M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jehoahaz Becomes King(A)
36 After this, the people of the land installed Josiah’s son Jehoahaz in Jerusalem as king to take his father’s place. 2 Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem, 3 after which the king of Egypt dethroned him and imposed a fine on the land of 100 talents[a] of silver and one talent[b] of gold. 4 King Neco of Egypt installed Jehoahaz’s[c] brother Eliakim as king over Judah and Jerusalem, changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim, and took his brother Joahaz back to Egypt.
Jehoiakim’s Reign; Nebuchadnezzar’s First Capture of Jerusalem
5 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, but he practiced what the Lord his God considered to be evil. 6 As a result, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him, bound him in bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also took articles from the Lord’s Temple to Babylon and placed them in his temple in Babylon. 8 The rest of Jehoiakim’s accomplishments—along with the detestable things that he did that were recorded in his disfavor—are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin became king to replace him.
Jechoiachin’s Reign; Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Capture of Jerusalem
9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months and ten days in Jerusalem, all the while doing what the Lord considered to be evil. 10 At the beginning of the next year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, along with valuable articles from the Lord’s Temple, and he installed Jehoiachin’s relative Zedekiah as king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah Rules in Judah(B)
11 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He practiced what the Lord his God considered to be evil and never humbled himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the Lord. 13 Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear allegiance in the name of[d] God. Instead, he stiffened his resolve,[e] and hardened his heart, and would not return to the Lord God of Israel.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Third Capture of Jerusalem(C)
14 Meanwhile, all the officials who supervised the priests and the people remained unfaithful, following the detestable example of the surrounding nations. They polluted the Lord’s Temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem. 15 The Lord God of their ancestors pleaded with them time and again through his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on the place of his residence, 16 but they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until there was no remedy for the wrath of the Lord that arose to punish[f] his people. 17 Therefore he brought up the king of the Chaldeans against them, who executed their young men in the holy Temple, showing no compassion on young man or young virgin, adult men or the aged. God gave them all into the king’s control, 18 who took back to Babylon every article in God’s Temple, whether large or small, including the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple, the king’s assets, and those of his officers. 19 After this, they set fire to God’s Temple, demolished the wall around Jerusalem, burned all of its fortified buildings, and destroyed everything of value. 20 Nebuchadnezzar[g] carried off to Babylon those who survived the executions, and they served him and his descendants until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 All of this fulfilled what the Lord had predicted through Jeremiah. And so the land enjoyed its Sabbaths, and the length of the land’s desolation lasted until a 70-year long Sabbath had been completed.
An Edict to Rebuild the Temple(D)
22 During the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in fulfillment of the message from the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord prompted[h] Cyrus, king of Persia, to make this proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, which was also released in written form:
23 An Official Statement
from[i] Cyrus, King of Persia
All of the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by the Lord God of Heaven, and he specifically charged me to build a temple[j] for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Therefore, who among the Lord’s[k] people trusts in his God? Whoever among this group wishes to do so may travel to Jerusalem.[l]
The Vision of the River of the Water of Life
22 Then the angel[a] showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal. It was flowing from the throne of God and the lamb. 2 Between the city street and the river, the tree of life was visible from each side. It produced twelve kinds of fruit, each month having its own fruit. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the lamb will be in the city.[b] His servants will worship him 4 and see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night, and they will not need any light from lamps or the sun because the Lord God will shine on them. They will rule forever and ever.
He is Coming Soon
6 He told me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord God of the spirits and of the prophets has sent his messenger[c] to show his servants the things that must happen soon.”
7 “See! I am coming soon! How blessed is the person who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book!”
The Vision of an Exhortation to Worship God
8 I, John, heard and saw these things. When I had heard and seen them, I bowed down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing me these things. 9 But he told me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words in this book. Worship God!”
10 Then he told me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does what is evil continue to do what is evil. Let the filthy person continue to be filthy. Let the righteous person continue to do what is right. And let the holy person continue to be holy.”
Concluding Benediction
12 “See! I am coming soon! My reward is with me to repay everyone according to his behavior. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.[d]
14 “How blessed are those who wash their robes[e] so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city! 15 Outside are dogs, sorcerers, immoral people, murderers, idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give this testimony to you for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Concluding Invitation
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
Let everyone who hears this say, “Come!”
Let everyone who is thirsty come!
Let anyone who wants the water of life take it as a gift!
Concluding Warning
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy in this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will strike him with the plagues that are written in this book. 19 If anyone takes away any words from the book of this prophecy, God will take away his portion of the tree of life and the holy city that are described in this book.
Epilogue
20 The one who is testifying to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints.
Amen.[f]
The Great Day of the Lord
4 [a]“The coming day[b] is certainly going to burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and all who practice evil will be stubble—the coming day will set them on fire,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in its light[c] for those who fear my name. You will go out and leap like calves released[d] from their stalls 3 and trample down the wicked. Indeed, they will become ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I do this,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
The Coming of Elijah the Prophet
4 “Remember the Law of Moses my servant that I gave him at Horeb for all Israel—both the decrees and laws.
5 “Pay attention! I’m sending Elijah the prophet to you before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord comes, 6 and he will turn the hearts of fathers to children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I’ll come, strike the land, and utterly destroy it.”
Jesus Appears to Seven of His Disciples
21 Later on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is what happened: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin),[a] Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two of his other disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.”
They all told him, “We’ll go with you, too.” So they went out and got into the boat but didn’t catch a thing that night.
4 Just as dawn was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore. The disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus. 5 Jesus asked them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?”
They answered him, “No.”
6 He told them, “Throw the net on the right hand side of the boat, and you’ll catch[b] some.” So they threw it out and were unable to haul it in because it was so full of fish.
7 That disciple whom Jesus kept loving told Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his clothes back on, because he was practically naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. They were only about 200 cubits[c] away from the shore.
9 When they arrived at the shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish lying on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus told them, “Bring me some of the fish you’ve just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish—153 of them. And although there were so many of them, the net was not torn.
12 Then Jesus told them, “Come, have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”, because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus took the bread, gave it to them, and did[d] the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.
Jesus Speaks with Peter
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Peter[e] told him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus[f] told him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Then he asked him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter[g] told him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus[h] told him, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 He asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So he told him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!”
Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep. 18 “Truly, I tell you[i] emphatically, when you were young, you would fasten your belt and go wherever you liked. But when you get old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten your belt and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Now he said this to show by what kind of death he would glorify God.
After saying this, Jesus[j] told him, “Keep following me.”
Jesus and the Beloved Disciple
20 Peter turned around and noticed the disciple whom Jesus kept loving following them. He was the one who had put his head on Jesus’ chest at the supper and had asked, “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”
21 When Peter saw him, he said, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus told him, “If it’s my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you? You must keep following me!” 23 So the rumor spread among the brothers[k] that this disciple wasn’t going to die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to Peter[l] that he wasn’t going to die, but, “If it’s my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you?”
24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25 Of course, Jesus also did many other things, and I suppose that if every one of them were written down, the world couldn’t contain the books that would be written.
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