M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Sennacherib Invades Judah(A)
32 After all of these acts of faithfulness occurred, King Sennacherib of Assyria came, invaded Judah, and laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. 2 As soon as Hezekiah learned that Sennacherib had arrived and had determined to attack Jerusalem, 3 he developed a plan with his commanders and his elite forces to cut off the water supply from the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him to carry it out. 4 Many people gathered together and plugged up all the springs, along with the stream that flowed through the region. They were thinking to themselves, “Why should the Assyrian kings invade and discover an abundant water supply?”
5 Hezekiah took courage and rebuilt all of the walls that had been broken down. Then he erected watch towers on them, and added another external wall. He fortified the terrace ramparts[a] in the City of David and prepared a large number of weapons and shields. 6 He appointed military officers to take charge of the people, who gathered them together in the square near the city gate and spoke to them encouragingly, 7 “Be strong and courageous.[b] Don’t be afraid or disheartened because of the king of Assyria or because of the army that accompanies him, because the one who is with us is greater than the one with him. 8 He only has the strength of his own flesh, but the Lord our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were encouraged from what King Hezekiah of Judah told them.
Sennacherib Blasphemes God(B)
9 After this, King Sennacherib of Assyria sent his messengers to Jerusalem while he was in the middle of a vigorous attack on Lachish. They delivered this message to King Hezekiah of Judah and to all the people of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem:
10 “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘What are you leaning on that makes you stay behind while Jerusalem comes under siege? 11 Isn’t Hezekiah lying to you so he can hand you over to die by famine and thirst? After all, he’s telling you “The Lord our God will deliver us from the king of Assyria’s control.”[c] 12 Isn’t this the very same Hezekiah who removed this god’s high places and altars? Isn’t this the same Hezekiah who[d] issued this order to Judah and Jerusalem: “You are to worship in front of only one altar and burn your sacrifices only on it.”? 13 Don’t you know what my predecessors[e] have done to all the other people in other lands? Were the gods of the people who lived in those lands able to deliver their countries out of my control?[f] 14 What god, out of all the gods of those nations that my predecessors[g] utterly destroyed, has been able to deliver his people from my control[h] or from the control[i] of my predecessors?[j] 15 Now therefore, don’t let Hezekiah lie to you or mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, because no god of any nation has been able to deliver his people from my control[k] or from the control[l] of my predecessors. So how much less will your God deliver you from me?’”[m]
16 King Sennacherib’s[n] spokesmen said even worse things against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah.
17 Sennacherib[o] also wrote letters like this that insulted and slandered the Lord God of Israel: “Just as the gods of the nations in other[p] lands haven’t delivered their people from my control,[q] so also the god of Hezekiah won’t deliver his people from me!”[r] 18 His spokesmen[s] shouted these things out with loud voices in the language of Judah to frighten and terrify the people of Jerusalem who were stationed on the city walls, to make it easier to conquer the city. 19 In doing so,[t] they spoke about the God of Jerusalem as if he were like the gods of the nations of the earth that are made by the hands of human beings.
Sennacherib is Defeated and Killed(C)
20 Meanwhile, King Hezekiah and Amoz’s son Isaiah the prophet were praying about this and crying out to heaven. 21 So the Lord sent an angel, who eliminated all of the elite forces, commanders, and officers within the encampment of the king of Assyria. As a result, he retreated to his own country, deeply ashamed and humiliated. When he visited the temple of his god, some of his sons killed him right there with swords. 22 That’s how the Lord delivered Hezekiah, as well as those who lived in Jerusalem, from Assyria’s King Sennacherib and all his forces, and provided for all of their needs.[u] 23 Many brought gifts to the Lord in Jerusalem and brought presents to King Hezekiah of Judah. As a result, he was exalted in the opinion of all nations thereafter.
Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery(D)
24 During this time Hezekiah became critically ill, and he prayed to the Lord. The Lord spoke to him and gave him a sign.[v] 25 But Hezekiah’s response wasn’t commensurate with what had been done for him because he was arrogant in heart, so wrath came upon him, upon Judah, and upon Jerusalem. 26 But Hezekiah humbled himself while he was arrogant in heart, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem joined him in this. As a result, the Lord’s wrath did not come upon them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.
Hezekiah’s Wealth and Accomplishments(E)
27 Hezekiah received immense wealth and honor. He built treasuries for himself to store silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all sorts of valuable items, 28 along with storage facilities for grain, wine, oil, stalls for all sorts of cattle, and sheepfolds for his flocks. 29 He also built cities for himself and stored up flocks and herds in abundance, because God had given him great riches. 30 Hezekiah stopped up the upper outlet of the Gihon springs and diverted them down to the western side of the City of David. He prospered in everything he did.
Hezekiah’s Heart is Tested by God
31 Later on, envoys came from the princes of Babylon to inquire about the miracle that had happened in the land.[w] God left Hezekiah[x] to himself, so that he might make known[y] what was really in Hezekiah’s[z] heart. 32 Now the rest of Hezekiah’s accomplishments and his faithful deeds are recorded in the vision of Amoz’s son Isaiah the prophet, and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 Hezekiah died, as had his fathers, and they buried him in the upper part of the tombs of the descendants of David. All of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. But his son Manasseh reigned in his place.
The Vision of the Fall of Babylon
18 After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority,[a] and the earth was made bright by his splendor. 2 He cried out in a powerful voice,
“Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen!
She has become a home for demons.
She is a prison for every unclean spirit,
a prison for every unclean bird,
and a prison for every unclean
and hated beast.
3 For all the nations have drunk
from the wine of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her.
The world’s businesses have become rich
from her luxurious excesses.”
The Warning to Leave Babylon
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
“Come out of her, my people,
so that you don’t participate in her sins
and also suffer from her diseases.
5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Do to her as she herself has done,
and give her double for her deeds.
Mix a double drink for her in the cup she mixed.
7 Just as she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
inflict on her just as much torture and misery.
In her heart she says,
‘I am a queen on a throne, not a widow.
I will never see misery.’
8 For this reason, her diseases that result in death, misery, and famine
will come in a single day.
She will be burned up in a fire,
because powerful is the Lord God who judges her.”
9 The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her and lived in luxury with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.[b] 10 Frightened by the torture that she experiences,[c] they will stand far away and cry out,
“How terrible, how terrible it is for that great city,
the powerful city Babylon,
because your judgment arrived in a single hour!”
11 The world’s businesses cry and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore— 12 cargo of gold, silver, gems, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all articles made of ivory, all articles made of very costly wood, bronze, iron, marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves (that is, human souls)—
14 “The fruit that you crafted has abandoned you.
All your dainties and your splendor are lost,[d]
and no one will ever find them again.”
15 Frightened by the severity of her punishment, businesses that had become rich because of her will stand at a distance, crying and mourning:
16 “How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city
that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet
and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls,
17 because all this wealth has been destroyed in a single hour!”
Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made a living from the sea stood far away. 18 When they saw the smoke rising from the fire that consumed her,[e] they began to cry out, “What city was like that great city?” 19 Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning:
“How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city,
where all who had ships at sea became rich from her wealth,
because it has been destroyed in a single hour!
20 Be happy about her, heaven, saints, apostles, and prophets,
for God has condemned her for you!”
The Vision of the Powerful Angel with the Millstone
21 Then a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
“The great city Babylon will be thrown down violently—
and will never be found again.
22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters
will never be heard within you again.
No artisan of any trade
will ever be found within you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard within you again.
23 The light from a lamp
will never shine within you again.
The voice of a bridegroom and bride
will never be heard within you again.
For your merchants were the important people of the world,
and all the nations were deceived by your witchcraft.
24 The blood of the world’s prophets, saints,
and all who had been murdered
was found within her.”
