M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Judah’s King Azariah
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Azariah[a](A) son of Amaziah became king of Judah.(B) 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 3 Azariah did what was right in the Lord’s sight(C) just as his father Amaziah had done. 4 Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.(D)
5 The Lord afflicted the king, and he had a serious skin disease until the day of his death.(E) He lived in quarantine,[b](F) while Jotham,(G) the king’s son, was over the household governing the people of the land.(H)
6 The rest of the events of Azariah’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(I) 7 Azariah rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Jotham became king in his place.(J)
Israel’s King Zechariah
8 In the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Zechariah(K) son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months. 9 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight as his predecessors had done.(L) He did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.(M)
10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He struck him down publicly,[c] killed him, and became king in his place.(N) 11 As for the rest of the events of Zechariah’s reign, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(O) 12 The word of the Lord that he spoke to Jehu was, “Four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel,”(P) and it was so.
Israel’s King Shallum
13 In the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Uzziah,[d] Shallum son of Jabesh became king; he reigned in Samaria(Q) a full month. 14 Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah(R) to Samaria and struck down Shallum son of Jabesh there. He killed him and became king in his place. 15 As for the rest of the events of Shallum’s reign, along with the conspiracy that he formed, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
Israel’s King Menahem
16 At that time, starting from Tirzah, Menahem attacked Tiphsah,(S) all who were in it, and its territory because they wouldn’t surrender.(T) He ripped open all the pregnant women.(U)
17 In the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. Throughout his reign, he did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.(V)
19 King Pul[e](W) of Assyria invaded the land, so Menahem gave Pul seventy-five thousand pounds[f] of silver so that Pul would support him to strengthen his grasp on the kingdom.(X) 20 Then Menahem exacted twenty ounces[g] of silver from each of the prominent men of Israel to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and did not stay there in the land.(Y)
21 The rest of the events of Menahem’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. 22 Menahem rested with his ancestors, and his son Pekahiah became king in his place.(Z)
Israel’s King Pekahiah
23 In the fiftieth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.(AA)
25 Then his officer, Pekah(AB) son of Remaliah, conspired against him(AC) and struck him down in Samaria at the citadel of the king’s palace(AD)—with Argob and Arieh.[h] There were fifty Gileadite men with Pekah. He killed Pekahiah and became king in his place.
26 As for the rest of the events of Pekahiah’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
Israel’s King Pekah
27 In the fifty-second year of Judah’s King Azariah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
29 In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath-pileser(AE) of Assyria came and captured Ijon,(AF) Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee—all the land of Naphtali(AG)—and deported the people to Assyria.(AH)
30 Then Hoshea(AI) son of Elah organized a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked him, killed him,(AJ) and became king in his place in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.
31 As for the rest of the events of Pekah’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
Judah’s King Jotham
32 In the second year of Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah, Jotham(AK) son of Uzziah became king of Judah. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king,(AL) and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 34 He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his father Uzziah had done.(AM) 35 Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.
Jotham built the Upper Gate of the Lord’s temple.(AN) 36 The rest(AO) of the events of Jotham’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(AP) 37 In those days the Lord began sending Aram’s King Rezin and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.(AQ) 38 Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David.(AR) His son Ahaz became king in his place.
Greeting
1 Paul,(A) a servant of God(B) and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for[a] the faith of God’s elect(C) and their knowledge of the truth(D) that leads[b] to godliness,(E) 2 in the hope of eternal life(F) that God, who cannot lie,(G) promised before time began.(H) 3 In his own time he has revealed(I) his word(J) in the preaching with which I was entrusted(K) by the command(L) of God our Savior:(M)
4 To Titus,(N) my true son(O) in our common faith.
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.(P)
Titus’s Ministry in Crete
5 The reason I left you in Crete(Q) was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders(R) in every town. 6 An elder(S) must be blameless,(T) the husband of one wife, with faithful[c] children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. 7 As an overseer(U) of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful message as taught,(V) so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching(W) and to refute those who contradict it.
10 For there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. 11 It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly. 12 One of their very own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true.(X) For this reason, rebuke them sharply,(Y) so that they may be sound in the faith 14 and may not pay attention to Jewish myths(Z) and the commands of people who reject the truth.(AA)
15 To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience(AB) are defiled. 16 They claim to know God,(AC) but they deny him by their works.(AD) They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.(AE)
Israel’s False Hopes
8 Put the ram’s horn to your mouth!(A)
One like an eagle comes
against the house of the Lord,(B)
because they transgress my covenant(C)
and rebel against my law.(D)
2 Israel cries out to me,(E)
“My God, we know you!”
3 Israel has rejected what is good;(F)
an enemy will pursue him.
4 They have installed kings,(G)
but not through me.
They have appointed leaders,
but without my approval.
They make their silver and gold(H)
into idols for themselves
for their own destruction.[a]
5 Your calf-idol[b](I) is rejected, Samaria.(J)
My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of innocence?(K)
6 For this thing is from Israel—
a craftsman made it,(L) and it is not God.
The calf of Samaria will be smashed to bits!
7 Indeed, they sow the wind(M)
and reap the whirlwind.(N)
There is no standing grain;
what sprouts fails to yield flour.(O)
Even if they did,
foreigners would swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up!(P)
Now they are among the nations
like discarded pottery.(Q)
9 For they have gone up to Assyria(R)
like a wild donkey going off on its own.
Ephraim has paid for love.(S)
10 Even though they hire lovers among the nations,
I will now round them up,
and they will begin to decrease in number(T)
under the burden of the king and leaders.(U)
11 When Ephraim multiplied his altars for sin,(V)
they became his altars for sinning.
12 Though I were to write out for him
ten thousand points of my instruction,(W)
they would be[c] regarded as something strange.
13 Though they offer sacrificial gifts[d](X)
and eat the flesh,(Y)
the Lord does not accept them.
Now he will remember their guilt(Z)
and punish their sins;(AA)
they will return to Egypt.(AB)
14 Israel has forgotten his Maker(AC) and built palaces;(AD)
Judah has also multiplied fortified cities.
I will send fire on their cities,(AE)
and it will consume their citadels.
Psalm 123
Looking for God’s Favor
A song of ascents.
1 I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.(A)
2 Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor.(B)
3 Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.(C)
4 We’ve had more than enough
scorn from the arrogant
and contempt from the proud.(D)
Psalm 124
The Lord Is on Our Side
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side(E)
when people attacked us,(F)
3 then they would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger against us.(G)
4 Then the water would have engulfed us;
the torrent would have swept over us;
5 the raging water would have swept over us.(H)
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth.(I)
7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s net;
the net is torn, and we have escaped.(J)
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(K)
Psalm 125
Israel’s Stability
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.(L)
2 The mountains surround Jerusalem
and the Lord surrounds his people,
both now and forever.(M)
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.(N)
4 Do what is good, Lord, to the good,
to those whose hearts are upright.(O)
5 But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the Lord will banish them with the evildoers.(P)
Peace be with Israel.(Q)
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