M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Solomon’s Rule Consolidated
3 Then (A)Solomon [a]formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter (B)and brought her to the city of David (C)until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and (D)the wall around Jerusalem. 2 (E)The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.
3 Now (F)Solomon loved the Lord, (G)walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 (H)The king went to (I)Gibeon to sacrifice there, (J)for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 (K)In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon (L)in a dream at night; and God said, “(M)Ask what you wish Me to give you.”
Solomon’s Prayer
6 Then Solomon said, “(N)You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, (O)according as he walked before You in [b]truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and (P)You have [c]reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 Now, O Lord my God, (Q)You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet (R)I am but a little child; (S)I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 (T)Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, (U)a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 So (V)give Your servant [d]an understanding heart to judge Your people (W)to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this [e]great people of Yours?”
God’s Answer
10 [f]It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have (X)not asked for yourself [g]long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself [h]discernment to understand justice, 12 behold, (Y)I have done according to your words. Behold, (Z)I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13 (AA)I have also given you what you have not asked, both (AB)riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14 (AC)If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will (AD)prolong your days.”
15 Then (AE)Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and (AF)made a feast for all his servants.
Solomon Wisely Judges
16 Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, [i]this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18 It happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. 19 This woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it. 20 So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne.” 22 Then the other woman said, “No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” But [j]the first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king.
23 Then the king said, “[k]The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and [l]the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’” 24 The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25 The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for [m](AG)she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” 27 Then the king said, “Give [n]the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” 28 When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had [o]handed down, they feared the king, for (AH)they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to [p]administer justice.
The Blessings of Redemption
1 Paul, (A)an apostle of (B)Christ Jesus [a](C)by the will of God,
To the [b](D)saints who are [c]at (E)Ephesus and (F)who are faithful in (G)Christ Jesus: 2 (H)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 (I)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in (J)the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as (K)He chose us in Him before (L)the foundation of the world, that we would be (M)holy and blameless before [d]Him. (N)In love 5 [e]He (O)predestined us to (P)adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, (Q)according to the [f]kind intention of His will, 6 (R)to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in (S)the Beloved. 7 (T)In [g]Him we have (U)redemption (V)through His blood, the (W)forgiveness of our trespasses, according to (X)the riches of His grace 8 which He [h]lavished on [i]us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He [j](Y)made known to us the mystery of His will, (Z)according to His [k]kind intention which He (AA)purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration [l]suitable to (AB)the fullness of the times, that is, (AC)the summing up of all things in Christ, things [m]in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 [n]also we [o](AD)have obtained an inheritance, having been (AE)predestined (AF)according to His purpose who works all things (AG)after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in [p]Christ would be (AH)to the praise of His glory. 13 In [q]Him, you also, after listening to (AI)the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also [r]believed, you were (AJ)sealed in [s]Him with (AK)the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is [t](AL)given as a pledge of (AM)our inheritance, with a view to the (AN)redemption of (AO)God’s own possession, (AP)to the praise of His glory.
15 For this reason I too, (AQ)having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and [u]your love for (AR)all the [v]saints, 16 (AS)do not cease giving thanks for you, (AT)while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the (AU)God of our Lord Jesus Christ, (AV)the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of (AW)wisdom and of (AX)revelation in the [w]knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that (AY)the eyes of your heart [x]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the (AZ)hope of His (BA)calling, what are (BB)the riches of the glory of (BC)His inheritance in (BD)the [y]saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. (BE)These are in accordance with the working of the (BF)strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He (BG)raised Him from the dead and (BH)seated Him at His right hand in (BI)the heavenly places, 21 far above (BJ)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every (BK)name that is named, not only in (BL)this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He (BM)put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as (BN)head over all things to the church, 23 which is His (BO)body, the (BP)fullness of Him who (BQ)fills (BR)all in all.
