M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 11
The Rule of Athaliah. 1 When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she killed all of the royal heirs. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and secreted him away from the king’s sons who were being murdered. They hid him and his nurse from Athaliah in the bed chamber so that he might not die.
3 He was hidden with her for six years in the temple of the Lord, and Athaliah reigned over the land. 4 In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for and summoned the captains of the hundreds, the Carites,[a] and the guards. He brought them to the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son.
5 He commanded them, “This is what you are to do: for the one-third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath: a third of you are to guard the king’s palace; 6 a third of you are to be at the Sur Gate; and a third at the gate behind the guard. Guard the palace. 7 For the other two-thirds of you who come off duty on the Sabbath and who keep guard in the temple of the Lord and the king’s palace, 8 surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”
9 The captains of the hundreds did everything that Jehoiada, the priest, had commanded. Each of them brought the men who were coming on duty on the Sabbath as well as those who were going off duty on the Sabbath and they came to Jehoiada the priest.
10 The priest gave the captains of the hundreds the spears and the shields that had belonged to King David and that were kept in the temple of the Lord. 11 The guards stood with their weapons in their hands from the southern side of the temple to the northern side of the temple by the altar and the temple, surrounding the king.
12 He brought the king’s son out and put a crown on him. He gave him the testimony, and they proclaimed him as king and anointed him, clapping their hands and proclaiming, “Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise from the guard and the people, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. 14 She looked out and behold, the king was standing by a pillar,[b] as was the custom, with the princes and the trumpeters standing by the king. All the people of the land rejoiced and blew the trumpets.
Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!” 15 Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds and the commanders of the army and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” (This was because the priest had said that she was not to be killed in the temple of the Lord.)
16 They seized her as she passed by the place where the horses enter the king’s palace. She was put to death there.
17 Jehoiada made a covenant[c] between the Lord and the king and the people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made one between the king and the people.
18 All of the people went into the temple of Baal. They smashed to pieces his altars and his images. They killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.
The priest then appointed guards for the temple of the Lord. 19 He took the captains of the hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and the people of the land with him and they brought down the king from the temple of the Lord and entered the royal palace by way of the guards’ gate. He then took his place on the royal throne.
20 All of the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for Athaliah had been put to the sword in the royal palace.
21 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
Chapter 12
Reign of Joash. 1 Joash began to reign during the seventh year of the reign of Jehu, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, and she was from Beer-sheba.
2 [d]Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all of his days. Jehoiada, the priest, instructed him. 3 However, he did not eliminate the high places, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
4 Joash said to the priests, “Gather all of the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord as a sacred offering, the money from the census, the money from personal vows, and all of the money that each man saw fit to bring to the temple of the Lord. 5 Let the priests each take it from their treasurers, and let them use it to repair whatever damage they might find in the temple.”
6 In spite of this, in the twenty-third year of the reign of King Joash, the priests had not yet repaired the damage in the temple. 7 King Joash therefore summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and he said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damage in the temple? Take no more money from the treasurers; hand it over for the repair of the temple.”
8 The priests agreed that they would take no more money from the people and that they, themselves, would not repair the damage in the temple. 9 Jehoiada took a chest and cut a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the temple of the Lord. The priests who guarded the door placed all of the money that was brought into the temple of the Lord in it. 10 When they saw that there was quite a bit of money in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest would come. They would count the money that was found in the temple of the Lord, and they would put it in bags.
11 When the money had been counted, they placed it in the hands of the supervisor of the work being done on the temple of the Lord. With it they paid those who were working on the temple of the Lord: the carpenters and the builders, 12 the masons, and the stonecutters. It was also used to buy wood and hewn stone that were used to repair the damage in the temple of the Lord, and for all of the expenses involved in repairing the temple.
13 However, the money that was brought into the temple of the Lord was not used to make silver basins, nor snuffers, nor sprinkling bowls, nor trumpets, nor any utensils made with gold, nor any utensils made with silver.
