M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Elijah in the Whirlwind
2 The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven(A) in a whirlwind.(B) Elijah and Elisha(C) were traveling from Gilgal,(D) 2 and Elijah said to Elisha,(E) “Stay here;(F) the Lord is sending me on to Bethel.”(G)
But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”(H) So they went down to Bethel.
3 Then the sons of the prophets(I) who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?” (J)
He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”(K)
But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5 Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”
He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”
6 Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.”(L)
But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7 Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood observing them at a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his mantle,(M) rolled it up, and struck the water, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.(N) 9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.”
So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit.”(O)
10 Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you,(P) you will have it. If not, you won’t.”
11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire(Q) suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind.(R) 12 As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” (S)
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
When he could see him no longer, he took hold of his own clothes, tore them in two,(T) 13 picked up the mantle(U) that had fallen off Elijah, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle Elijah had dropped, and he struck the water. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the water himself, and it parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.
15 When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were observing saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him.
16 Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Since there are fifty strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.”(V)
He answered, “Don’t send them.”
17 However, they urged him to the point of embarrassment,(W) so he said, “Send them.” They sent fifty men, who looked for three days but did not find him. 18 When they returned to him in Jericho(X) where he was staying, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “My lord can see that even though the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”(Y)
20 He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.”(Z)
After they had brought him one, 21 Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it,(AA) and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’” 22 Therefore, the water still remains healthy today according to the word that Elisha spoke.
23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel.(AB) As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him,(AC) chanting, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord.(AD) Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the children. 25 From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel,(AE) and then he returned to Samaria.(AF)
The Man of Lawlessness
2 Now concerning the coming(A) of our Lord(B) Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him: We ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy[a](C) or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord[b](D) has come.(E) 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy[c] comes first and the man of lawlessness[d] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god(F) or object of worship,(G) so that he sits[e] in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? 6 And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time.(H) 7 For the mystery of lawlessness(I) is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, 8 and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth(J) and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders serving the lie,(K) 10 and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved.(L) 11 For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lie, 12 so that all will be condemned(M)—those who did not believe(N) the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.
Stand Firm
13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning[f] God has chosen(O) you for salvation through sanctification(P) by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory(Q) of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm(R) and hold to the traditions you were taught,(S) whether by what we said or what we wrote.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved(T) us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.
The Plot against Daniel
6 Darius decided[a] to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, 2 and over them three administrators, including Daniel.(A) These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded.(B) 3 Daniel[b] distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit,(C) so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.(D) 4 The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel(E) regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption,(F) for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”(G)
6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.(H) 7 All the administrators of the kingdom(I)—the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors—have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.(J) 8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict(K) and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”(L) 9 So King Darius signed the written edict.(M)
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem,(N) and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God,(O) just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found(P) Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. 12 So they approached the king(Q) and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for thirty days any person who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands[c] and is irrevocable.”(R)
13 Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you,(S) the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.” 14 As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel(T) and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.
15 Then these men went together to the king and said to him, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”(U)
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.(V) The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you continually serve,(W) rescue you!” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den.(X) The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting.(Y) No diversions[d] were brought to him, and he could not sleep.(Z)
Daniel Released
19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said,[e] “has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you(AA) from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. 22 My God sent his angel(AB) and shut the lions’ mouths; and they haven’t harmed me, for I was found innocent before him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God.(AC) 24 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel[f](AD) were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives.(AE) They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Darius Honors God
25 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live on the whole earth: “May your prosperity abound.(AF) 26 I issue a decree(AG) that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:(AH)
For he is the living God,
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will never be destroyed,(AI)
and his dominion has no end.
27 He rescues and delivers;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,(AJ)
for he has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered(AK) during the reign of Darius and[g] the reign of Cyrus the Persian.(AL)
Psalm 112
The Traits of the Righteous
1 Hallelujah![a]
Happy is the person who fears the Lord,
taking great delight in his commands.(A)
2 His descendants will be powerful in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.(B)
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,(C)
and his righteousness endures forever.(D)
4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright.(E)
He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.(F)
5 Good will come to the one who lends generously
and conducts his business fairly.(G)
6 He will never be shaken.(H)
The righteous one will be remembered forever.(I)
7 He will not fear bad news;
his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.(J)
8 His heart is assured; he will not fear.(K)
In the end he will look in triumph on his foes.(L)
9 He distributes freely to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.(M)
His horn will be exalted in honor.(N)
10 The wicked one will see it and be angry;
he will gnash his teeth in despair.(O)
The desire of the wicked leads to ruin.(P)
Psalm 113
Praise to the Merciful God
1 Hallelujah!
Give praise, servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.(Q)
2 Let the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and forever.(R)
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
let the name of the Lord be praised.(S)
4 The Lord is exalted above all the nations,(T)
his glory above the heavens.(U)
5 Who is like the Lord our God—
the one enthroned on high,(V)
6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?(W)
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the trash heap(X)
8 in order to seat them with nobles—
with the nobles of his people.(Y)
9 He gives the childless woman a household,
making her the joyful mother of children.(Z)
Hallelujah!
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