The Lord Comes to the Mount of Olives
14 “Look! A day is coming for the Lord, when your plunder will be divided among you. 2 I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem, to lay siege against it. The city will be captured, the houses will be ransacked, the women raped, and half of the city will go into exile, but the remaining people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out to battle against those nations, waging war as in a day of battle. 4 His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming[a] a very large valley, with half of the mountain moving toward the north and half toward the south. 5 You will run away through my mountain valley, because the valley of the mountains will extend as far as Azal. You will flee, as you fled from the earthquake during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah. And so the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones will be accompanying you.”
A Unique Day
6 “At that time,[b] the daylight will be neither bright nor overcast. 7 It will be a unique day, known only to the Lord—neither daytime nor nighttime—and it will come about at twilight there will be light! 8 At that time,[c] flowing waters will run perennially[d] from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead[e] Sea and half to the Mediterranean[f] Sea. 9 The Lord will be king over all the earth at that time.[g] There[h] will be one Lord, and his name the only one. 10 The entire land will become like the Arabah plain from Geba[i] to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem. It will be raised up and inhabited where it is, from the Gate of Benjamin to the First Gate, then to the Corner Gate, to the Hananel Tower, and to the king’s winepresses. 11 People[j] will live there, there will be no more destruction, and Jerusalem will be safely inhabited.”
God’s Judgment on Jerusalem’s Attackers
12 “This will be the plague with which the Lord inflicts all of the people who have attacked Jerusalem: he will cause their flesh to rot away, even while they’re standing on their feet. He will cause their eyes to rot away in their sockets, and their tongues to rot away in their mouths. 13 At that time,[k] they will be stricken with a terrible panic from the Lord. Everyone will attack each other. 14 Judah, too, will fight at Jerusalem. Then the wealth of the surrounding nations will be gathered up: gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance. 15 A similar plague will also strike horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all of the animals in those camps.”
Discipline of the Nations
16 “It will come about that all of the survivors of the nations who came against Jerusalem will come there from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, and to observe the Festival of Tents. 17 If anyone from the families of the earth will not come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, there will be no rain for them. 18 If the people of Egypt do not come to Jerusalem[l] to take part, they will have no annual Nile overflow.[m] A plague will come from the Lord to strike the nations who do not come to observe the Festival of Tents. 19 This will be the punishment for Egypt and all nations who do not come to observe the Festival of Tents.”
Holiness to the Lord
20 “At that time,[n] there will be written on the bells of the horses:
Holiness to the Lord
and the pots in the Temple of the Lord will be like the bowls in front of the altar— 21 every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be consecrated to the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. Everyone who offers sacrifices will come, will take them, and will cook in them. Furthermore, at that time,[o] there will no longer be a Canaanite in the Temple of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.”
Jesus Prays for Himself, His Disciples, and His Future Followers
17 After Jesus had said this, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son may glorify you. 2 For[a] you have given him authority over all humanity[b] so that he might give eternal life to all those you gave him. 3 And this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent—Jesus the Messiah.[c] 4 I glorified you on earth by completing the task you gave me to do.
5 “So now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world existed. 6 I have made your name known to these men whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they realize that everything you gave me comes from you, 8 because the words that you gave me I passed on to them. They have received them and know for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.
9 “I am asking on their behalf. I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All that is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine, and I have been glorified through them. 11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your Name, the Name[d] that you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them by the authority[e] that you gave me. I guarded them, and not one of them became lost except the one who was destined for[f] destruction, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 “And now I am coming to you, and I say these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.
17 “Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 It is for their sakes that I sanctify myself, so that they, too, may be sanctified by the truth. 20 I ask not only on behalf of these men,[g] but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their message, 21 so that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one[h] in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.
22 “I have given them the glory that you gave me, so that they may be one, just as we are one. 23 I am in them, and you are in me. May they be completely one, so that the world may know that you sent me and that you have loved them as you loved me. 24 Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, the world has never known you. Yet I have known you, and these men have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have for me[i] may be in them and I myself may be in them.”
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