M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Solomon Prays to Set the Temple Apart to the Lord
12 Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord’s altar. He stood in front of the whole community of Israel. He spread out his hands to pray. 13 He had made a bronze stage. It was seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet wide. It was four and a half feet high. He had placed it in the center of the outer courtyard. He stood on the stage. Then he got down on his knees in front of the whole community of Israel. He spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said,
“Lord, you are the God of Israel. There is no God like you in heaven or on earth. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. You do that when we follow you with all our hearts. 15 You have kept your promise to my father David. He was your servant. With your mouth you made a promise. With your powerful hand you have made it come true. And today we can see it.
16 “Lord, you are the God of Israel. Keep the promises you made to my father David. Do it for him. He was your servant. You said to him, ‘You will always have a son from your family line to sit on Israel’s throne. He will sit in front of the Most Holy Room, where my own throne is. That will be true only if your children after you are careful in everything they do. They must live the way my law tells them to. That is the way you have lived.’ 17 Lord, you are the God of Israel. So let your promise to your servant David come true.
18 “But will God really live on earth with human beings? After all, the heavens can’t hold you. In fact, even the highest heavens can’t hold you. So this temple I’ve built certainly can’t hold you! 19 But please pay attention to my prayer. Lord my God, be ready to help me as I make my appeal to you. Listen to my cry for help. Hear the prayer I’m praying to you. 20 Let your eyes look toward this temple day and night. You said you would put your Name here. Listen to the prayer I’m praying toward this place. 21 Hear me when I ask you to help us. Listen to your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Listen to us from heaven. It’s the place where you live. When you hear us, forgive us.
22 “Suppose someone does something wrong to their neighbor. And the person who has done something wrong is required to give their word. They must tell the truth about what they have done. They must come and do it in front of your altar in this temple. 23 When they do, listen to them from heaven. Take action. Judge between the person and their neighbor. Pay back the guilty one. Do to them what they have done to their neighbor. Deal with the one who isn’t guilty in a way that shows they are free from blame. That will prove they aren’t guilty.
24 “Suppose your people Israel have lost the battle against their enemies. And suppose they’ve sinned against you. But they turn back to you and praise your name. They pray to you in this temple. And they ask you to help them. 25 Then listen to them from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Bring them back to the land you gave to them and their people who lived long ago.
26 “Suppose your people have sinned against you. And because of that, the sky is closed up and there isn’t any rain. But your people pray toward this place. They praise you by admitting they’ve sinned. And they turn away from their sin because you have made them suffer. 27 Then listen to them from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live. Send rain on the land you gave them as their share.
28 “Suppose there isn’t enough food in the land. And a plague strikes the land. The hot winds completely dry up our crops. Or locusts or grasshoppers come and eat them up. Or enemies surround one of our cities and get ready to attack it. Or trouble or sickness comes. 29 But suppose one of your people prays to you. They ask you to help them. They are aware of how much they are suffering. And they spread out their hands toward this temple to pray. 30 Then listen to them from heaven. It’s the place where you live. Forgive them. Deal with everyone in keeping with everything they do. You know their hearts. In fact, you are the only one who knows every human heart. 31 Your people will have respect for you. They will live the way you want them to. They’ll live that way as long as they are in the land you gave our people long ago.
32 “Suppose an outsider who doesn’t belong to your people Israel has come from a land far away. They have come because they’ve heard about your great name. They have heard that you reached out your mighty hand and powerful arm. So they come and pray toward this temple. 33 Then listen to them from heaven. It’s the place where you live. Do what that outsider asks you to do. Then all the nations on earth will know you. They will have respect for you. They’ll respect you just as your own people Israel do. They’ll know that your Name is in this house I’ve built.
34 “Suppose your people go to war against their enemies. It doesn’t matter where you send them. And suppose they pray to you toward this city you have chosen. They pray toward the temple I’ve built for your Name. 35 Then listen to them from heaven. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to help them. Stand up for them.
