M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
14 It was in the second year of Yo’ash son of Y’ho’achaz king of Isra’el that Amatzyah the son of Yo’ash king of Y’hudah began his reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Y’ho‘adan, from Yerushalayim. 3 He did what was right from Adonai’s perspective, although not like David his ancestor; he lived the same way as his father Yo’ash. 4 However, the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and offered on the high places.
5 As soon as he had the kingdom firmly under his control, he put to death the servants of his who had murdered the king his father. 6 But he did not put the children of the murderers to death, because of what is written in the scroll of the Torah of Moshe, as Adonai ordered when he said, “Fathers are not to be executed for the children, nor are children to be executed for the fathers; every person will be executed for his own sin.”
7 He slaughtered 10,000 men of Edom in the Salt Valley and captured Sela in the war, renaming it Yokte’el, as it is today. 8 Then Amatzyah sent messengers to Y’ho’ash the son of Y’ho’achaz, son of Yehu, king of Isra’el, with this challenge: “Come on, let’s have it out face-to-face.” 9 Y’ho’ash the king of Isra’el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y’hudah: “Once, in the L’vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it. 10 True, you have defeated Edom, and now you’re ambitious. So enjoy the glory, but stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y’hudah’s too?” 11 But Amatzyah wouldn’t listen. So Y’ho’ash king of Isra’el went up; and he and Amatzyah king of Y’hudah had it out face-to-face at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Y’hudah. 12 Y’hudah was defeated by Isra’el, and every man fled to his tent. 13 Y’ho’ash king of Isra’el took Amatzyah king of Y’hudah, the son of Y’ho’ash the son of Achazyah, prisoner at Beit-Shemesh. Then he went to Yerushalayim and demolished the wall of Yerushalayim between the Gate of Efrayim and the Corner Gate, a section 600 feet long. 14 He took all the gold and silver, all the articles he could find in the house of Adonai and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and hostages; then he returned to Shomron.
15 Other activities of Y’ho’ash that he did, his power and how he fought Amatzyah king of Y’hudah are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. 16 Y’ho’ash slept with his ancestors and was buried in Shomron with the kings of Isra’el. Then Yarov‘am took his place as king.
17 Amatzyah the son of Yo’ash king of Y’hudah lived another fifteen years after the death of Y’ho’ash son of Y’ho’achaz, king of Isra’el. 18 Other activities of Amatzyah are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah.
19 Because of a conspiracy formed against him in Yerushalayim, Amatzyah fled to Lakhish; but they followed him to Lakhish and killed him there. 20 They brought his body back on horses, and he was buried in Yerushalayim with his ancestors in the City of David. 21 Then all the people of Y’hudah took ‘Azaryah at the age of sixteen and made him king in place of his father Amatzyah.
22 ‘Azaryah recovered Eilat for Y’hudah and rebuilt it; after that the king [Amatzyahu] slept with his ancestors.
23 It was in the fifteenth year of Amatzyah the son of Yo’ash, king of Y’hudah, that Yarov‘am the son of Yo’ash, king of Isra’el, began to reign in Shomron; and he ruled for forty-one years. 24 He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective; he did not turn from all the sins of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, who made Isra’el sin.
25 He recovered the territory of Isra’el between the entrance of Hamat and the sea of the ‘Aravah, in keeping with the word of Adonai the God of Isra’el, which he spoke through his servant Yonah the son of Amitai, the prophet from Gat-Hefer. 26 For Adonai saw how bitterly Isra’el had suffered, with no one left, either slave or free, and no one coming to Isra’el’s aid. 27 Adonai did not threaten to blot out the name of Isra’el from under heaven, but saved them through Yarov‘am the son of Yo’ash.
28 Other activities of Yarov‘am, all his accomplishments, all his power, how he conducted war and how he recovered Dammesek and Hamat for Y’hudah in Isra’el are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. 29 Yarov‘am slept with his ancestors the kings of Isra’el, and Z’kharyah took his place as king.
4 I solemnly charge you before God and the Messiah Yeshua, who will judge the living and the dead when he appears and establishes his Kingdom: 2 proclaim the Word! Be on hand with it whether the time seems right or not. Convict, censure and exhort with unfailing patience and with teaching.
3 For the time is coming when people will not have patience for sound teaching, but will cater to their passions and gather around themselves teachers who say whatever their ears itch to hear. 4 Yes, they will stop listening to the truth, but will turn aside to follow myths.
