M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Judah’s King Jehoshaphat
17 His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place(A) and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah(B) and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.(C)
3 Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his ancestor David.[a] He did not seek the Baals 4 but sought the God of his father and walked by his commands, not according to the practices of Israel.(D) 5 So the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance.(E) 6 He took great pride in the Lord’s ways, and he again(F) removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.(G)
Jehoshaphat’s Educational Plan
7 In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials—Ben-hail,[b] Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah—to teach in the cities of Judah.(H) 8 The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah,[c] Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites. 9 They taught throughout Judah, having the book of the Lord’s instruction with them.(I) They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.
10 The terror of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah,(J) so they didn’t fight against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.(K)
Jehoshaphat’s Military Might
12 Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses(L) and storage cities in Judah 13 and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had fighting men, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem. 14 These are their numbers according to their ancestral families.[d] For Judah, the commanders of thousands:
Adnah the commander and three hundred thousand valiant warriors with him;
15 next to him, Jehohanan the commander and two hundred eighty thousand with him;
16 next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer(M) of the Lord, and two hundred thousand valiant warriors with him;
17 from Benjamin, Eliada, a valiant warrior, and two hundred thousand with him armed with bow and shield;
18 next to him, Jehozabad and one hundred eighty thousand with him equipped for war.
19 These were the ones who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.(N)
The First Seal on the Scroll
6 Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven[a] seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder,(A) “Come!” 2 I looked, and there was a white horse.(B) Its rider held a bow;(C) a crown(D) was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer.[b]
The Second Seal
3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse went out, a fiery red one,(E) and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.(F)
The Third Seal
5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse.(G) Its rider held a set of scales in his hand.(H) 6 Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,[c] and three quarts of barley for a denarius,(I) but do not harm the oil and the wine.”(J)
The Fourth Seal
7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and there was a pale green[d] horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following after him.(K) They were[e] given authority(L) over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.(M)
The Fifth Seal
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given.[f](N) 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord,[g] the one who is holy and true,(O) how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?(P)” 11 So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been.
The Sixth Seal
12 Then I saw him open[h] the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred;(Q) the sun turned black like sackcloth(R) made of hair; the entire moon[i] became like blood;(S) 13 the stars[j] of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; 14 the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up;(T) and every mountain and island was moved from its place.(U)
15 Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.(V) 16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us(W) from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 because the great day of their[k] wrath has come! And who is able to stand?” (X)
Third Vision: Surveyor
2 I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem to determine its width and length.”
3 Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel went out to meet him. 4 He said to him, “Run and tell this young man: Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the number of people and animals in it.”(A) 5 The declaration of the Lord: “I myself will be a wall(B) of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it.”
6 “Listen! Listen! Flee from the land of the north”(C)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 7 “Listen, Zion! Escape, you who are living with Daughter Babylon.” 8 For the Lord of Armies says this: “In pursuit of his glory, he sent me against the nations plundering you, for whoever touches you touches the pupil[a] of my[b] eye. 9 For look, I am raising my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their own servants.(D) Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me.
10 “Daughter Zion, shout for joy and be glad, for I am coming to dwell among you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and become my[c] people.(E) I will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will take possession of Judah as his portion in the Holy Land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem.(F) 13 Let all humanity be silent(G) before the Lord, for from his holy dwelling he has roused himself.”
The Third Sign: Healing the Sick
5 After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(A) 2 By the Sheep Gate(B) in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda[a] in Aramaic, which has five colonnades. 3 Within these lay a large number of the disabled—blind, lame, and paralyzed.[b]
5 One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time,(C) he said to him, “Do you want to get well?”
7 “Sir,”(D) the disabled man answered, “I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.”
8 “Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk.” 9 Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk.
Now that day was the Sabbath,(E) 10 and so the Jews(F) said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath.(G) The law prohibits you from picking up your mat.”
11 He replied, “The man who made me well(H) told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
12 “Who is this man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” they asked. 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was,(I) because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.[c]
14 After this, Jesus found him in the temple(J) and said to him, “See, you are well. Do not sin anymore, so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.” 15 The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.(K) 16 Therefore, the Jews began persecuting(L) Jesus[d] because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.(M)
Honoring the Father and the Son
17 Jesus responded to them, “My Father(N) is still working, and I am working also.” 18 This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill him:(O) Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.
19 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father[e] does, the Son likewise does these things.(P) 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him greater works(Q) than these so that you will be amazed. 21 And just as the Father raises(R) the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants.(S) 22 The Father,(T) in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.(U) Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.(V)
Life and Judgment
24 “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life(W) and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.
25 “Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here,(X) when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.(Y) 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the Son(Z) to have life in himself. 27 And he has granted him the right to pass judgment,(AA) because he is the Son of Man.(AB) 28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation.
30 “I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment(AC) is just,(AD) because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.(AE)
Witnesses to Jesus
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony he gives about me is true.(AF) 33 You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth.(AG) 34 I don’t receive human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 John[f](AH) was a burning and shining lamp,(AI) and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.(AJ)
36 “But I have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father has given me to accomplish.(AK) These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sent(AL) me. 37 The Father who sent me has himself testified(AM) about me. You have not heard his voice at any time, and you haven’t seen his form.(AN) 38 You don’t have his word residing in you, because you don’t believe the one he sent. 39 You pore over the Scriptures(AO) because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me.(AP) 40 But you are not willing(AQ) to come to me(AR) so that you may have life.
41 “I do not accept glory(AS) from people, 42 but I know you—that you have no love for God(AT) within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name,(AU) and yet you don’t accept me.(AV) If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only(AW) God?(AX) 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses,(AY) on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you don’t believe what he wrote,(AZ) how will you believe my words?”(BA)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.