M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

28 And David assembleth all the heads of Israel, heads of the tribes, and heads of the courses who are serving the king, and heads of the thousands, and heads of the hundreds, and heads of all the substance and possessions of the king, and of his sons, with the officers and the mighty ones, even to every mighty one of valour -- unto Jerusalem.

² And David the king riseth on his feet, and saith, `Hear me, my brethren and my people, I -- with my heart -- to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and for the footstool of our God, and I prepared to build,

³ and God hath said to me, Thou dost not build a house to My name, for a man of wars thou [art], and blood thou hast shed.

⁴ `And Jehovah, God of Israel, doth fix on me out of all the house of my father to be for king over Israel to the age, for on Judah He hath fixed for a leader, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, on me, [me] He hath been pleased to make king over all Israel;

⁵ and out of all my sons -- for many sons hath Jehovah given to me -- He also fixeth on Solomon my son, to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Jehovah over Israel,

⁶ and saith to me, Solomon thy son, he doth build My house, and My courts, for I have fixed on him to Me for a son, and I -- I am to him for a father,

⁷ and I have established his kingdom to the age, if he is strong to do My commands, and My judgments, as at this day.

⁸ `And now, before the eyes of all Israel, the assembly of Jehovah, and in the ears of our God, keep and seek all the commands of Jehovah your God, so that ye possess this good land, and have caused your sons to inherit after you unto the age.

⁹ `And thou, Solomon, my son, know the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, for all hearts is Jehovah seeking, and every imagination of the thoughts He is understanding; if thou dost seek Him, He is found of thee, and if thou dost forsake Him, He casteth thee off for ever.

¹⁰ See, now, for Jehovah hath fixed on thee to build a house for a sanctuary; be strong, and do.'

¹¹ And David giveth to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of its houses, and of its treasures, and of its upper chambers, and of its innermost chambers, and of the house of the atonement;

¹² and the pattern of all that hath been by the Spirit with him, for the courts of the house of Jehovah, and for all the chambers round about, for the treasures of the house of God, and for the treasures of the things sacrificed;

¹³ and for the courses of the priests and of the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, and for all vessels of service of the house of Jehovah,

¹⁴ even gold by weight, for [things of] gold, for all instruments of service and service; for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of service and service;

¹⁵ and [by] weight for the candlesticks of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight [for] candlestick and candlestick, and its lamps; and for the candlesticks of silver, by weight for a candlestick and its lamps, according to the service of candlestick and candlestick;

¹⁶ and the gold [by] weight for tables of the arrangement, for table and table, and silver for the tables of silver;

¹⁷ and the forks, and the bowls, and the cups of pure gold, and for the basins of gold, by weight for basin and basin, and for the basins of silver, by weight for basin and basin,

¹⁸ and for the altar of perfume refined gold by weight, and for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubs of gold -- spreading and covering over the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.

¹⁹ The whole [is] in writing from the hand of Jehovah, `He caused me to understand all the work of the pattern,' [said David.]

²⁰ And David saith to Solomon his son, `Be strong, and courageous, and do; do not fear nor be affrighted, for Jehovah God, my God, [is] with thee; He doth not fail thee, nor forsake thee, unto the completion of all the work of the service of the house of Jehovah.

²¹ `And lo, courses of the priests and of the Levites [are] for all the service of the house of God; and with thee in all work [is] every willing one with wisdom, for every service; and the heads and all the people [are] according to all thy words.'

2 And there did come also false prophets among the people, as also among you there shall be false teachers, who shall bring in besides destructive sects, and the Master who bought them denying, bringing to themselves quick destruction,

² and many shall follow out their destructive ways, because of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of,

³ and in covetousness, with moulded words, of you they shall make merchandise, whose judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction doth not slumber.

⁴ For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast [them] down to Tartarus, did deliver [them] to judgment, having been reserved,

⁵ and the old world did not spare, but the eighth person, Noah, of righteousness a preacher, did keep, a flood on the world of the impious having brought,

⁶ and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah having turned to ashes, with an overthrow did condemn, an example to those about to be impious having set [them];

⁷ and righteous Lot, worn down by the conduct in lasciviousness of the impious, He did rescue,

⁸ for in seeing and hearing, the righteous man, dwelling among them, day by day the righteous soul with unlawful works was harassing.

⁹ The Lord hath known to rescue pious ones out of temptation, and unrighteous ones to a day of judgment, being punished, to keep,

¹⁰ and chiefly those going behind the flesh in desire of uncleanness, and lordship despising; presumptuous, self-complacent, dignities they are not afraid to speak evil of,

¹¹ whereas messengers, in strength and power being greater, do not bear against them before the Lord an evil speaking judgment;

¹² and these, as irrational natural beasts, made to be caught and destroyed -- in what things they are ignorant of, speaking evil -- in their destruction shall be destroyed,

¹³ about to receive a reward of unrighteousness, pleasures counting the luxury in the day, spots and blemishes, luxuriating in their deceits, feasting with you,

¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery, and unable to cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having an heart exercised in covetousnesses, children of a curse,

¹⁵ having forsaken a right way, they did go astray, having followed in the way of Balaam the [son] of Bosor, who a reward of unrighteousness did love,

¹⁶ and had a rebuke of his own iniquity -- a dumb ass, in man's voice having spoken, did forbid the madness of the prophet.