36 “Suppose they sin against you. After all, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t sin. And suppose you get angry with them. You hand them over to their enemies. They take them as prisoners to another land. It doesn’t matter whether that land is near or far away. 37 But suppose your people change their ways in the land where they are held as prisoners. They turn away from their sins. They beg you to help them in the land where they are prisoners. They say, ‘We have sinned. We’ve done what is wrong. We’ve done what is evil.’ 38 And they turn back to you with all their heart and soul. Suppose it happens in the land where they were taken as prisoners. There they pray toward the land you gave their people long ago. They pray toward the city you have chosen. And they pray toward the temple I’ve built for your Name. 39 Then listen to them from heaven. It’s the place where you live. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to help them. Stand up for them. Your people have sinned against you. Please forgive them.
40 “My God, let your eyes see us. Let your ears pay attention to the prayers offered in this place.
41 “Lord God, rise up and come to your resting place.
Come in together with the ark.
It’s the sign of your power.
Lord God, may your priests put on salvation as if it were their clothes.
May your faithful people be glad because you are so good.
42 Lord God, don’t turn your back on your anointed king.
Remember the great love you promised to your servant David.”
Faith in God’s Son Who Became a Human Being
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children as well. 2 Here is how we know that we love God’s children. We know it when we love God and obey his commands. 3 In fact, here is what it means to love God. We love him by obeying his commands. And his commands are not hard to obey. 4 That’s because everyone who is a child of God has won the battle over the world. Our faith has won the battle for us. 5 Who is it that has won the battle over the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 Jesus Christ was born as we are, and he died on the cross. He wasn’t just born as we are. He also died on the cross. The Holy Spirit is a truthful witness about him. That’s because the Spirit is the truth. 7 There are three that are witnesses about Jesus. 8 They are the Holy Spirit, the birth of Jesus, and the death of Jesus. And the three of them agree. 9 We accept what people say when they are witnesses. But it’s more important when God is a witness. That’s because it is what God says about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts what God says about him. Whoever does not believe God is calling him a liar. That’s because they have not believed what God said about his Son. 11 Here is what God says about the Son. God has given us eternal life. And this life is found in his Son. 12 Whoever belongs to the Son has life. Whoever doesn’t belong to the Son of God doesn’t have life.
Final Words
13 I’m writing these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. I’m writing so you will know that you have eternal life. 14 Here is what we can be sure of when we come to God in prayer. If we ask anything in keeping with what he wants, he hears us. 15 If we know that God hears what we ask for, we know that we have it.
16 Suppose you see any brother or sister commit a sin. But this sin is not the kind that leads to death. Then you should pray, and God will give them life. I’m talking about someone whose sin does not lead to death. But there is a sin that does lead to death. I’m not saying you should pray about that sin. 17 Every wrong thing we do is sin. But there are sins that do not lead to death.
18 We know that those who are children of God do not keep on sinning. The Son of God keeps them safe. The evil one can’t harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God. We know that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We also know that the Son of God has come. He has given us understanding. So we can know the God who is true. And we belong to the true God by belonging to his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Dear children, keep away from statues of gods.
1 This is a prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received from the Lord. Here is what Habakkuk said.
Habakkuk Complains to the Lord
2 Lord, how long do I have to call out for help?
Why don’t you listen to me?
How long must I keep telling you
that things are terrible?
Why don’t you save us?
3 Why do you make me watch while
people treat others so unfairly?
Why do you put up with the wrong things
they are doing?
I have to look at death.
People are harming others.
They are arguing and fighting all the time.
4 The law can’t do what it’s supposed to do.
Fairness never comes out on top.
Sinful people surround those
who do what is right.
So people are never treated fairly.
The Lord Replies to Habakkuk
5 The Lord replies,
“Look at the nations. Watch them.
Be totally amazed at what you see.
I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe.
You would not believe it
even if someone told you about it.
6 I am going to send the armies of Babylon to attack you.
They are very mean. They move quickly.
They sweep across the whole earth.
They take over homes
that do not belong to them.
7 They terrify others.
They do not recognize any laws but their own.
That is how proud they are.
8 Their horses are faster than leopards.
They are meaner than wolves at sunset.
Their horsemen charge straight into battle.
They ride in from far away.
They come down like an eagle
diving for its food.
9 All of them are ready and willing to destroy others.
Their huge armies advance like a wind out of the desert.
