M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

8 Then Shlomo assembled all the leaders of Isra’el, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the paternal clans of the people of Isra’el, to King Shlomo in Yerushalayim, to bring the ark for the covenant of Adonai out of the City of David, also known as Tziyon. ² All the men of Isra’el assembled before King Shlomo at the festival in the month of Etanim, the seventh month. ³ All the leaders of Isra’el came. The cohanim took the ark ⁴ and brought up the ark of Adonai, the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent; these are what the cohanim and L’vi’im brought up. ⁵ King Shlomo and the whole community of Isra’el assembled in his presence were with him in front of the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen in numbers beyond counting or recording.

⁶ The cohanim brought the ark for the covenant of Adonai in to its place inside the sanctuary of the house, to the Especially Holy Place, under the wings of the k’ruvim. ⁷ For the k’ruvim spread out their wings over the place for the ark, covering the ark and its poles from above. ⁸ The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside; they are there to this day. ⁹ There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moshe put there at Horev, when Adonai made the covenant with the people of Isra’el at the time of their leaving the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ When the cohanim came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of Adonai, ¹¹ so that, because of the cloud, the cohanim could not stand up to perform their service; for the glory of Adonai filled the house of Adonai.

¹² Shlomo said, “Adonai said he would live in thick darkness. ¹³ But I have built you a magnificent house, a place where you can live forever.”

¹⁴ Then the king turned around and blessed the whole community of Isra’el. The whole community of Isra’el stood ¹⁵ as he said: “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Isra’el, who spoke to my father David with his mouth and fulfilled his promise with his hand. He said, ¹⁶ ‘Since the day I brought my people Isra’el out of Egypt, I chose no city from any of the tribes of Isra’el in which to build a house, so that my name might be there; but I did choose David to be over my people Isra’el.’ ¹⁷ Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Adonai the God of Isra’el; ¹⁸ but Adonai said to David my father, ‘Although it was in your heart to build a house for my name, and you did well that it was in your heart, ¹⁹ nevertheless you will not build the house. Rather, you will father a son, and it will be he who will build the house for my name.’ ²⁰ Now Adonai has fulfilled this spoken word of his; for I have succeeded my father and sit on the throne of Isra’el, as Adonai promised; and I have built the house for the name of Adonai the God of Isra’el. ²¹ And there I have made a place for the ark containing the covenant of Adonai, which he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

²² Then Shlomo stood before the altar of Adonai in the presence of the whole community of Isra’el, spread out his hands toward heaven, ²³ and said, “Adonai, God of Isra’el, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep covenant with your servants and show them grace, provided they live in your presence with all their heart. ²⁴ You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father; you spoke with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand; so it is today. ²⁵ Now therefore, Adonai, God of Isra’el, keep what you promised to your servant David, my father, when you said, ‘You will never lack a man in my presence to sit on the throne of Isra’el, if only your children are careful about what they do, so that they live in my presence, just as you have lived in my presence.’ ²⁶ Now therefore, God of Isra’el, please let your word, which you spoke to your servant David, my father, be confirmed.

²⁷ “But can God actually live on the earth? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain you; so how much less this house I have built? ²⁸ Even so, Adonai my God, pay attention to your servant’s prayer and plea, listen to the cry and prayer that your servant is praying before you today, ²⁹ that your eyes will be open toward this house night and day — toward the place concerning which you said, ‘My name will be there’ — to listen to the prayer your servant will pray toward this place. ³⁰ Yes, listen to the plea of your servant, and also that of your people Isra’el when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven where you live; and when you hear, forgive!

³¹ “If a person sins against a fellow member of the community, and he is made to swear under oath, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house; ³² then hear in heaven, act, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, so that his way of life devolves on his own head, and vindicating the one who is right, giving him what his righteousness deserves.

³³ “When your people Isra’el sin against you and in consequence are defeated by an enemy; then if they turn back to you, acknowledge your name, and pray and make their plea to you in this house; ³⁴ hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your people Isra’el, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.

³⁵ “When they sin against you, and in consequence the sky is shut, so that there is no rain; then, if they pray toward this place, acknowledge your name and turn from their sin when you have brought them low; ³⁶ hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Isra’el — since you keep teaching them the good way by which they should live — and send down rain on your land, which you have given your people as their inheritance.

