M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Judgment on Jeroboam
13 A man of God(A) came, however, from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord while Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense.(B) 2 The man of God cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord: “Altar, altar, this is what the Lord says, ‘A son will be born to the house of David, named Josiah, and he will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who are burning incense on you. Human bones will be burned on you.’”(C) 3 He gave a sign(D) that day. He said, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘The altar will now be ripped apart, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.’”(E)
4 When the king heard the message that the man of God had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Arrest him!” But the hand he stretched out against him withered, and he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar was ripped apart, and the ashes poured from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
6 Then the king responded to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of the Lord your God and pray for me(F) so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God pleaded for the favor of the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it had been at first.
7 Then the king declared to the man of God, “Come home with me, refresh yourself, and I’ll give you a reward.”(G)
8 But the man of God replied, “If you were to give me half your house,(H) I still wouldn’t go with you, and I wouldn’t eat food or drink water in this place, 9 for this is what I was commanded by the word of the Lord:(I) ‘You must not eat food or drink water or go back the way you came.’” 10 So he went another way; he did not go back by the way he had come to Bethel.
The Old Prophet and the Man of God
11 Now a certain old prophet was living in Bethel.(J) His son[a] came and told him all the deeds that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. His sons also told their father the words that he had spoken to the king.(K) 12 Then their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” His sons had seen[b] the way taken by the man of God who had come from Judah. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him, and he got on it. 14 He followed the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”
“I am,” he said.
15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat some food.”
16 But he answered, “I cannot go back with you or accompany you; I will not eat food or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a message came to me by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat food or drink water there(L) or go back by the way you came.’”
18 He said to him, “I am also a prophet(M) like you. An angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat food and drink water.’” The old prophet deceived him,(N) 19 and the man of God went back with him, ate food in his house, and drank water.
20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back, 21 and the prophet cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you rebelled against the Lord’s command and did not keep the command that the Lord your God commanded you— 22 but you went back and ate food and drank water in the place that he said to you, “Do not eat food and do not drink water”(O)—your corpse will never reach the grave of your ancestors.’”(P)
23 So after he had eaten food and after he had drunk, the old prophet saddled the donkey for the prophet he had brought back. 24 When he left,[c] a lion attacked[d] him along the way and killed him.(Q) His corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey was standing beside it; the lion was standing beside the corpse too.
25 There were men passing by who saw the corpse thrown on the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and spoke about it in the city where the old prophet lived. 26 When the prophet who had brought him back from his way heard about it, he said, “He is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command. The Lord has given him to the lion, and it has mauled and killed him, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke to him.”
27 Then the old prophet instructed his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” They saddled it,(R) 28 and he went and found the corpse thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse or mauled the donkey. 29 So the prophet lifted the corpse of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back. The old prophet came into the city to mourn and to bury him. 30 Then he laid the corpse in his own grave,(S) and they mourned over him, “Oh, my brother!” (T)
31 After he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones, 32 for the message that he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel(U) and against all the shrines of the high places(V) in the cities of Samaria(W) is certain to happen.”(X)
33 Even after this,(Y) Jeroboam did not repent(Z) of his evil way but again made priests for the high places from the ranks of the people.(AA) He ordained whoever so desired it, and they became priests of the high places.(AB) 34 This was the sin that caused the house of Jeroboam to be cut off and obliterated from the face of the earth.(AC)
4 So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown,(A) in this manner stand firm(B) in the Lord, dear friends.
Practical Counsel
2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I also ask you, true partner,[a] to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness[b] be known to everyone. The Lord is near.(C) 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses(D) all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.(E)
8 Finally[c] brothers and sisters, whatever is true,(F) whatever is honorable,(G) whatever is just,(H) whatever is pure,(I) whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence(J) and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received(K) and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Appreciation of Support
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again(L) you renewed your care for me.(M) You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. 11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot.(N) In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. 13 I am able to do all things through him[d] who strengthens me.(O) 14 Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship.
