Bible Reading Plan

2 Chronicles 8

Chapter 8

Solomon's Activities and Accomplishments

^1 (C1)Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house,² that he built the cities which Huram had given ^(F1)him, and settled the sons of Israel there.

³ Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.⁴ He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath.⁵ He also built upper ^(C1)Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, which were ^(C2)fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars;⁶ and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for ^(F1)his chariots and cities for ^(F1)his horsemen, and everything that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and all the land ^(F2)under his rule.

^7 (C1)All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,⁸ that is, from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, ^(C1)Solomon raised them as forced laborers to this day.⁹ But Solomon did not make slaves from the sons of Israel for his work; for they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.¹⁰ These were the chief ^(F1)officers of King Solomon, 250 who ruled over the people.

^11 (C1)Then Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, because ^(F1)the places where the ark of the LORD has entered are holy."

¹² Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on ^(C1)the altar of the LORD which he had built in front of the porch;¹³ and ^(C1)he did so according to the daily rule, offering them up ^(C2)according to the commandment of Moses, for ^(C3)the Sabbaths, ^(C4)the new moons, and the ^(C5)three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.

¹⁴ Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed ^(C1)the divisions of the priests for their service, and ^(C2)the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and ^(C3)the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for this is what ^(C4)David, the man of God, had commanded.¹⁵ And they did not deviate from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any matter or regarding the storehouses.

¹⁶ So all the work of Solomon was carried out ^(F1)from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.

¹⁷ Then Solomon went to ^(C1)Ezion-geber and to ^(C2)Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom.¹⁸ And by his servants Huram sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon's servants to Ophir and ^(C1)took from there ^(F1)450 talents of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.

Psalms 73

Chapter 73

The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous.

¹ God certainly is ^(C1)good to Israel,
To those who are ^(C2)pure in heart!

² But as for me, ^(C1)my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps ^(F1)had almost slipped.

³ For I was ^(C1)envious of the ^(F1)arrogant
As I saw the ^(C2)prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ For there are no pains in their death,
And their belly is fat.

⁵ They are ^(C1)not ^(F1)in trouble like other people,
Nor are they ^(C2)tormented together with the rest of mankind.

⁶ Therefore arrogance is ^(C1)their necklace;
The ^(C2)garment of violence covers them.

⁷ Their eye ^(F1)bulges from ^(C1)fatness;
The imaginations of their heart overflow.

⁸ They ^(C1)mock and ^(F1)wickedly speak of oppression;
They ^(C2)speak from on high.

⁹ They have ^(C1)set their mouth ^(F1)against the heavens,
And their tongue ^(F2)parades through the earth.

¹⁰ Therefore ^(F1)his people return here,
And ^(C1)abundant waters are drunk by them.

¹¹ They say, "^(C1)How does God know?
And is there knowledge ^(F1)with the Most High?"

¹² Behold, ^(C1)these are the wicked;
And always ^(C2)at ease, they have increased in wealth.

¹³ Surely ^(C1)in vain I have ^(F1)kept my heart pure
And ^(C2)washed my hands in innocence;

¹⁴ For I have been stricken ^(C1)all day long,
And ^(F1)(C2)punished every morning.

¹⁵ If I had said, "I will speak this way,"
Behold, I would have betrayed the ^(C1)generation of Your children.

¹⁶ When I ^(C1)thought of understanding this,
It was ^(F1)troublesome in my sight

¹⁷ Until I entered the ^(F1)(C1)sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their ^(C2)end.

¹⁸ You indeed put them on ^(C1)slippery ground;
You dropped them into ^(F1)(C2)ruin.

¹⁹ How they are ^(F1)(C1)destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by ^(C2)sudden terrors!

²⁰ Like a ^(C1)dream when one awakes,
Lord, when ^(C2)stirred, You will ^(C3)despise their image.

²¹ When my ^(C1)heart was embittered
And I was ^(C2)pierced ^(F1)within,

²² Then I was ^(C1)stupid and ignorant;
I was like an ^(C2)animal ^(F1)before You.

²³ Nevertheless ^(C1)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.

²⁴ You will ^(C1)guide me with Your plan,
And afterward ^(C2)receive me ^(F1)to glory.

^25 (C1)Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.

²⁶ My ^(C1)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the ^(F1)strength of my heart and my ^(C2)portion forever.

²⁷ For, behold, ^(C1)those who are far from You will ^(C2)perish;
You have destroyed all those who ^(F1)(C3)are unfaithful to You.

²⁸ But as for me, ^(C1)the nearness of God is good for me;
I have made the Lord ^(F1)GOD my ^(C2)refuge,
So that I may ^(C3)tell of all Your works.

John 10:1-21