel sin. So the Lord will let the people of Israel be defeated.”
17 Then Jeroboam’s wife traveled back to Tirzah. When she entered her home, the boy died. 18 They buried him. And all Israel had a time of sadness for him. This happened as the Lord said it would. The Lord had said these things through his servant, the prophet Ahijah.
19 Everything else Jeroboam did is written down. He fought wars and continued to rule the people. It is all written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. 20 Jeroboam ruled as king for 22 years. Then he died, and his son Nadab became king in his place.
The Death of Rehoboam
21 Solomon’s son Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king of Judah. His mother was Naamah from the land of Ammon. Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem for 17 years. (The Lord had chosen that city from all the land of Israel. He chose to be worshiped there.)
22 The people of Judah did what the Lord said was wrong. The people’s sins made the Lord very angry at them. They made the Lord even more angry than their ancestors had done. 23 The people built stone pillars and places to worship false gods and Asherah idols. They built them on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 There were even male prostitutes at the places of worship to the gods. The people who had lived in the land before the Israelites had done many evil things. And God had taken the land away from them. Now the people of Judah were doing the same evil things.
25 During the fifth year Rehoboam was king, Shishak attacked Jerusalem. Shishak was king of Egypt. 26 He took the treasures from the Temple of the Lord and the king’s palace. He took everything, even the gold shields Solomon had made. 27 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to put in their place. He gave them to the men who were guarding the palace gates. 28 Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards carried the shields. After they were finished, they put the shields back in the guardroom.
29 Everything else King Rehoboam did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. 30 Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always fighting a war with each other. 31 Rehoboam died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem. His mother was Naamah from Ammon. And Rehoboam’s son Abijam[a] became king in his place.
Only Christ Can Save People
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted.
Also from Timothy, our brother.
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ that live in Colosse. Grace and peace from God our Father.[a]
3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We thank God because we have heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all of God’s people. 5 You have this faith and love because of your hope, and what you hope for is saved for you in heaven. You learned about this hope when you heard the true teaching, the Good News 6 that was told to you. Everywhere in the world that Good News is bringing blessings and is growing. This has happened with you, too, since you heard the Good News and understood the truth about the grace of God. 7 You learned about God’s grace from Epaphras, whom we love. Epaphras works together with us and is a faithful servant of Christ for us.[b] 8 He also told us about the love you have from the Holy Spirit.
9 Since the day we heard this about you, we have continued praying for you. We ask God that you will know fully what God wants. We pray that you will also have great wisdom and understanding in spiritual things. 10 Then you will live the kind of life that honors and pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. 11 Then God will strengthen you with his own great power. And you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. 12 Then you will joyfully give thanks to the Father. He has made you[c] able to have all that he has prepared for his people who live in the light. 13 God made us free from the power of darkness, and he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 14 The Son paid for our sins,[d] and in him we have forgiveness.
The Importance of Christ
15 No one has seen God, but Jesus is exactly like him. Christ ranks higher than all the things that have been made. 16 Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all powers, authorities, lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for Christ. 17 Christ was there before anything was made. And all things continue because of him. 18 He is the head of the body. (The body is the church.) Everything comes from him. And he is the first one who was raised from death. So in all things Jesus is most important. 19 God was pleased for all of himself to live in Christ. 20 And through Christ, God decided to bring all things back to himself again—things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace by using the blood of Christ’s death on the cross.
21 At one time you were separated from God. You were God’s enemies in your minds because the evil deeds you did were against God. 22 But now Christ has made you God’s friends again. He did this by his death while he was in the body, that he might bring you into God’s presence. He brings you before God as people who are holy, with no wrong in you, and with nothing that God can judge you guilty of. 23 And Christ will do this if you continue to believe in the Good News you heard. You must continue strong and sure in your faith. You must not be moved away from the hope that Good News gave you. That same Good News has been told to everyone in the world. I, Paul, help in preaching that Good News.
Paul’s Work for the Church
24 I am happy in my sufferings for you. There are many things that Christ must still suffer through his body, the church. I am accepting my part of these things that must be suffered. I accept these sufferings in my body. I suffer for his body, the church. 25 I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do that helps you. My work is to tell fully the teaching of God. 26 This teaching is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone, but now it is made known to God’s holy people. 27 God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious truth which he has for all people. This truth is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory. 28 So we continue to preach Christ to all men. We use all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone. We are trying to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ. 29 To do this, I work and struggle, using Christ’s great strength that works so powerfully in me.
The Outer East Gate
44 Then the man brought me back to the outer east gate of the Temple area. The gate was shut. 2 The Lord said to me, “This gate will stay shut. It will not be opened. No one may enter through it. This is because the Lord God of Israel has entered through it. So it must stay shut. 3 Only the ruler himself may sit in the gateway to eat bread before the Lord. He must enter through the porch of the gateway and go out the same way.”
4 Then the man brought me through the outer north gate. He brought me to the front of the Temple. I looked and saw the greatness of the Lord. It was filling the Temple of the Lord. I bowed facedown on the ground.