15 And you Philippians(P) know that in the early days of the gospel,(Q) when I left Macedonia,(R) no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone. 16 For even in Thessalonica(S) you sent gifts for my need(T) several times. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit[e](U) that is increasing to your account. 18 But I have received everything in full,(V) and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied,[f] having received from Epaphroditus(W) what you provided—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing(X) to God. 19 And my God(Y) will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father(Z) be glory forever and ever.(AA) Amen.(AB)
Final Greetings
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s(AC) household.(AD) 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.[g](AE)
Return of the Lord’s Glory
43 He led me to the gate,(A) the one that faces east, 2 and I saw the glory of the God of Israel(B) coming from the east.(C) His voice sounded like the roar of a huge torrent,(D) and the earth shone with his glory.(E) 3 The vision I saw(F) was like the one I had seen when he[a] came to destroy the city,(G) and like the ones I had seen by the Chebar Canal.(H) I fell facedown.(I) 4 The glory of the Lord entered the temple by way of the gate that faced east.(J) 5 Then the Spirit lifted me up(K) and brought me to the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.(L)
6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from the temple.(M) 7 He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet,(N) where I will dwell among the Israelites forever.(O) The house of Israel and their kings will no longer defile my holy name by their religious prostitution and by the corpses[b](P) of their kings at their high places.[c](Q) 8 Whenever they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they were defiling my holy name by the detestable acts they committed.(R) So I destroyed them in my anger. 9 Now let them remove their prostitution and the corpses(S) of their kings far from me, and I will dwell among them forever.(T)
10 “As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel,(U) so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.(V) Let them measure its pattern,(W) 11 and they will be ashamed of all that they have done. Reveal[d] the design of the temple to them—its layout with its exits and entrances(X)—its complete design along with all its statutes, design specifications, and laws. Write it down in their sight(Y) so that they may observe its complete design and all its statutes and may carry them out.(Z) 12 This is the law of the temple: All its surrounding territory on top of the mountain(AA) will be especially holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple.
The Altar
13 “These are the measurements of the altar(AB) in units of length (each unit being the standard length plus three inches):[e](AC) The gutter is 21 inches[f] deep and 21 inches wide, with a rim of nine inches[g] around its edge. This is the base[h] of the altar. 14 The distance from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge is 3½ feet,[i] and the width of the ledge is 21 inches. There are 7 feet[j] from the small ledge to the large ledge, whose width is also 21 inches. 15 The altar hearth[k] is 7 feet high, and four horns(AD) project upward from the hearth. 16 The hearth is square, 21 feet[l] long by 21 feet wide.(AE) 17 The ledge is 24½ feet[m] long by 24½ feet wide, with four equal sides.(AF) The rim all around it is 10½ inches,[n] and its gutter is 21 inches all around it. The altar’s steps face east.”(AG)
18 Then he said to me, “Son of man,(AH) this is what the Lord God says: These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings(AI) may be sacrificed on it and blood may be splattered on it:(AJ) 19 You are to give a bull from the herd(AK) as a sin offering(AL) to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok,(AM) who approach me in order to serve me.”(AN) This is the declaration of the Lord God. 20 “You are to take some of its blood and apply it to the four horns(AO) of the altar, the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim. In this way you will purify the altar and make atonement for it.(AP) 21 Then you are to take away the bull for the sin offering, and it must be burned outside the sanctuary in the place appointed for the temple.(AQ)
22 “On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they did with the bull. 23 When you have finished the purification, you are to present a young, unblemished bull(AR) and an unblemished ram from the flock.(AS) 24 You are to present them before the Lord; the priests will throw salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.(AT) 25 You will offer a goat for a sin offering each day for seven days.(AU) A young bull and a ram from the flock, both unblemished, are also to be offered. 26 For seven days the priests are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it. In this way they will consecrate it[o] 27 and complete the days of purification. Then on the eighth day(AV) and afterward, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar, and I will accept you.”(AW) This is the declaration of the Lord God.
Psalm 95
Worship and Warning
1 Come, let’s shout joyfully to the Lord,
shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation!(A)
2 Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving;
let’s shout triumphantly to him in song.(B)
3 For the Lord is a great God,
a great King above all gods.(C)
4 The depths of the earth are in his hand,
and the mountain peaks are his.(D)
5 The sea is his; he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.(E)
6 Come, let’s worship and bow down;
let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker.(F)
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
the sheep under his care.[a](G)
Today, if you hear his voice:(H)
8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the wilderness(I)
9 where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.(J)
10 For forty years I was disgusted with that generation;
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray;
they do not know my ways.”(K)
11 So I swore in my anger,
“They will not enter my rest.”(L)
Psalm 96(M)
King of the Earth
1 Sing a new song to the Lord;
let the whole earth sing to the Lord.(N)
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
proclaim his salvation from day to day.(O)
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his wondrous works among all peoples.(P)
4 For the Lord is great and is highly praised;
he is feared above all gods.(Q)
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.(R)
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.(S)
7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.(T)
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;(U)
bring an offering and enter his courts.(V)
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;(W)
let the whole earth tremble before him.(X)
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.(Y)
The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.(Z)
He judges the peoples fairly.”(AA)
11 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and all that fills it resound.(AB)
12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate.
Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy(AC)
13 before the Lord, for he is coming—
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his faithfulness.(AD)
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