The Bible Reading Plan

Readings for May 4:

First, Exodus Chapter 20 verses 1 to 17. Follow that by reading 1 Kings Chapter 10. The third part is from Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 18 to Chapter 5 verse 11; and lastly from Luke Chapter 21 verse 25 to Chapter 22 verse 6

You can read the passages below. If you're looking to read for a different day or want to use your own Bible, then here’s the entire year’s plan as a list. Enjoy!

For certain interesting words:

Section 1

Exodus 20:1-17

17 verses

Exodus Chapter 20

1God spoke all these words, saying, 2"I am ForeverOne your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3"You shall have no other gods before me.

4"Don't make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5don't bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, ForeverOne your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7"Don't take the name of ForeverOne your God in vain, for ForeverOne will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to ForeverOne your God. Don't do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11for in six days ForeverOne made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore ForeverOne blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

12"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which ForeverOne your God gives you.

13"Don't murder.

14"Don't commit adultery.

15"Don't steal.

16"Don't give false testimony against your neighbor.

17"Don't covet your neighbor's house. Don't covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

Section 2

1 Kings 10

29 verses

1 Kings Chapter 10

1When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of ForeverOne, she came to prove him with hard questions.

2She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart.

3Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hidden from the king which he didn't tell her.

4When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 5and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of ForeverOne; there was no more spirit in her.

6She said to the king, "It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom.

7However I didn't believe the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it. Behold, the half was not told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.

8Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom.

9Blessed is ForeverOne your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because ForeverOne loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness." 10She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones. There came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

11The navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and precious stones.

12The king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of ForeverOne, and for the king's house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day.

13King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.

14Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, 15besides [what] the traders [brought], and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.

16King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one buckler.

17[he made] three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

18Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.

20Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any kingdom.

21All king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

22For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

23So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

24All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

25They brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

26Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

27The king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars he made to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.

28The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the king's merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price.

29A chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means.

Section 3

Nehemiah 4:18-5:11

17 verses

Nehemiah Chapter 4

18and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.

19I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.

20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us." 21So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

22Likewise at the same time said I to the people, "Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day." 23So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

Nehemiah Chapter 5

1Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

2For there were that said, "We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live." 3Some also there were that said, "We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine." 4There were also some who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring into slavery our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. Neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards." 6I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

7Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, "You exact usury, everyone of his brother." I held a great assembly against them.

8I said to them, "We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?" Then they held their peace, and found never a word.

9Also I said, "The thing that you do is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

10I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.

11Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them."

Section 4

Luke 21:25-22:6

20 verses

Luke Chapter 21

25There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; 26men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

27Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28But when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near." 29He told them a parable. "See the fig tree and all the trees.

30When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near.

31Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that God's Kingdom is near.

32Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.

33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.

34"So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.

35For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth.

36So be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man." 37Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.

38All the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.

Luke Chapter 22

1Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.

2The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.

3Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was counted with the twelve.

4He went away, and talked with the chief priests and captains about how he might deliver him to them.

5They were glad, and agreed to give him money.

6He consented, and sought an opportunity to deliver him to them in the absence of the multitude.

The Bible text is a minor adaptation of the WEB to include nuanced meanings of particular ancient words for placenames, God and others of special interest.
In general square brackets:[] are used to indicated words not found in the original text.
They also indicate the 5 books of the Psalms, and the letters in Psalm 119;
and a few passages considered by some to be of questionable authenticity, marked with an asterisk(*).