M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Reign of Asa in Judah
14 [a] And Abijah slept with his ancestors,[b] and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son became king in his place. In his days the land was at rest ten years. 2 Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God. 3 He removed the foreign altars and high places, broke down the stone pillars, and cut down the Asherahs. 4 And he commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,[c] and to keep the law and the commandment. 5 And he removed the high places and the incense stands from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom had rest under[d] him. 6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land was at rest. Under[e] him there was no war in those years, for Yahweh had given rest to him. 7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates, and bars while the land is before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God. We have sought and he has given rest to us on every side.” So they built and had success. 8 And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, bearing shields and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows. All of these were mighty warriors of strength.
9 Zerah the Cushite came out against them with an army of a thousand thousands and three hundred chariots. And he came to Mareshah. 10 And Asa went out before him, and a battle was put in order in the valley of Zepah at Mareshah.
11 Then Asa cried out to Yahweh his God. And he said, “O Yahweh, there is none with you to help between the great and the powerless. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for we rely upon you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Yahweh, you are our God! Let no man prevail against you!”
12 So Yahweh defeated the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled. 13 Then Asa and the army[f] with him pursued them to Gerar. And many from the Cushites fell, for they had no deliverance, for they were shattered before Yahweh and before his army. And they carried away much war booty. 14 And they struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of Yahweh was upon them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15 And they also struck the tents of the herdsmen and carried away many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
Asa’s Religious Reforms
15 Now Azariah the son of Oded—the Spirit of God came upon him. 2 And he went out before Asa and said to him, “Hear me, O Asa and all of Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you while you are with him. And if you will seek him he will be found by you. But if you forsake him he will forsake you. 3 Now Israel has been without the true God many days, and without a teaching priest, and without law, 4 but at its trouble he returned to Yahweh, the God of Israel. They sought him, and he was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace for the one going out and the one coming in, for great tumults were upon all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 Nation was crushed by nation, and city was against city, for God threw them into confusion by all sorts of trouble. 7 But as for you, be strong and let not your hands be weak, for there is reward for your labor.”
8 And when Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the vile idols from all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of Yahweh that was in front of the portico of Yahweh.
9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those sojourning with them, from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for many had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him. 10 And they were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And they sacrificed to Yahweh on that day from the war booty they brought back: seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. 12 And they entered into a covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,[g] with all their heart and with all their inmost being,[h] 13 but all who will not seek Yahweh the God of Israel should be killed, from young to old, from men to women. 14 And they took an oath to Yahweh with a great voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they swore with all their heart. And they sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and Yahweh gave rest to them all around.
16 And also Maacah, the mother of Asa, the king removed her from being queen, because she had made a repulsive image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her repulsive image, and he crushed and burned it at the Wadi[i] Kidron. 17 But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was fully devoted all his days. 18 And he brought the holy objects of his father and his own holy objects into the house of God—silver and gold and vessels. 19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
The Heavenly Throne
4 After these things I looked, and behold, an open door in heaven, and the former voice that I had heard like a trumpet speaking with me was saying, “Come up here and I will show you the things which must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one was seated on the throne. 3 And the one seated was similar in appearance to jasper and carnelian stone, and a rainbow was around the throne similar in appearance to emerald. 4 And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing, and on their heads were gold crowns. 5 And from the throne came out lightnings and sounds and thunders, and seven torches of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 6 And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 And the first living creature was similar to a lion, and the second living creature was similar to an ox, and the third living creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth living creature was similar to an eagle flying. 8 And the four living creatures, each one[a] of them, had six wings apiece, full of eyes around and inside, and they do not have rest day and night, saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful,[b]
the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever[c], 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever[d], and put down their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
because you have created all things,
and because of your will they existed and were created.”
A Promise to Rebuild
2 In the seventh month on the twenty-first day, the word of Yahweh came through[a] Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3 ‘Who among you is left that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it seem like nothing to you?[b] 4 ‘But now take courage,[c] Zerubbabel,’ declares[d] Yahweh. ‘Take courage,[e] Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and take courage,[f] all the people of the land,’ declares[g] Yahweh. ‘Do the work, because I am with you,’ declares[h] Yahweh of hosts, 5 ‘according to the promise[i] that I covenanted[j] with you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit is with you;[k] do not be afraid.’ 6 For thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations so that the treasure of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house[l] with glory,’ says Yahweh of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares[m] Yahweh of hosts. 9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace’ declares[n] Yahweh of hosts.’”
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Haggai, saying, 11 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Ask now the priests for a ruling:[o] 12 If a man carries[p] consecrated meat in the hem of his garment, and his hem touches bread, or stew, or wine, or olive oil, or any kind of food, will it become holy?’” The priests answered, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from contact with a corpse touches any of these, will it become unclean?” The priests answered, “Yes, it will be become unclean.” 14 And Haggai answered and said, “‘So it is with this people, and with this nation before me,’ declares[q] Yahweh, ‘and so it is with every kind of work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. 15 But now, please consider[r] from this day forward, before one stone was placed on another in the temple of Yahweh, 16 from that time when[s] one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten, and when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures,[t] there were only twenty. 17 I struck you with blight, and with plant mildew, and hail, all the work of your hands. But you did not come back to me,’[u] declares[v] Yahweh. 18 ‘Please consider[w] from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid,[x] consider:[y] 19 Is there still seed in the store chamber? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still produce nothing? From this day forward I will bless you.’”
The Coming Kingdom
20 And the word of Yahweh came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month saying, 21 “Say to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the military strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, every one by the sword of another! 23 ‘On that day,’ declares[z] Yahweh of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ declares[aa] Yahweh, ‘and I will make you a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares[ab] Yahweh of hosts.”
A Meeting with Nicodemus
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees whose name was[a] Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are[b] a teacher who has come from God, for no one is able to perform these signs that you are performing unless God were with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above,[c] he is not able to see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is an old man? He is not able to enter into his mother’s womb for the second time and be born, can he?”[d]
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you to be born from above.’[e] 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly I say to you, we speak what we know, and we testify about what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony! 12 If I tell you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 And no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,[f] thus it is necessary that the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”[g]
God’s Love for the World
16 For in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge[h] the world, but in order that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not judged,[i] but the one who does not believe has already been judged,[j] because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, in order that his deeds may be revealed, that they are done in God.
Additional Testimony by John the Baptist About Jesus
22 After these things Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. 23 Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and they were coming and were being baptized. 24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)
25 So a dispute occurred on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew[k] concerning purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, about whom you testified—look, this one is baptizing, and all are coming to him!”
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive not one thing unless it is granted to him from heaven! 28 You yourselves testify about me that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I am sent before that one.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly[l] because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. 30 It is necessary for that one to increase, but for me to decrease.”
31 The one who comes from above is over all. The one who is from the earth is from the earth and speaks from the earth; the one who comes from heaven is over all. 32 What he has seen and heard, this he testifies, and no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who accepts his testimony has attested that God is true. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life—but the wrath of God remains on him.[m]
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