¹⁷ These are wells without water, and clouds by a tempest driven, to whom the thick gloom of the darkness to the age hath been kept;

¹⁸ for overswellings of vanity speaking, they do entice in desires of the flesh -- lasciviousnesses, those who had truly escaped from those conducting themselves in error,

¹⁹ liberty to them promising, themselves being servants of the corruption, for by whom any one hath been overcome, to this one also he hath been brought to servitude,

²⁰ for, if having escaped from the pollutions of the world, in the acknowledging of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and by these again being entangled, they have been overcome, become to them hath the last things worse than the first,

²¹ for it were better to them not to have acknowledged the way of the righteousness, than having acknowledged [it], to turn back from the holy command delivered to them,

²² and happened to them hath that of the true similitude; `A dog did turn back upon his own vomit,' and, `A sow having bathed herself -- to rolling in mire.'

5 Now gather thyself together, O daughter of troops, A siege he hath laid against us, With a rod they smite on the cheek the judge of Israel.

² And thou, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh forth -- to be ruler in Israel, And his comings forth [are] of old, From the days of antiquity.

³ Therefore he doth give them out till the time She who bringeth forth hath brought forth, And the remnant of his brethren return to the sons of Israel.

⁴ And he hath stood and delighted in the strength of Jehovah, In the excellency of the name of Jehovah his God, And they have remained, For now he is great unto the ends of earth.

⁵ And this [one] hath been peace, Asshur! when he doth come into our land, And when he doth tread in our palaces, We have raised against him seven shepherds, And eight anointed of man.

⁶ And they have afflicted the land of Asshur with the sword, And the land of Nimrod at its openings, And he hath delivered from Asshur when he doth come into our land, And when he treadeth in our borders.

⁷ And the remnant of Jacob hath been in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah -- as showers on the herb, That waiteth not for man, nor stayeth for the sons of men.

⁸ Yea, the remnant of Jacob hath been among nations, In the midst of many peoples, As a lion among beasts of a forest, As a young lion among ranks of a flock, Which if it hath passed through, Hath both trodden down and hath torn, And there is no deliverer.

⁹ High is thy hand above thine adversaries, And all thine enemies are cut off.

¹⁰ And it hath come to pass in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have cut off thy horses from thy midst, And I have destroyed thy chariots,

¹¹ And I have cut off the cities of thy land, And I have thrown down all thy fortresses,

¹² And have cut off sorcerers out of thy hand, And observers of clouds thou hast none.

¹³ And I have cut off thy graven images, And thy standing-pillars out of thy midst, And thou dost not bow thyself any more To the work of thy hands.

¹⁴ And I have plucked up thy shrines out of thy midst, And I have destroyed thine enemies.

¹⁵ And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, With the nations who have not hearkened!

14 And it came to pass, on his going into the house of a certain one of the chiefs of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread, that they were watching him,

² and lo, there was a certain dropsical man before him;

³ and Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, `Is it lawful on the sabbath-day to heal?'

⁴ and they were silent, and having taken hold of [him], he healed him, and let [him] go;

⁵ and answering them he said, `Of which of you shall an ass or ox fall into a pit, and he will not immediately draw it up on the sabbath-day?'

⁶ and they were not able to answer him again unto these things.

⁷ And he spake a simile unto those called, marking how they were choosing out the first couches, saying unto them,

⁸ `When thou mayest be called by any one to marriage-feasts, thou mayest not recline on the first couch, lest a more honourable than thou may have been called by him,

⁹ and he who did call thee and him having come shall say to thee, Give to this one place, and then thou mayest begin with shame to occupy the last place.

¹⁰ `But, when thou mayest be called, having gone on, recline in the last place, that when he who called thee may come, he may say to thee, Friend, come up higher; then thou shalt have glory before those reclining with thee;

¹¹ because every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'

¹² And he said also to him who did call him, `When thou mayest make a dinner or a supper, be not calling thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kindred, nor rich neighbours, lest they may also call thee again, and a recompense may come to thee;

¹³ but when thou mayest make a feast, be calling poor, maimed, lame, blind,

¹⁴ and happy thou shalt be, because they have not to recompense thee, for it shall be recompensed to thee in the rising again of the righteous.'

¹⁵ And one of those reclining with him, having heard these things, said to him, `Happy [is] he who shall eat bread in the reign of God;'

¹⁶ and he said to him, `A certain man made a great supper, and called many,

¹⁷ and he sent his servant at the hour of the supper to say to those having been called, Be coming, because now are all things ready.

¹⁸ `And they began with one consent all to excuse themselves: The first said to him, A field I bought, and I have need to go forth and see it; I beg of thee, have me excused.

¹⁹ `And another said, Five yoke of oxen I bought, and I go on to prove them; I beg of thee, have me excused:

²⁰ and another said, A wife I married, and because of this I am not able to come.

²¹ `And that servant having come, told to his lord these things, then the master of the house, having been angry, said to his servant, Go forth quickly to the broad places and lanes of the city, and the poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind, bring in hither.

²² `And the servant said, Sir, it hath been done as thou didst command, and still there is room.

²³ `And the lord said unto the servant, Go forth to the ways and hedges, and constrain to come in, that my house may be filled;

²⁴ for I say to you, that none of those men who have been called shall taste of my supper.'

²⁵ And there were going on with him great multitudes, and having turned, he said unto them,

²⁶ `If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple;

²⁷ and whoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

²⁸ `For who of you, willing to build a tower, doth not first, having sat down, count the expense, whether he have the things for completing?

²⁹ lest that he having laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all who are beholding may begin to mock him,

³⁰ saying -- This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

³¹ `Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, doth not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him?

³² and if not so -- he being yet a long way off -- having sent an embassy, he doth ask the things for peace.

³³ `So, then, every one of you who doth not take leave of all that he himself hath, is not able to be my disciple.

³⁴ `The salt [is] good, but if the salt doth become tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?

³⁵ neither for land nor for manure is it fit -- they cast it without. He who is having ears to hear -- let him hear.'