³⁷ “If there is famine in the land, or blight, windstorm, mildew, locusts or shearer-worms; or if their enemy comes to the land and besieges them in any of their cities — no matter what kind of plague or sickness it is; ³⁸ then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all your people Isra’el makes — for each individual will know what is plagueing his own conscience — and the person spreads out his hands toward this house; ³⁹ hear in heaven where you live, and forgive, and act, and, since you know what is in each one’s heart, give each person what his conduct deserves (because you, and only you, know all human hearts), ⁴⁰ so that they will fear you throughout the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

⁴¹ “Also the foreigner who does not belong to your people Isra’el — when he comes from a distant country because of your reputation ⁴² (for they will hear of your great reputation, your mighty hand and your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house; ⁴³ then hear in heaven where you live, and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra’el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.

⁴⁴ “If your people go out to fight against their enemy, no matter by which way you send them, and they pray to Adonai toward the city you chose, toward the house I built for your name; ⁴⁵ then, in heaven, hear their prayer and plea, and uphold their cause.

⁴⁶ “If they sin against you — for there is no one who doesn’t sin — and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to the land of their enemy, whether far away or nearby; ⁴⁷ then, if they come to their senses in the land where they have been carried away captive, turn back and make their plea to you in the land of those who carried them off captive, saying, ‘We sinned, we acted wrongly, we behaved wickedly,’ ⁴⁸ if, in the land of their enemies who carried them off captive, they return to you with all their heart and being and pray to you toward their own land, which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you chose and toward the house I have built for your name; ⁴⁹ then, in heaven where you live, hear their prayer and plea, uphold their cause, ⁵⁰ and forgive your people who have sinned against you — forgive their transgressions which they have committed against you, and give them compassion in the sight of their captors, so that they will show compassion toward them; ⁵¹ for they are your people, your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of the flames of the iron furnace.

⁵² “May your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Isra’el, so that you will hear them whenever they cry out to you. ⁵³ For you made a distinction between them and all the peoples of the earth by making them your inheritance, as you said through Moshe your servant when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Adonai Elohim.”

⁵⁴ When Shlomo had finished praying all this prayer and plea to Adonai, he got up from in front of the altar of Adonai, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven, ⁵⁵ stood up, and raised his voice to bless the whole community of Isra’el. He said, ⁵⁶ “Blessed be Adonai, who has given rest to his people Isra’el, in accordance with everything he promised. Not one word has failed of his good promise, which he made through Moshe his servant. ⁵⁷ May Adonai our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us or abandon us. ⁵⁸ In this way he will incline our hearts toward him, so that we will live according to his ways and observe his mitzvot, laws and rulings which he ordered our fathers to obey. ⁵⁹ May these words of mine, which I have used in my plea before Adonai, be present with Adonai our God day and night, so that he will uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Isra’el day by day. ⁶⁰ Then all the peoples of the earth will know that Adonai is God; there is no other. ⁶¹ So be wholehearted with Adonai our God, living by his laws and observing his mitzvot, as you are doing today.”

⁶² Then the king, together with all Isra’el, offered sacrifices before Adonai. ⁶³ For the sacrifice of peace offerings which Shlomo offered to Adonai, he offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people of Isra’el dedicated the house of Adonai.

⁶⁴ The same day, the king consecrated the center of the courtyard in front of the house of Adonai, because he had to offer the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings there. For the bronze altar before Adonai was too small to receive the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

⁶⁵ So Shlomo celebrated the festival at that time. All Isra’el, a huge gathering [that had come all the way] from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi [of Egypt], celebrated with him before Adonai our God for seven days and then for seven more days — fourteen days in all. ⁶⁶ On the eighth day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and returned to their tents full of joy and glad of heart for all the goodness Adonai had shown to David his servant and to Isra’el his people.

5 So imitate God, as his dear children; ² and live a life of love, just as also the Messiah loved us, indeed, on our behalf gave himself up as an offering, as a slaughtered sacrifice to God with a pleasing fragrance. ³ Among you there should not even be mentioned sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or greed; these are utterly inappropriate for God’s holy people. ⁴ Also out of place are obscenity and stupid talk or coarse language; instead, you should be giving thanks. ⁵ For of this you can be sure: every sexually immoral, impure or greedy person — that is, every idol-worshipper — has no share in the Kingdom of the Messiah and of God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty talk; for it is because of these things that God’s judgment is coming on those who disobey him. ⁷ So don’t become partners with them!

⁸ For you used to be darkness; but now, united with the Lord, you are light. Live like children of light, ⁹ for the fruit of the light is in every kind of goodness, rightness and truth — ¹⁰ try to determine what will please the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the deeds produced by darkness, but instead expose them, ¹² for it is shameful even to speak of the things these people do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed to the light is revealed clearly for what it is, ¹⁴ since anything revealed is a light. This is why it says,

¹⁵ Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely. ¹⁶ Use your time well, for these are evil days. ¹⁷ So don’t be foolish, but try to understand what the will of the Lord is.

