M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
12 Then he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 (A)Now Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, (B)knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, (C)there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, (D)keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; 15 (E)who has kept with Your servant David, my father, that which You have [a]promised him; indeed You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 16 Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David, my father, that which You have [b]promised him, saying, ‘[c](F)You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way, to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ 17 Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.
18 “But (G)will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, (H)heaven and the [d]highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built. 19 Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You; 20 that Your (I)eye may be open toward this house day and night, toward (J)the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 21 Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; (K)hear and forgive.
22 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and act and judge Your servants, [e](L)punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.
24 “If Your people Israel [f]are defeated before an enemy because (M)they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.
26 “When the (N)heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them; 27 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, indeed, (O)teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.
28 “If there is (P)famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their [g]cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, 29 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, [h]each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, 30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know (Q)for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men, 31 that they may [i]fear You, to walk in Your ways [j]as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.
32 “Also concerning (R)the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your great name’s sake and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, 33 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and [k]fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [l]this house which I have built is (S)called by Your name.
34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
36 “When they sin against You ((T)for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that [m]they take them away captive to a land far off or near, 37 if they [n]take thought in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly’; 38 (U)if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name, 39 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.
40 “Now, O my God, I pray, (V)let Your eyes be open and (W)Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.
41 “(X)Now therefore arise, O Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might; let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation and let Your godly ones rejoice in what is good.
42 “O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; (Y)remember Your lovingkindness to Your servant David.”
Overcoming the World
5 (A)Whoever believes that Jesus is the [a]Christ is [b](B)born of God, and whoever loves the [c]Father (C)loves the child [d]born of Him. 2 (D)By this we know that (E)we love the children of God, when we love God and [e]observe His commandments. 3 For (F)this is the love of God, that we (G)keep His commandments; and (H)His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is [f](I)born of God (J)overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who (K)believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came (L)by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not [g]with the water only, but [h]with the water and [i]with the blood. It is (M)the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are (N)three that testify: 8 [j]the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are [k]in agreement. 9 (O)If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that (P)He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God (Q)has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has (R)made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us (S)eternal life, and (T)this life is in His Son. 12 (U)He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
This Is Written That You May Know
13 (V)These things I have written to you who (W)believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have (X)eternal life. 14 This is (Y)the confidence which we have [l]before Him, that, (Z)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, (AA)we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother [m]committing a sin not leading to death, (AB)he shall ask and [n]God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. (AC)There is a sin leading to death; (AD)I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 (AE)All unrighteousness is sin, and (AF)there is a sin not leading to death.
18 (AG)We know that (AH)no one who is [o]born of God sins; but He who was [p]born of God (AI)keeps him, and (AJ)the evil one does not (AK)touch him. 19 (AL)We know that (AM)we are of God, and that (AN)the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And (AO)we know that (AP)the Son of God has come, and has (AQ)given us understanding so that we may know (AR)Him who is true; and we (AS)are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. (AT)This is the true God and (AU)eternal life.
Chaldeans Used to Punish Judah
1 The [a](A)oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 (B)How long, O Lord, will I call for help,
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do (C)not save.
3 Why do You make me (D)see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, (E)destruction and violence are before me;
(F)Strife exists and contention arises.
4 Therefore the (G)law is [b]ignored
And justice [c]is never upheld.
For the wicked (H)surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out (I)perverted.
5 “(J)Look among the nations! Observe!
Be astonished! (K)Wonder!
Because I am doing (L)something in your days—
You would not believe if [d]you were told.
6 “For behold, I am (M)raising up the Chaldeans,
That [e]fierce and impetuous people
Who march [f]throughout the earth
To [g](N)seize dwelling places which are not theirs.
7 “They are dreaded and (O)feared;
Their (P)justice and [h]authority [i]originate with themselves.
8 “Their (Q)horses are swifter than leopards
And [j]keener than (R)wolves in the evening.
Their [k]horsemen come galloping,
Their horsemen come from afar;
They fly like an (S)eagle swooping down to devour.
9 “All of them come for violence.
[l]Their horde of (T)faces moves forward.
They collect captives like sand.
10 “They (U)mock at kings
And rulers are a laughing matter to them.
They (V)laugh at every fortress
And (W)heap up rubble to capture it.
11 “Then they will sweep through like the (X)wind and pass on.
But they will be held (Y)guilty,
They whose (Z)strength is their god.”
12 Are You not from (AA)everlasting,
O Lord, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die.
You, O Lord, have (AB)appointed them to judge;
And You, O (AC)Rock, have established them to correct.
13 Your eyes are too (AD)pure to [m]approve evil,
And You can not look on wickedness with favor.
Why do You (AE)look with favor
On those who deal (AF)treacherously?
Why are You (AG)silent when the wicked (AH)swallow up
Those more righteous than they?
14 Why have You made men like the fish of the sea,
Like creeping things without a ruler over them?
15 The Chaldeans (AI)bring all of them up with a hook,
(AJ)Drag them away with their net,
And gather them together in their fishing net.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
And [n]burn incense to their fishing net;
Because through (AK)these things their [o]catch is [p]large,
And their food is [q]plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their (AL)net
And continually (AM)slay nations without sparing?
Jesus’ Authority Questioned
20 (A)On one of the days while (B)He was teaching the people in the temple and (C)preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders (D)confronted Him, 2 and they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?” 3 Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you a [a]question, and you tell Me: 4 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” 5 They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a (E)prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Nor [b]will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Parable of the Vine-growers
9 (F)And He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to [c]vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time. 10 At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out. 13 The [d]owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will (G)respect him.’ 14 But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the [e]owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and (H)destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “(I)May it never be!” 17 But [f]Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
18 (L)Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”
Tribute to Caesar
19 The scribes and the chief priests (M)tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them. 20 (N)So they watched Him, and sent spies who [g]pretended to be righteous, in order (O)that they might [h]catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of (P)the governor. 21 They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You [i]are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. 22 Is it [j]lawful for us (Q)to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 23 But He detected their trickery and said to them, 24 “Show Me a [k]denarius. Whose [l]likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 And He said to them, “Then (R)render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were unable to [m](S)catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent.
Is There a Resurrection?
27 (T)Now there came to Him some of the (U)Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection), 28 and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that (V)if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should [n]marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless; 30 and the second 31 and the third [o]married her; and in the same way [p]all seven [q]died, leaving no children. 32 Finally the woman died also. 33 In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be? For [r]all seven [s]had married her.”
34 Jesus said to them, “The sons of (W)this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to (X)that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are (Y)sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in (Z)the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord (AA)the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 (AB)Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for (AC)all live to Him.” 39 Some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” 40 For (AD)they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.
41 (AE)Then He said to them, “How is it that they say [t]the Christ is (AF)David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms,
‘(AG)The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
43 (AH)Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
44 Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”
45 (AI)And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, (AJ)who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 47 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.