Prophecy against the Shepherds of Israel
34 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the (A)shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to [a]those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord [b]God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been [c](B)feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds [d](C)feed the flock? 3 You (D)eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you (E)slaughter the fat sheep without [e]feeding the flock. 4 Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the [f]diseased you have not healed, (F)the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you (G)sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. 5 They were (H)scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became (I)food for every beast of the field and were scattered. 6 My flock (J)wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; (K)My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was (L)no one to search or seek for them.”’”
7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because My flock has become a (M)prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am (N)against the shepherds, and I will demand My [g]sheep [h]from them and make them (O)cease from feeding [i]sheep. So the shepherds will not [j]feed themselves anymore, but I will (P)deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”
The Restoration of Israel
11 For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will (Q)search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 (R)As a shepherd [k]cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered [l]sheep, so I will [m](S)care for My [n]sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a (T)cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will (U)feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the (V)streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a (W)good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in [o](X)rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will (Y)feed My flock and I will [p]lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the (Z)fat and the strong I will destroy. I will (AA)feed them with judgment.
17 “As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will (AB)judge between one [q]sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. 18 Is it too (AC)slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must [r]foul the rest with your feet? 19 As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you [s]foul with your feet!’”
20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them, “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and with shoulder, and (AD)thrust at all the [t]weak with your horns until you have scattered them [u]abroad, 22 therefore, I will (AE)deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another.
23 “Then I will (AF)set over them one (AG)shepherd, My servant (AH)David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant (AI)David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.
25 “I will make a (AJ)covenant of peace with them and (AK)eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may (AL)live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places around My hill a (AM)blessing. And I will cause (AN)showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of (AO)blessing. 27 Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be (AP)secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have (AQ)broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will (AR)live securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will establish for them a (AS)renowned planting place, and they will (AT)not again be [v]victims of famine in the land, and they will not (AU)endure the insults of the nations anymore. 30 Then they will know that (AV)I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord God. 31 “As for you, My (AW)sheep, the (AX)sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.
God Implored to Confound His Enemies.
A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.
83 O God, (A)do not remain quiet;
(B)Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
2 For behold, Your enemies (C)make an uproar,
And (D)those who hate You have [a](E)exalted themselves.
3 They (F)make shrewd plans against Your people,
And [b]conspire together against (G)Your [c]treasured ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and (H)let us wipe them out [d]as a nation,
That the (I)name of Israel be remembered no more.”
5 For they have [e](J)conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant:
6 The tents of (K)Edom and the (L)Ishmaelites,
(M)Moab and the (N)Hagrites;
7 (O)Gebal and (P)Ammon and (Q)Amalek,
(R)Philistia with the inhabitants of (S)Tyre;
8 (T)Assyria also has joined with them;
They have become [f]a help to the (U)children of Lot. [g]Selah.
9 Deal with them (V)as with Midian,
As (W)with Sisera and Jabin at the torrent of Kishon,
10 Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who (X)became as dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (Y)Oreb and Zeeb
And all their princes like (Z)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “(AA)Let us possess for ourselves
The (AB)pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like the [h](AC)whirling dust,
Like (AD)chaff before the wind.
14 Like (AE)fire that burns the forest
And like a flame that (AF)sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them (AG)with Your tempest
And terrify them with Your storm.
16 (AH)Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be (AI)ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,
18 That they may (AJ)know that (AK)You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the (AL)Most High over all the earth.
Longing for the Temple Worship.
For the choir director; [i]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
84 How lovely are Your (AM)dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My (AN)soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the (AO)living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your (AP)altars, O Lord of hosts,
(AQ)My King and my God.
4 How (AR)blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are (AS)ever praising You. [j]Selah.
5 How blessed is the man whose (AT)strength is in You,
In [k]whose heart are the (AU)highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [l]Baca they make it a [m]spring;
The (AV)early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They (AW)go from strength to strength,
[n]Every one of them (AX)appears before God in Zion.
8 O (AY)Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O (AZ)God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our (BA)shield, O God,
And look upon the face of (BB)Your anointed.
10 For (BC)a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is (BD)a sun and (BE)shield;
The Lord gives grace and (BF)glory;
(BG)No good thing does He withhold [o]from those who walk [p]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How (BH)blessed is the man who trusts in You!
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