14 They gave it to the workmen who used it to repair the temple of the Lord. 15 Moreover, they did not ask for an accounting from the men into whose hands the money had been deposited for the payment of the workmen, for they acted honestly.[e]
16 The money from guilt offerings and from sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the Lord for it belonged to the priests.[f]
17 Hazael, the king of Aram, went up and fought against Gath. He captured it, and Hazael decided to go up to Jerusalem.
18 Joash, the king of Judah, took all of the sacred things that had been dedicated by Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his ancestors, the kings of Judah, and all of the sacred things that he had dedicated, and all of the gold that was found in the treasury of the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and he sent it to Hazael, the king of Aram, who then departed from Jerusalem.
19 As for the other deeds of Joash, what he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20 Joash’s servants plotted against him, and they killed him at Beth-millo, on the road going down to Silla. 21 His servants who killed him were Jozacar, the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of Shomer.
He died, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Amaziah, his son, reigned in his stead.
The Exemplars of a Man of God[a]
Chapter 2
Accept Your Share of Sufferings.[b] 1 As for you, my child, take strength from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you learned from me in the presence of many witnesses you must pass on to trustworthy people who will be capable of teaching others.
3 Together with me, bear your share of sufferings like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 A soldier does not become involved in everyday affairs, for his task is to obey his commanding officer. 5 In a similar vein, no athlete can receive the winner’s crown unless he has competed according to the rules. 6 Again, the farmer who does the hard work should have the first claim on the crops. 7 Think about what I am saying, for the Lord will help you to understand it perfectly.
Remember That Jesus Christ Is Risen.[c] 8 Remember the gospel that I preach: Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, was raised from the dead. 9 It is because of this that I have endured great suffering, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11 This saying can be trusted:
If we have died with him,
we shall also live with him.
12 If we endure,
we shall also reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will also deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.
14 A True Servant of the Lord.[d] Remind people of these things, and warn them before God[e] that they must stop arguing over words. This does no good and only causes harm to those who are listening. 15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as one who is worthy of his approval, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, but who imparts the word of truth without any alteration.
16 Avoid idle and worldly chatter, for those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly, 17 and their teaching will spread like a plague. Included among these are Hymenaeus[f] and Philetus, 18 who have gone astray from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they damage the faith of some. 19 However, the foundation that God has sealed[g] remains firm, and it bears this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his own,” and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
20 In every large house, there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay—some for noble purposes and some for ordinary purposes. 21 If someone avoids these things I have mentioned, he will be regarded as a vessel of special value, dedicated and useful for the master of the house, and ready to perform any good work.
22 Turn away from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord[h] with a pure heart. 23 Avoid foolish and stupid speculations, for you are well aware that they only result in quarrels.
24 A servant of the Lord should not engage in quarrels but should be kind to everyone. He should be a good teacher and patient, 25 correcting with gentleness those who oppose him. For God may grant them repentance so that they may come to recognize the truth 26 and regain their senses, enabling them to escape the snare of the devil who had held them captive and subjected them to his will.
The Triumph of Love[a]
Chapter 3
1 The Lord said to me:
“Go forth and offer your love to a woman
who has a lover and is an adulteress,
just as I, the Lord, love the people of Israel
even though they turn to other gods
and love raisin cakes.”[b]
2 Therefore, I purchased her for fifteen shekels of silver, a homer of barley, and a measure of wine, 3 and I said to her:
“You must remain in my house for a long time,
and you shall not continue to play the harlot.
You shall not have relations with anyone else,
nor even with me.”
4 For the Israelites shall spend a long time
without a king or leader,
without sacrifice or sacred pillar,
without ephod or household idols.
5 Afterward the Israelites shall return
and seek the Lord, their God,
and David, their king.[c]
They will come trembling to the Lord
to beg for his bounty in the final days.
