M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
14 1 [a]Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. His son Asa became king in his place.(A) During his reign the land experienced peace for 10 years.
Judah’s King Asa
2 [b]Asa did what was good and right(B) in the sight of the Lord his God. 3 He removed the pagan altars and the high places. He shattered their sacred pillars and chopped down their Asherah poles.(C) 4 He told the people of Judah to seek the Lord God of their ancestors and to carry out the instruction and the commands. 5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah,(D) and the kingdom experienced peace under him.
6 Because the land experienced peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah.(E) No one made war with him in those days because the Lord gave him rest.(F) 7 So he said to the people of Judah, “Let’s build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars.(G) The land is still ours because we sought the Lord our God. We sought Him and He gave us rest on every side.” So they built and succeeded.
The Cushite Invasion
8 Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah bearing large shields and spears,(H) and 280,000 from Benjamin bearing regular shields and drawing the bow. All these were brave warriors. 9 Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million men and 300[c] chariots. They came as far as Mareshah. 10 So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.(I)
11 Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God:(J) “Lord, there is no one besides You to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on You,(K) and in Your name we have come against this large army. Yahweh, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder You.”
12 So the Lord routed the Cushites before Asa and before Judah,(L) and the Cushites fled. 13 Then Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar.(M) The Cushites fell until they had no survivors, for they were crushed before Yahweh and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great supply of loot. 14 Then they attacked all the cities around Gerar because the terror of the Lord was on them.(N) They also plundered all the cities, since there was a great deal of plunder in them. 15 They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and captured many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
Revival Under Asa
15 The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded.(O) 2 So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Asa and all Judah and Benjamin, hear me. The Lord is with you(P) when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you,(Q) but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.(R) 3 For many years Israel has been without the true God,(S) without a teaching priest, and without instruction,(T) 4 but when they turned to the Lord God of Israel in their distress and sought Him, He was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace for those who went about their daily activities because the residents of the lands had many conflicts. 6 Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every possible distress. 7 But as for you, be strong; don’t be discouraged,[d] for your work has a reward.”(U)
8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim.(V) He renovated the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple.(W) 9 Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them, for they had defected to him from Israel in great numbers when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him.(X)
10 They were gathered in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the Lord 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep from all the plunder they had brought.(Y) 12 Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with all their mind and all their heart.(Z) 13 Whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel would be put to death, young or old,[e] man or woman.(AA) 14 They took an oath to the Lord in a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with rams’ horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their mind. They had sought Him with all their heart, and He was found by them.(AB) So the Lord gave them rest on every side.(AC)
16 King Asa(AD) also removed Maacah, his grandmother,[f](AE) from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image, then crushed it and burned it in the Kidron Valley.(AF) 17 The high places were not taken away from Israel; nevertheless, Asa was wholehearted his entire life.[g] 18 He brought his father’s consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into God’s temple: silver, gold, and utensils.
19 There was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
The Throne Room of Heaven
4 After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit,[a](A) and a throne was set there in heaven.(B) One was seated on the throne, 3 and the One seated[b] looked like jasper[c] and carnelian[d] stone. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. 4 Around that throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones sat 24 elders dressed in white clothes, with gold crowns on their heads. 5 Flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.(C) 6 Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. Four living creatures(D) covered with eyes in front and in back were in the middle[e] and around the throne. 7 The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like a calf; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings;(E) they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop,[f] saying:
Holy, holy, holy,[g]
Lord God, the Almighty,
who was, who is, and who is coming.
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne, the One who lives forever and ever, 10 the 24 elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, worship the One who lives forever and ever, cast their crowns before the throne, and say:
11 Our Lord and God,[h]
You are worthy to receive
glory and honor and power,
because You have created all things,
and because of Your will
they exist and were created.
Encouragement and Promise
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,(A) the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people: 3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?[a](B) 4 Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel”—this is the Lord’s declaration.(C) “Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Work! For I am with you”(D)—the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 5 “This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt,(E) and My Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.”
6 For the Lord of Hosts says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth,(F) the sea and the dry land.(G) 7 I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,”(H) says the Lord of Hosts. 8 “The silver and gold belong to Me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 9 “The final glory of this house[b] will be greater than the first,”(I) says the Lord of Hosts. “I will provide peace in this place”(J)—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.
From Deprivation to Blessing
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet: 11 “This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Ask the priests for a ruling.(K) 12 If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?”(L)
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?”(M)
The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.”
14 Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before Me”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.
15 “Now, reflect back from this day: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple, 16 what state were you in?[c] When someone came to a grain heap of 20 measures, it only amounted to 10; when one came to the winepress to dip 50 measures from the vat, it only amounted to 20. 17 I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew,(N) and hail,(O) but you didn’t turn to Me”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 18 “Consider carefully(P) from this day forward; from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid; consider it carefully. 19 Is there still seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”(Q)
Promise to Zerubbabel
20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.(R) 22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the Gentile kingdoms.(S) I will overturn chariots and their riders. Horses and their riders will fall, each by his brother’s sword. 23 On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, My servant”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and make you like My signet ring,(T) for I have chosen you.”(U) This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man from the Pharisees(A) named Nicodemus,(B) a ruler(C) of the Jews. 2 This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,(D) we know that You have come from God(E) as a teacher,(F) for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”(G)
3 Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again,[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(I)
4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born(J) of water and the Spirit,[b](K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit(M) is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you[c] must be born(N) again. 8 The wind[d] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(P)
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher[e] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “I assure you:(Q) We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you[f] do not accept Our testimony.[g] 12 If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? 13 No one has ascended(R) into heaven(S) except the One who descended from heaven(T)—the Son of Man.[h](U) 14 Just as Moses(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will[i] have eternal life.(X)
16 “For God loved(Y) the world in this way:[j] He gave His One and Only(Z) Son,(AA) so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.(AB) 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn(AC) the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,(AD) because he has not believed in the name(AE) of the One and Only Son(AF) of God.
19 “This, then, is the judgment: The light(AG) has come into the world,(AH) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates(AI) the light and avoids it,[k] so that his deeds(AJ) may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by[l] the truth comes to the light, so that his works(AK) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”[m]
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized. 23 John(AL) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.(AM)
25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples(AN) and a Jew[n] about purification.(AO) 26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,(AP) the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,(AQ) is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him.”(AR)
27 John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,(AS) but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’(AT) 29 He who has the bride(AU) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly[o] at the groom’s voice. So this joy(AV) of mine is complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The One from Heaven
31 The One who comes from above(AW) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.[p] The One who comes from heaven is above all.(AX) 32 He testifies(AY) to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. 33 The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.(AZ) 34 For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He[q] gives the Spirit(BA) without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son(BB) and has given all things into His hands.(BC) 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.(BD)
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