M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Amaziah Begins Well
25 Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem. 2 Now he did what was right in the eyes of Adonai, but not wholeheartedly. 3 Once he had the kingdom firmly secured under him, he executed his courtiers who had assassinated his father the king. 4 He did not put their children to death, but acted according to what is written in the Torah, in the book of Moses, which Adonai commanded saying,
“Parents should not die for the children, neither should the children die for the parents, but every person should die for his own sin.”
5 Amaziah gathered together the people of Judah and assigned them according to their clans to officers of thousands and officers of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those from 20 years old and upward, and found 300,000 chosen men, able to go to war, able to handle spear and shield. 6 He also hired 100,000 valiant warriors from Israel for a hundred talents of silver.
7 But a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Adonai is not with Israel—not with any of the children of Ephraim. 8 For if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has power to help and to bring down.”
9 But Amaziah said to the man of God, “And what is to be done about the 100 talents that I have given to the Israelite troops?”
The man of God answered, “Adonai is able to give you much more than that.”
10 So, Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim to go back to their homes. Their anger burned greatly against Judah and they returned home in a rage.
11 Amaziah then took courage and leading his army, marched to the Valley of Salt. He struck down 10,000 men of Seir. 12 The army of Judah also captured 10,000 alive, and brought them to the top of the cliff. They threw them down from the top of the cliff and everyone fell to their death.
13 Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and not allowed to go with him to battle raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-Horon. They struck down 3,000 of them and took considerable spoils.
Idolatry and Defiance
14 Now after Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he had the gods of the men of Seir brought and installed as his gods. He prostrated himself before them and burned incense to them. 15 The anger of Adonai burned against Amaziah, and He sent a prophet to him, who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the people who could not deliver their own people from your hand?”
16 But while he was still speaking to him, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you a counselor to the king? Stop! Why should you be struck down?”
So the prophet stopped after he said, “Now I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have acted this way and have not listened to my counsel.”
17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent this message to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel saying, “Come, let us meet face to face.”
18 Joash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah saying: “The thorn bush in Lebanon sent a message to the cedar in Lebanon saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trambled the thorn bush. 19 You say, ‘Behold, I have defeated Edom.’ So now your heart has become arrogant and proud. Stay home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah with you?”
20 However, Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God in order that He might deliver them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So King Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah confronted one another at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah. 22 Then Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah—son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz—in Beth-shemesh. Then Joash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim gate to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. 24 He took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the House of God with Obed-edom, together with the treasuries of the king’s palace and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.
25 Amaziah the son of King Joash of Judah lived 15 years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, the first and the last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time that Amaziah turned away from following Adonai, they conspired against him in Jerusalem, so he fled to Lachish. But they sent men after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 28 Then they brought him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.
Mother, Child, Dragon, and War
12 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. [a] 2 She is pregnant—crying out in birth pains, in agony to give birth.[b]
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a great fiery red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. [c] 4 His tail sweeps away a third of the stars of heaven—it hurled them to the earth.[d] Now the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that whenever she gave birth he might devour her child.
5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with an iron rod.[e] And her child was snatched away to God and to His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God so they might take care of her for 1,260 days.
7 And war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels making war against the dragon.[f] The dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they were not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down—the ancient serpent, called the devil and satan, who deceives the whole world.[g] He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. [h] 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Anointed One, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters—the one who accuses them before our God day and night[i]—has been thrown out. 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even in the face of death.
12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great rage, knowing that his time is short.
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he stalked the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of the great eagle,[j] so that she might fly away from the presence of the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is taken care of—for a time, times, and half a time.[k]
15 And from out of his mouth, the serpent spewed water like a river after the woman, in order to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the aid of the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17 So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua. 18 And he stood on the shore of the sea.
Zealous for Zion
8 Then the word of Adonai-Tzva’ot came saying: 2 “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “I am exceedingly zealous for Zion, I am burning with jealousy for her.” 3 Thus says Adonai, “I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth and the mountain of Adonai-Tzva’ot will be called the Holy Mountain.” 4 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “Once again old men and old women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with his staff in his hand because of his age. 5 The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.”
6 “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘It may seem difficult in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, but will it also be difficult in My eyes?’—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot. 7 “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. 8 I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem. They will be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.’ [a] 9 “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘Let your hands be strong—you who hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there the day the foundation of the House of Adonai-Tzva’ot was laid—so that the Temple may be rebuilt. 10 Before those days there were no wages for man or animal, nor was there any shalom from adversity for those who came or went because I set every one against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
12 “For there will be a sowing of shalom: the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 13 It will happen that just as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you and you will be a blessing. Fear not! Let your hands be strong!’