5 The Lord said to me, “Human being, pay attention. See this with your eyes. And hear this with your ears. See and hear everything I tell you about all the rules and teachings of the Temple of the Lord. Pay attention to the entrance to the Temple and to all the exits from the Temple area. 6 Then speak to those who refuse to obey. Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Stop doing all your acts that I hate, Israel! 7 You brought foreigners into my Holy Place. They were not circumcised in the flesh. They had not given themselves to serving me. You dishonored my Temple when you offered me food, fat and blood. You broke my agreement by all your ways that I hate. 8 And you have not taken care of my holy things. You put foreigners in charge of my Temple. 9 This is what the Lord God says: Foreigners who are not circumcised in flesh and who do not give themselves to serving me may not enter my Temple. Even a foreigner living among the people of Israel may not enter.
10 “‘Some Levites stopped obeying me when Israel left me and followed their idols. These Levites must be punished for their sin. 11 These Levites are to be servants in my Holy Place. They may guard the gates of the Temple. They may serve in the Temple. They may kill the animals for the burnt offering and the sacrifices for the people. They may stand before the people to serve them. 12 But these Levites helped the people worship their idols and caused the people of Israel to fall. So I have made this promise: They will be punished for their sin, says the Lord God. 13 They will not come near me to serve as priests. They will not come near any of my holy things or the most holy offerings. But they will be ashamed of the things they did that I hate. 14 But I will make them take care of the Temple. They will take care of everything that must be done in it.
15 “‘But this is not true for priests who are Levites and descendants of Zadok. They took care of my Holy Place when Israel left me. They may come near to serve me. They may stand in my presence. They will offer me the fat and blood of the animals they sacrifice, says the Lord God. 16 They are the only ones who may enter my Holy Place. They may come near my table to serve me. They may take care of the things I gave them.
17 “‘When they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, they must wear linen robes. They must not wear wool to serve at the gates of the inner courtyard or in the Temple. 18 They will wear linen turbans on their heads and linen underclothes. They will not wear anything that makes them perspire. 19 At times they will go out into the outer courtyard to the people. But before they go, they must take off their serving clothes. They must put these clothes away in the holy rooms. And they must put on other clothes. Then they will not let their holy clothes hurt the people.
20 “‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long. They must keep the hair of their heads trimmed. 21 None of the priests may drink wine when they enter the inner courtyard. 22 The priests must not marry a widow or a divorced woman. They may marry only virgins from the people of Israel. Or they may marry a widow of a priest. 23 They must teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is not holy. They must help my people know what is unclean and what is clean.
24 “‘In court they will act as judges. When they judge, they will follow my teachings. They must obey my laws and my rules at all my special feasts. They must keep my Sabbaths holy.
25 “‘They must not go near a dead person, making themselves unclean. But they are allowed to make themselves unclean if the dead person is a relative. It might be his father, mother, son, daughter, brother or a sister who has not married. 26 After the priest has been made clean again, he must wait seven days. 27 Then he may go into the inner courtyard to serve in the Temple. But he must offer a sin offering for himself, says the Lord God.
28 “‘These are the rules about the priests and their property: They will have me instead of property. You will not give them any land to own in Israel. I am what they will own. 29 They will eat the grain offerings, sin offerings and penalty offerings. Everything Israel offers will be theirs. 30 And the best fruits of all the first harvests will be for the priests. And they will have all the special gifts offered to me. You will also give to the priests the first part of your grain that you grind. This will cause a blessing to come on your house. 31 The priests must not eat any bird or animal that died a natural death. And they must not eat one that has been torn by wild animals.
A Hymn About God’s Power
97 The Lord is king. Let the earth rejoice.
Faraway lands should be glad.
2 Thick, dark clouds surround him.
His kingdom is built on what is right and fair.
3 A fire goes before him
and burns up his enemies all around.
4 His lightning flashes in the sky.
When the people see it, they tremble.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord.
He is Lord of all the earth.
6 The skies tell about his goodness.
And all the people see his glory.
7 Those who worship idols should be ashamed.
They brag about their false gods.
All the gods should worship the Lord.
8 When Jerusalem hears this, she is glad.
The towns of Judah rejoice.
They are happy because of your judgments, Lord.
9 You are the Lord Most High over all the earth.
You are supreme over all gods.
10 People who love the Lord should hate evil.
The Lord watches over those who follow him.
He frees them from the power of the wicked.
11 Light shines on those who do right.
Joy belongs to those who are honest.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who do right.
Praise his holy name.
The God of Power and Justice
A song.
98 Sing to the Lord a new song
because he has done miracles.
By his right hand and holy arm
he has won the victory.
2 The Lord has told about his power to save.
He has shown the other nations his victory for his people.
3 He has remembered his love
and his loyalty to the people of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
God’s power to save.
4 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Burst into songs and praise.
5 Make music to the Lord with harps,
with harps and the sound of singing.
6 Blow the trumpets and the sheep’s horns.
Shout for joy to the Lord the King.
7 Let the sea and everything in it shout.
Let the world and everyone on it sing.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands.
Let the mountains sing together for joy.
9 Let them sing before the Lord
because he is coming to judge the world.
He will judge the world fairly.
He will judge the nations with fairness.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.