M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat in Judah
21 (A)Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, [a]Azaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king (B)of Israel. 3 Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, (C)with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
4 Now when Jehoram had [b]taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself [c]secure, he (D)killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. 5 (E)Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 (F)He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did ((G)for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, (H)and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.
Revolt against Judah
8 In his days (I)Edom revolted [d]against the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves. 9 Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots. 10 So Edom revolted [e]against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time [f]against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. 11 Moreover, (J)he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem (K)to play the harlot and led Judah astray.
12 Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says the Lord God of your father David, ‘Because (L)you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father (M)and the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but (N)have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot (O)as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you (P)have also killed your brothers, [g]your own family, who were better than you, 14 behold, the Lord is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great [h]calamity; 15 and (Q)you will suffer [i]severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’”
16 Then (R)the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and (S)the Arabs who [j]bordered the Ethiopians; 17 and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except [k](T)Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 So after all this the Lord smote him (U)in his bowels with an incurable sickness. 19 Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in great pain. And his people made no fire for him like (V)the fire for his fathers. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed [l](W)with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, (X)but not in the tombs of the kings.
The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit
9 Then the (A)fifth angel sounded, and I saw a (B)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the (C)key of the [a](D)bottomless pit was given to him. 2 He opened the [b]bottomless pit, and (E)smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and (F)the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came (G)locusts [c]upon the earth, and power was given them, as the (H)scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were told not to (I)hurt the (J)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the (K)seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And [d]they were not permitted to kill [e]anyone, but to torment for (L)five months; and their torment was like the torment of a (M)scorpion when it [f]stings a man. 6 And in those days (N)men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
7 The [g](O)appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their (P)teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the (Q)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like (R)scorpions, and stings; and in their (S)tails is their power to hurt men for (T)five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the (U)abyss; his name in (V)Hebrew is [h](W)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name [i]Apollyon.
12 (X)The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
The Sixth Trumpet—Army from the East
13 Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard [j]a voice from the [k]four (Y)horns of the (Z)golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the (AA)four angels who are bound at the (AB)great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were (AC)released, so that they would kill a (AD)third of [l]mankind. 16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was (AE)two hundred million; (AF)I heard the number of them. 17 And [m]this is how I saw (AG)in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of [n](AH)brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and (AI)out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and [o](AJ)brimstone. 18 A (AK)third of [p]mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the (AL)fire and the smoke and the [q]brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.
20 The rest of [r]mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, (AM)did not repent of (AN)the works of their hands, so as not to (AO)worship demons, and (AP)the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they (AQ)did not repent of their murders nor of their (AR)sorceries nor of their (AS)immorality nor of their thefts.
The Flying Scroll
5 Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying (A)scroll. 2 And he said to me, “(B)What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty [a]cubits and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the (C)curse that is going forth over the face of the whole [b]land; surely everyone who (D)steals will be purged away according to [c]the writing on one side, and everyone who (E)swears will be purged away according to [d]the writing on the other side. 4 I will (F)make it go forth,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and it will (G)enter the house of the (H)thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and (I)consume it with its timber and stones.”
5 Then (J)the angel who was speaking with me went out and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is going forth.” 6 I said, “What is it?” And he said, “This is the [e](K)ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their [f]appearance in all the [g]land 7 (and behold, a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” 8 Then he said, “This is (L)Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its [h]opening. 9 Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a (M)stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10 I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a [i]temple for her in the land of (N)Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”
The Adulterous Woman
8 But Jesus went to (A)the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and (B)He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law (C)Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, (D)testing Him, (E)so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, (F)He straightened up, and said to them, “(G)He who is without sin among you, let him be the (H)first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 (I)Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, [a]Lord.” And Jesus said, “(J)I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on (K)sin no more.”]
Jesus Is the Light of the World
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “(L)I am the Light of the world; (M)he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “(N)You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not [b]true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “(O)Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is [c]true, for I know (P)where I came from and where I am going; but (Q)you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 (R)You judge [d]according to the flesh; (S)I am not judging anyone. 16 But even (T)if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in (U)your law it has been written that the testimony of (V)two men is [e]true. 18 I am He who testifies about Myself, and (W)the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” 19 So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; (X)if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” 20 These words He spoke in (Y)the treasury, as (Z)He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because (AA)His hour had not yet come.
21 Then He said again to them, “I go away, and (AB)you will seek Me, and (AC)will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So (AD)the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘(AE)Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 And He was saying to them, “(AF)You are from below, I am from above; (AG)you are of this world, (AH)I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you (AI)will die in your sins; for unless you believe that [f](AJ)I am He, (AK)you will die in your sins.” 25 So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “[g]What have I been saying to you from the beginning? 26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but (AL)He who sent Me is true; and (AM)the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.” 27 They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you (AN)lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that [h](AO)I am He, and (AP)I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me; (AQ)He [i]has not left Me alone, for (AR)I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30 As He spoke these things, (AS)many came to believe in Him.
The Truth Will Make You Free
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “(AT)If you continue in My word, then you are truly (AU)disciples of Mine; 32 and (AV)you will know the truth, and (AW)the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “(AX)We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (AY)everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 (AZ)The slave does not remain in the house forever; (BA)the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son (BB)makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are (BC)Abraham’s descendants; yet (BD)you seek to kill Me, because My word [j]has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen [k]with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from (BE)your father.”
39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is (BF)our father.” Jesus *said to them, “(BG)If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But as it is, (BH)you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has (BI)told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of (BJ)your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; (BK)we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, (BL)you would love Me, (BM)for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have (BN)not even come on My own initiative, but [l](BO)He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand [m](BP)what I am saying? It is because you cannot (BQ)hear My word. 44 (BR)You are of (BS)your father the devil, and (BT)you want to do the desires of your father. (BU)He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because (BV)there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks [n]a lie, he (BW)speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of [o]lies. 45 But because (BX)I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If (BY)I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 (BZ)He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
48 (CA)The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a (CB)Samaritan and (CC)have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not (CD)have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But (CE)I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone (CF)keeps My word he will never (CG)see death.” 52 (CH)The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You (CI)have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone (CJ)keeps My word, he will never (CK)taste of death.’ 53 Surely You (CL)are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “(CM)If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; (CN)it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and (CO)you have not come to know Him, (CP)but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be (CQ)a liar like you, (CR)but I do know Him and (CS)keep His word. 56 (CT)Your father Abraham (CU)rejoiced [p]to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 (CV)So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham [q]was born, (CW)I am.” 59 Therefore they (CX)picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus [r](CY)hid Himself and went out of the temple.
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