M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Judah’s King Abijah
13 In the eighteenth year(A) of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Abijah[a] became king over Judah 2 and reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah[b](B) daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah.
There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah set his army of warriors in order with 400,000 choice men. Jeroboam arranged his mighty army of 800,000 choice men in battle formation against him. 4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,(C) which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, hear me. 5 Don’t you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever(D) by a covenant of salt?(E) 6 But Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord.(F) 7 Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young, inexperienced, and unable to assert himself against them.
8 “And now you are saying you can assert yourselves against the Lord’s kingdom, which is in the hand of one of David’s sons. You are a vast number and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.[c](G) 9 Didn’t you banish the priests of Yahweh, the descendants of Aaron and the Levites, and make your own priests like the peoples of other lands do?(H) Whoever comes to ordain himself(I) with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest(J) of what are not gods.(K)
10 “But as for us, Yahweh is our God. We have not abandoned Him; the priests ministering to the Lord are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites serve at their tasks. 11 They offer a burnt offering and fragrant incense to the Lord every morning and every evening,(L) and they set the rows of the bread of the Presence on the ceremonially clean table.(M) They light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are carrying out the requirements of Yahweh our God, while you have abandoned Him.(N) 12 Look, God and His priests are with us at our head. The trumpets are ready to sound the charge against you. Israelites, don’t fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”(O)
13 Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush(P) around to advance from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 Judah turned and discovered that the battle was in front of them and behind them, so they cried out to the Lord.(Q) Then the priests blew the trumpets, 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. When the men of Judah raised the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.(R) 16 So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God handed them over to them.(S) 17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 choice men of Israel were killed. 18 The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron[d] and its villages. 20 Jeroboam no longer retained his power[e] during Abijah’s reign; ultimately, the Lord struck him(T) and he died.(U)
21 However, Abijah grew strong, acquired 14 wives, and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. 22 The rest of the events of Abijah’s reign, along with his ways and his sayings, are written in the Writing(V) of the Prophet Iddo.(W)
The Letter to Sardis
3 “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis:
“The One who has the seven spirits of God(A) and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation[a] for being alive, but you are dead. 2 Be alert and strengthen[b] what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come[c] like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you.[d] 4 But you have a few people[e] in Sardis who have not defiled[f] their clothes, and they will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy. 5 In the same way, the victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life(B) but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels.
6 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Letter to Philadelphia
7 “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
“The Holy One, the True One, the One who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and closes and no one opens(C) says: 8 I know your works. Because you have limited strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name, look, I have placed before you an open door that no one is able to close. 9 Take note! I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying—note this—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.(D) 10 Because you have kept My command to endure,[g] I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have,(E) so that no one takes your crown. 12 The victor: I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God—the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God—and My new name.(F)
13 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Letter to Laodicea
14 “Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea:
“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator[h](G) of God’s creation says: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit[i] you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed[j] and repent. 20 Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. 21 The victor: I will give him the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Command to Rebuild the Temple
1 In the second year of King Darius,[a](A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai(B) the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,(C) the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:(D)
2 “The Lord of Hosts says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”(E)
3 The word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses,(F) while this house[b] lies in ruins?” 5 Now, the Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully(G) about[c] your ways:
6 You have planted much
but harvested little.
You eat
but never have enough to be satisfied.
You drink
but never have enough to become drunk.
You put on clothes
but never have enough to get warm.
The wage earner puts his wages
into a bag with a hole in it.”(H)
7 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully about[d] your ways. 8 Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house. Then I will be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined[e] it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. “Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.
10 So on your account,[f]
the skies have withheld the dew
and the land its crops.(I)
11 I have summoned a drought
on the fields and the hills,
on the grain, new wine, olive oil,
and whatever the ground yields,
on man and beast,
and on all that your hands produce.”
The People’s Response
12 Then Zerubbabel(J) son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people(K) obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord.(L)
13 Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people, “I am with you”(M)—this is the Lord’s declaration.
14 The Lord stirred up the spirit(N) of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They began work on the house of Yahweh of Hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.
The First Sign: Turning Water into Wine
2 On the third day a wedding took place in Cana(A) of Galilee.(B) Jesus’ mother(C) was there, and 2 Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him, “They don’t have any wine.”
4 “What has this concern of yours to do with Me,[a](D) woman?”(E) Jesus asked. “My hour[b] has not yet come.”
5 “Do whatever He tells you,” His mother told the servants.
6 Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification.(F) Each contained 20 or 30 gallons.[c]
7 “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant.”[d] And they did.
9 When the chief servant tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom 10 and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
11 Jesus performed this first sign[e] in Cana(G) of Galilee.(H) He displayed(I) His glory,(J) and His disciples believed in Him.
12 After this, He went down to Capernaum,(K) together with His mother, His brothers,(L) and His disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.
Cleansing the Temple Complex
13 The Jewish Passover(M) was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(N) 14 In the temple complex(O) He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and He also found the money changers sitting there. 15 After making a whip out of cords,(P) He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep(Q) and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. 16 He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father’s(R) house(S) into a marketplace!”[f](T)
17 And His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal(U) for Your house will consume(V) Me.(W)[g]
18 So the Jews replied to Him, “What sign of authority will You show us for doing these things?”
19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this sanctuary,(X) and I will raise it up in three days.”(Y)
20 Therefore the Jews said, “This sanctuary took 46 years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?”(Z)
21 But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body.(AA) 22 So when He was raised from the dead,(AB) His disciples remembered that He had said this.(AC) And they believed the Scripture(AD) and the statement Jesus had made.
23 While He was in Jerusalem(AE) at the Passover Festival,(AF) many trusted in His name(AG) when they saw the signs He was doing. 24 Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.(AH)
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