5 But you, remain steady in every situation, endure suffering, do the work that a proclaimer of the Good News should, and do everything your service to God requires.
6 For as for me, I am already being poured out on the altar; yes, the time for my departure has arrived. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness which the Lord, “the Righteous Judge,” will award to me on that Day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for him to appear.
9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, because he has fallen in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone off to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia; Titus has gone to Dalmatia — 11 only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, because he is a very useful helper in my work. 12 But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the coat which I left with Carpus in Troas, also the scrolls and especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will render to him according to his works;[a] 15 and you should guard against him, because he bitterly opposed everything we said.
16 The first time I had to present my defense, no one stood by me; everyone deserted me — may it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me power to proclaim the full message for all the Goyim to hear, and I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.[b] 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus has remained in Corinth, and Trophimus I left ill at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
7 when I am ready to heal Isra’el,
the crimes of Efrayim confront me,
along with the wickedness of Shomron.
For they keep practicing deceit;
thieves break in, bands of robbers raid outside.
2 They never say to themselves
that I remember all their evil.
Now their own deeds surround them;
they are right in front of me.
3 They make the king glad with their wickedness,
and the leaders with their lies.
4 They are all adulterers,
like an oven heated by the baker,
who doesn’t stoke the fire
from kneading time till the dough has risen.
5 “On their king’s special day
the leaders inflame him with wine,
and he joins hands with scorners,
6 who ready themselves like an oven
while they wait for their chance.
Their baker sleeps through the night;
then in the morning it bursts into flame.
7 They are all as hot as an oven,
and they devour their judges.
All their kings have fallen;
not one of them calls out to me.
8 “Efrayim mixes himself with the peoples,
Efrayim has become a half-baked cake.
9 Foreigners have eaten up his strength,
but he doesn’t know it;
yes, gray hairs appear on him here and there,
but he doesn’t know it.
10 The pride of Isra’el testifies in his face,
but in spite of all this they haven’t returned
to Adonai their God or sought him.
11 Efrayim behaves like a silly, foolish dove —
going to Egypt, then to Ashur for help.
12 Even as they go, I will spread my net over them;
I will bring them down like birds from the sky;
I will discipline them, as their assembly was told.
13 Woe to them! for they have strayed from me.
Destruction to them! for they have wronged me.
Am I supposed to redeem them,
when they have spoken lies against me?
14 They have not cried out to me from their hearts,
even though they wail on their beds.
They assemble themselves for grain and wine,
yet turn away from me.
15 It was I who trained and strengthened their arms,
yet they plot evil against me.
16 They return, but not upward;
they are like an unreliable bow.
Their leaders will die by the sword
because of their angry talk.
They will become a laughingstock
in the land of Egypt.
120 (0) A song of ascents:
(1) I called to Adonai in my distress,
and he answered me.
2 Rescue me, Adonai, from lips that tell lies,
from a tongue full of deceit.
3 What has he in store for you, deceitful tongue?
What more will he do to you?
4 A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with red-hot coals from a broom tree.
5 How wretched I am, that I’m an alien in Meshekh,
that I must live among the tents of Keidar!
6 I have had to live far too long
with those who hate peace.
7 I am all for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
121 (0) A song of ascents:
(1) If I raise my eyes to the hills,
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from Adonai,
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip —
your guardian is not asleep.
4 No, the guardian of Isra’el
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 Adonai is your guardian; at your right hand
Adonai provides you with shade —
6 the sun can’t strike you during the day
or even the moon at night.
7 Adonai will guard you against all harm;
he will guard your life.
8 Adonai will guard your coming and going
from now on and forever.
122 (0) A song of ascents. By David:
(1) I was glad when they said to me,
“The house of Adonai! Let’s go!”
2 Our feet were already standing
at your gates, Yerushalayim.
3 Yerushalayim, built as a city
fostering friendship and unity.
4 The tribes have gone up there, the tribes of Adonai,
as a witness to Isra’el,
to give thanks to the name of Adonai.
5 For there the thrones of justice were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for shalom in Yerushalayim;
may those who love you prosper.
7 May shalom be within your ramparts,
prosperity in your palaces.
8 For the sake of my family and friends, I say,
“Shalom be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of Adonai our God,
I will seek your well-being.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.