They gather prisoners like sand.
10 They mock kings
and make fun of rulers.
They laugh at all the cities
that have high walls around them.
They build dirt ramps against the walls
and capture the cities.
11 They sweep past like the wind.
Then they go on their way.
They are guilty.
They worship their own strength.”
Habakkuk Complains to the Lord Again
12 Lord, haven’t you existed forever?
You are my holy God.
You will never die.
Lord, you have appointed the Babylonians
to punish your people.
My Rock, you have chosen them to judge us.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look at what is evil.
You can’t put up with the wrong things people do.
So why do you put up
with those who can’t be trusted?
The evil Babylonians swallow up
those who are more godly than themselves.
So why are you silent?
14 You have made people to be like the fish in the sea.
They are like the sea creatures that don’t have a ruler.
15 The evil Babylonians pull all of them up with hooks.
They catch them in their nets.
They gather them up.
So they celebrate.
They are glad.
16 They offer sacrifices to their nets.
They burn incense to them.
Their nets allow them to live in great comfort.
They enjoy the finest food.
17 Are you going to let them
keep on emptying their nets?
Will they go on destroying nations
without showing them any mercy?
The Authority of Jesus Is Questioned
20 One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. He was announcing the good news to them. The chief priests and the teachers of the law came up to him. The elders came with them. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they all said. “Who gave you this authority?”
3 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, 4 was John’s baptism from heaven? Or did it come from people?”
5 They talked to one another about it. They said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From people,’ all the people will throw stones at us and kill us. They believe that John was a prophet.”
7 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know where John’s baptism came from.”
8 Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.”
The Story of the Renters
9 Jesus went on to tell the people a story. “A man planted a vineyard,” he said. “He rented it out to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a slave to the renters. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the renters beat the slave. Then they sent him away with nothing. 11 So the man sent another slave. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing. 12 The man sent a third slave. The renters wounded him and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.’
14 “But when the renters saw the son, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard. And they killed him.
“What will the owner of the vineyard do to the renters? 16 He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “We hope this never happens!”
17 Jesus looked right at them and said, “Here is something I want you to explain the meaning of. It is written,
“ ‘The stone the builders didn’t accept
has become the most important stone of all.’ (Psalm 118:22)
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”
19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest Jesus at once. They knew he had told that story against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Is It Right to Pay the Royal Tax to Caesar?
20 The religious leaders sent spies to keep a close watch on Jesus. The spies pretended to be sincere. They hoped they could trap Jesus with something he would say. Then they could hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right. We know you don’t favor one person over another. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 Jesus saw they were trying to trick him. So he said to them, 24 “Show me a silver coin. Whose picture and words are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give back to God what belongs to God.”
26 They were not able to trap him with what he had said there in front of all the people. Amazed by his answer, they became silent.
Marriage When the Dead Rise
27 The Sadducees do not believe that people rise from the dead. Some of them came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us about a man’s brother who dies. Suppose the brother leaves a wife but has no children. Then the man must marry the widow. He must provide children to carry on his dead brother’s name. 29 There were seven brothers. The first one married a woman. He died without leaving any children. 30 The second one married her. 31 And then the third one married her. One after another, the seven brothers married her. They all died. None left any children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her.”
34 Jesus replied, “People in this world get married. And their parents give them to be married. 35 But it will not be like that when the dead rise. Those who are considered worthy to take part in the world to come won’t get married. And their parents won’t give them to be married. 36 They can’t die anymore. They are like the angels. They are God’s children. They will be given a new form of life when the dead rise. 37 Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush. Even Moses showed that the dead rise. The Lord said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.’ (Exodus 3:6) 38 He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. In his eyes, everyone is alive.”
39 Some of the teachers of the law replied, “You have spoken well, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
41 Jesus said to them, “Why do people say that the Messiah is the son of David? 42 David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand
43 until I put your enemies
under your control.” ’ (Psalm 110:1)
44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ So how can he be David’s son?”
Warning Against the Teachers of the Law
45 All the people were listening. Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They love to be greeted with respect in the market. They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honor at banquets. 47 They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish these men very much.”
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