14 For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “Just as I determined to harm you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘and I did not relent, 15 so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear not! 16 These are the things that you are to do: speak the truth one to another; administer the judgment of truth and shalom in your gates; [b] 17 do not let any of you devise evil in your hearts against your neighbor; and do not love false oaths, for I hate all these things,”—it is a declaration of Adonai.
18 Again the word of Adonai-Tzva’ot came saying: 19 “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth month will become joy, gladness and cheerful moadim. Therefore, love truth and shalom!’ 20 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “Peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will again come. 21 The inhabitants of one city will go to another saying ‘Let us go to entreat the favor of Adonai and to seek Adonai-Tzva’ot. I also am going.’ 22 Indeed, many peoples and powerful nations will come to seek Adonai-Tzva’ot in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Adonai.” 23 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “In those days it will come to pass that ten men from every language of the nations will grasp the corner of the garment of a Jew saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Lazarus Is Dead
11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Miriam and her sister Martha. 2 This was the same Miriam who anointed the Master with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. 3 So the sisters sent a word to Yeshua, saying, “Master, the one you love is sick!”
4 When Yeshua heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. It is for God’s glory, so that Ben-Elohim may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Yeshua loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 However, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days.
7 Then after this, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go up to Judea again.”
8 “Rabbi,” the disciples say to Him, “just now the Judean leaders were trying to stone You! And You’re going back there again?”
9 Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours in the day? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of the world. 10 But if a man should walk around at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
11 After He said this, He tells them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m going there to wake him up.”
12 So the disciples said to Him, “Master, if he has fallen asleep, he will get better.” 13 Now Yeshua had spoken about his death, but they thought He was talking about ordinary sleep.
14 Then Yeshua told them clearly, “Lazarus is dead! 15 I’m glad for your sake I wasn’t there, so that you may believe. Anyway, let’s go to him!”
16 Then Thomas called the Twin[a] said to the other disciples, “Let’s go too, so that we may die with Him!”
Comforting the Mourners
17 So when Yeshua arrived, He discovered that Lazarus had been in the tomb already for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the Judeans had come to Martha and Miriam to console them about their brother.
20 When Martha heard that Yeshua was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Miriam sat in the house. 21 Martha said to Yeshua, “Master, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died! 22 But I know, even now, that whatever You may ask of God, He will give You.”
23 Yeshua said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know, he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
25 Yeshua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She says to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, Ben-Elohim who has come into the world.” 28 After she said this, she left and secretly told her sister Miriam, “The Teacher is here, and He’s calling for you.” 29 As soon as Miriam heard, she quickly got up and was coming to Him. 30 Now Yeshua had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met Him. 31 The Judeans, who were with Miriam in the house and comforting her, seeing how quickly she got up and went out, followed her. They thought she was going to the tomb to weep there.
32 So when Miriam came to where Yeshua was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!”
33 When Yeshua saw her weeping, and the Judeans who came with her weeping, He was deeply troubled in spirit and Himself agitated. 34 “Where have you laid him?” He asked.
“Come and see, Master,” they tell Him.
35 Yeshua wept. 36 So the Judeans said, “See how He loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Couldn’t this One, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have also kept this man from dying?”
Yeshua’s Word Raises the Dead
38 So Yeshua, again deeply troubled within Himself, comes to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Yeshua says, “Roll away the stone!”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to Him, “Master, by this time he stinks! He’s been dead for four days!”
40 Yeshua says to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
41 So they rolled away the stone. Yeshua lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of this crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”
43 And when He had said this, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 He who had been dead came out, wrapped in burial clothes binding his hands and feet, with a cloth over his face. And Yeshua tells them, “Cut him loose, and let him go!”
Better that One Man Die
45 Therefore many of the Judeans, who had come to Miriam and had seen what Yeshua had done, put their trust in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Yeshua had done.
47 So the ruling kohanim and Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we doing?” they asked. “This Man is performing many signs! 48 If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our holy place and our nation.”
49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was kohen gadol that year, said to them, “You know nothing! 50 You don’t take into account that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”
51 Now he did not say this by himself; but as the kohen gadol that year, he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the nation. [c] 52 And not for the nation only, but also so that He might gather together into one the scattered children of God.[d]
53 So from that day on, they plotted to kill Him. 54 Therefore Yeshua no longer walked openly among the Judeans, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with His disciples.
55 Now the Jewish Passover was near; and many people went up out of the regions to Jerusalem before Passover, to purify themselves. 56 So they were searching for Yeshua, saying to one another as they stood in the Temple, “What do you think? Won’t He come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the ruling kohanim and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it so that they might arrest Him.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.