¹⁸ Don’t get drunk with wine, because it makes you lose control. Instead, keep on being filled with the Spirit — ¹⁹ sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to each other; sing to the Lord and make music in your heart to him; ²⁰ always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

²¹ Submit to one another in fear of the Messiah. ²² Wives should submit to their husbands as they do to the Lord; ²³ because the husband is head of the wife, just as the Messiah, as head of the Messianic Community, is himself the one who keeps the body safe. ²⁴ Just as the Messianic Community submits to the Messiah, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ As for husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah loved the Messianic Community, indeed, gave himself up on its behalf, ²⁶ in order to set it apart for God, making it clean through immersion in the mikveh, so to speak, ²⁷ in order to present the Messianic Community to himself as a bride to be proud of, without a spot, wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without defect. ²⁸ This is how husbands ought to love their wives — like their own bodies; for the man who loves his wife is loving himself. ²⁹ Why, no one ever hated his own flesh! On the contrary, he feeds it well and takes care of it, just as the Messiah does the Messianic Community, ³⁰ because we are parts of his Body. ³¹ “Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and remain with his wife, and the two will become one.”^{[a] 32} There is profound truth hidden here, which I say concerns the Messiah and the Messianic Community. ³³ However, the text also applies to each of you individually: let each man love his wife as he does himself, and see that the wife respects her husband.

38 The word of Adonai came to me: ² “Human being, turn your face toward Gog (of the land of Magog), chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval; and prophesy against him. ³ Say that Adonai Elohim says, ‘I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval. ⁴ I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all completely equipped, a great horde with breastplates and shields, all wielding swords. ⁵ Paras, Ethiopia and Put are with them, all with breastplates and helmets; ⁶ Gomer with all its troops; the house of Togarmah in the far reaches of the north, with all its troops — many peoples are with you. ⁷ Prepare yourself, get ready, you and all your crowd gathered around you; and take charge of them. ⁸ After many days have passed, you will be mustered for service; in later years you will invade the land which has been brought back from the sword, gathered out of many peoples, the mountains of Isra’el. They had been lying in ruins for a long time, but now Isra’el has been extracted from the peoples and all of them are living there securely. ⁹ You will come up like a storm, you will be like a cloud covering the land — you and all your troops, and many other peoples with you.’

¹⁰ “Adonai Elohim says: ‘When that day comes, thoughts will well up in your mind, and you will devise a sinister scheme. ¹¹ You will say, “I am going to invade this land of unwalled villages; I will take by surprise these people who are at peace, living securely, all in places without walls, bars or gates. ¹² I will seize the spoil and take the plunder.” You will attack the former ruins that are now inhabited and come against the people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and other wealth and are living in the central parts of the land. ¹³ Sh’va, D’dan and all the leading merchants of Tarshish will ask you, “Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hordes to loot; to carry off silver, gold, livestock and other wealth; to take much plunder?”’

¹⁴ “Therefore, human being, prophesy! Tell Gog that Adonai Elohim says this: ‘Won’t you be aware of it when my people Isra’el are living in security? ¹⁵ You will choose just that time to come from your place in the far reaches of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them on horseback, a huge horde, a mighty army; ¹⁶ and you will invade my people Isra’el like a cloud covering the land. This will be in the acharit-hayamim; and I will bring you against my land, so that the Goyim will know me when, before their eyes, I am set apart as holy through you, Gog.’

¹⁷ “Adonai Elohim says: ‘I spoke of you long ago through my servants the prophets of Isra’el. Back then, they prophesied for many years that I would have you invade them. ¹⁸ When that day comes, when Gog invades the land of Isra’el,’ says Adonai Elohim, ‘my furious anger will boil up. ¹⁹ In my jealousy, in my heated fury I speak: when that day comes there will be a great earthquake in the land of Isra’el; ²⁰ so that the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the wild beasts, all the reptiles creeping on the ground and every human being there in the land will tremble before me. Mountains will fall, cliffs crumble and every wall crash to the ground. ²¹ I will summon a sword against him throughout all my mountains,’ says Adonai Elohim; ‘every man will wield his sword against his brother. ²² I will judge him with plague and with blood. I will cause torrential rain to fall on him, his troops and the many peoples with him, along with huge hailstones, fire and sulfur. ²³ I will show my greatness and holiness, making myself known in the sight of many nations; then they will know that I am Adonai.’