God Puts an Adulterous People on Trial
Chapter 4
A Deep Corruption of Morals
1 Hear the word of the Lord,
people of Israel,
for the Lord has decreed an indictment
against the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or loyalty,
nor any knowledge of God in the land.
2 Instead, people swear oaths and break them;
they lie, murder, steal, and commit adultery,
with never-ceasing bloodshed.
3 Therefore, the land is in mourning,
and all who dwell in it languish,
including the wild beasts and the birds of the air;
even the fish of the sea are perishing.
My Quarrel Is with You, O Priests
4 But let no one protest
or make accusations;
my quarrel is with you, O priests.
5 You shall stumble in the daylight,
while the prophets will stumble with you at night,
and I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are perishing
for want of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I will reject you as my priests.
And since you have forsaken the law of your God,
I will also reject your children.
7 The more the number of priests increased,
the more they sinned against me,
turning their glory into shame.
8 They feed on the sins of my people;
they are insatiable in their hunger for iniquity.
9 The priests and the people will share the same fate;
I shall punish them for their conduct
and repay them for their deeds.
10 They will eat but never be satisfied;
they will engage in prostitution but never have children,
because they have abandoned the Lord
11 to devote themselves to immorality.
Idolatry and Debauchery
Wine, both old and new,
deprives my people of understanding.
12 They consult a piece of wood for advice,
and their divining rod[d] provides the answers they seek.
For a spirit of promiscuity has led them astray,
and their immorality causes them to forsake their God.
13 They offer sacrifice on the mountaintops
and burn incense on the hills,
beneath oak and poplar and terebinth
because the shade they afford is pleasant.
14 I shall not punish your daughters for becoming prostitutes
or your daughters-in-law for committing adultery.
For your men themselves consort with harlots
and offer sacrifice with temple prostitutes;
a people thus devoid of understanding is doomed.
15 Though you, O Israel, play the whore,
do not allow Judah to incur such guilt.
Do not come to Gilgal
or go up to Beth-aven,
and do not swear, “As the Lord lives!”[e]
16 For Israel is as stubborn as a heifer;
will the Lord now feed them
like lambs in a broad meadow?
17 Ephraim has associated with idols;
let them alone.
18 When their drinking binge has ended,
they indulge in sexual orgies,
preferring lewdness to their glory.
19 The wind has carried them off in its wings,
and their sacrifices will only bring them shame.
121 [a]Since my conduct has been just and upright,
do not abandon me to those who oppress me.
122 Guarantee the well-being of your servant;[b]
do not allow the arrogant to oppress me.
123 My eyes fail[c] as I long for your salvation
and for the promise of your justice.
124 Deal with your servant in accordance with your kindness,[d]
and teach me your decrees.
125 I am your servant; grant me discernment
so that I may understand your statutes.
126 It is time, O Lord, for you to take action;
your law has been broken.
127 That is why I love your precepts
more than gold, even the purest gold.[e]
128 That is why I regard all your commandments as right
and despise every way that is false.
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129 [f]Wonderful are your statutes;
therefore, I willingly observe them.
130 The explanation[g] of your words gives light
and imparts understanding to the simple.
131 I open wide my mouth and sigh,[h]
longing eagerly for your precepts.
132 [i]Turn and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.[j]
133 Guide my steps in accord with your word
and never let evil triumph over me.
134 Rescue me from the oppression of men
so that I may observe your commandments.
135 Allow your face to shine[k] upon your servant
and teach me your decrees.
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because your law is disregarded.[l]
Sadhe
137 [m]You are righteous, O Lord,
and your judgments are right.
138 You have set down your statutes as righteous
and as completely faithful.
139 Zeal has consumed me
because my adversaries ignore your words.
140 Your word has been tested through and through,[n]
and your servant cherishes it.
141 Although I am despised and unimportant,
I do not forget your commands.
142 Your righteousness is everlasting,
and your law is forever true.
143 I am afflicted by anguish and distress,
but your precepts are my delight.
144 Your statutes are forever righteous;
grant me understanding and I will live.
Qoph
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