M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 3
Joram’s Campaign against Moab. 1 Joram, the son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of the reign of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and he reigned for twelve years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as bad as his father and his mother. He removed the idol of Baal that his father had made. 3 Still, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, causing Israel to sin. He did not turn away from them.
4 Mesha, the king of Moab, tended sheep. He had to give the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool from one hundred thousand sheep. 5 When Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 King Joram went out from Samaria and he gathered together all of Israel. 7 He sent this message to Jehoshaphat, the king of Israel: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you not go out with me to fight against Moab?” He answered, “I will go. My people are your people, and my horses are your horses.” 8 He said, “By which way should we go up?” He answered, “By way of the Desert of Edom.”
9 The king of Israel went out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. They wandered around for seven days, but there was no water for the army or the animals that followed them. 10 The king of Israel said, “What? Has the Lord called three kings together only to hand them over into the hands of Moab?” 11 Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord so that we can inquire of the Lord through him?” A servant of the king of Israel answered, “There is Elisha, the son of Shaphat. He used to pour water onto the hands of Elijah.”[a] 12 Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.”
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 But Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do you and I have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and your mother.” The king of Israel said, “No, the Lord called together these three kings to deliver them into the hands of Moab.” 14 Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives before whom I stand, if it were not for the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I would not even look at you or take notice of you. 15 Now, bring a harpist to me.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon him. 16 He said, “Thus says the Lord: Fill this valley with ditches. 17 For thus says the Lord: You will see neither wind nor rain, but this valley will fill up with water for you and your animals to drink. 18 This will be easy for the Lord, and he will also hand over the Moabites into your hands. 19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every larger city. You will cut down every good tree, stop up every well, and scatter stones in every good field.”
20 In the morning while they were offering a sacrifice, water came flowing from Edom. The land was filled with water. 21 The Moabites heard that the kings were coming to fight against them, and they gathered together everyone who was old enough to put on armor and older and they stationed them on the border.
22 When they got up in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and the Moabites saw that the water on the other side was as red as blood.[b] 23 They said, “This is blood. Surely the kings have attacked and killed one another. To the spoil, Moab!”
24 When they arrived at the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and defeated the Moabites who fled before them. They pushed forward, cutting down the Moabites. 25 They then destroyed the cities, and each cast his stone onto a good piece of land, filling it in. They stopped up all of the wells, and they cut down all of the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir-hareseth, although the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 They took his oldest son who would have reigned in his stead, and they offered him up as a burnt offering upon the wall. They were furious at Israel. They departed and returned to their own land.
Chapter 3
Request for Prayers. 1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, as it was with you. 2 Pray too that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.
3 However, the Lord is faithful. He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do all that we direct you to do. 5 May the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ.
Christian Value of Work.[a] 6 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, brethren, we command you to keep your distance from any of the brethren who are living an idle existence and who disregard the tradition you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you should follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We did not ever accept food from anyone, but with toil and drudgery we worked night and day so that we would not burden any of you. 9 We did so, not because we have no right to accept such help, but to present ourselves as a model for you to imitate.
10 In fact, even when we were with you, we charged that anyone who was unwilling to work should not eat. 11 Now we have been told that some among you are living a life of idleness, not working but acting as busybodies. 12 We command and urge such people in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and earn their own living.
13 Brethren, never grow weary of doing what is right. 14 If anyone refuses to obey our instructions in this letter, take note of him and have nothing to do with him so that he may be put to shame. 15 However, do not treat him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Conclusion[b]
16 Final Prayer. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
17 Final Blessing. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. It is the distinguishing mark of every letter of mine. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Apocalypse: Visions of Daniel concerning the Future[a]
The Visions of the Beasts and the Son of Man[b]
Chapter 7
Four Great Beasts Come Up from the Sea.[c] 1 In the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and experienced visions in his mind as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down his account of the dream as follows:
2 In the vision I saw during the night, I, Daniel, beheld the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four huge beasts then emerged from the sea, each one different from the others. 4 The first was like a lion, but with the wings of an eagle. As I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet as if it were a human being. It was also given a human heart.
5 Then a second beast appeared that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. The order was given to it: “Arise and gorge yourself with bodies.”
6 After this, as I watched, another beast appeared, like a leopard. On its back it had four wings like those of a bird, and it had four heads. This beast was given dominion.
7 After this, in my night visions, I beheld a fourth beast terrifying, fearsome, and exceedingly strong. With its great iron teeth it devoured and crushed its victims, and it trampled their remains with its feet. It was different from all of the preceding beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 While I was gazing up at these horns, I beheld another horn, a small one, sprouting in their midst. Three of the other horns were uprooted to make room for it. This horn had eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that spoke with arrogance.
One Like the Son of Man[d]
9 While I was watching,
thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient One sat on his throne.
His robe was as white as snow,
and the hair on his head was as pure as wool.
His throne was ablaze with fiery flames,
and its wheels were a burning fire.
10 A stream of fire surged forth
and flowed out from his presence.
Thousands upon thousands served him,
and myriads upon myriads stood before him.
The court was in session,
and the books lay open.
11 Then I continued to watch because of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched the beast was put to death. Its body was destroyed and thrown into the fire to be consumed. 12 As for the other beasts, they lost their dominion, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 As the night visions continued,
I beheld approaching on the clouds of heaven
one like a son of man.
He came before the Ancient One
and was presented to him.
14 Dominion and glory and kingship
were conferred upon him
so that all peoples and nations of every language
would become his servants.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that will never pass away,
and his kingdom is one
that will never be destroyed.
15 The Kingdom of the Holy Ones of the Most High. I, Daniel, experienced great anguish of spirit, and the visions that flashed through my mind truly terrified me. 16 Therefore, I approached one of those who were standing there and asked him what all this truly signified. He in turn revealed to me what all these things meant, 17 “These four great beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. 18 But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive kingly power and possess it forever and ever.”
19 Then I expressed my desire to know about the fourth beast, since it was different from all the rest, and terrifying to behold with its iron teeth and bronze claws, and trampling underfoot and devouring its victims. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head, and why the other horn sprouted, before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and an arrogant mouth, and whose appearance was more imposing than that of the others.
21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy ones and prevailing over them, 22 until the Ancient One came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, and the time came when the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom. 23 This is the explanation he offered:
“As for the fourth beast,
it signifies a fourth kingdom on earth
that will differ from all other kingdoms.
It shall devour the earth,
trample it underfoot, and crush it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns,
from this kingdom ten kings shall rise,
and another shall arise after them.
This last king will be different from the earlier ones,
and he will overcome three kings.
25 He will insult the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High
in his stubborn determination
to change the sacred seasons and the law.
They shall be given into his power
for a time, two times, and half a time.
26 Finally the court will sit in judgment,
and his power will be taken away,
with his sovereignty completely destroyed forever.
27 Then kingship and dominion and the splendor
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
will be given to the holy people of the Most High,
whose kingdom will be everlasting,
and all dominions will serve and obey him.”
28 Here the account ends. I, Daniel, was greatly disturbed by my thoughts, and I turned pale, but I kept these things to myself.
Psalm 114[a]
The Lord’s Wonders at the Exodus
1 [b]When Israel came out of Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of alien tongue,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary
and Israel his domain.
3 [c]The sea fled at the sight;
the Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs of the flock.
5 [d]What causes you to flee, O sea?
Why, O Jordan, do you turn back?
6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,
and like lambs of the flock, O hills?
7 [e]Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turns the rock into a pool of water,
and flint into a flowing spring.
Psalm 115[f]
Hymn to the Lord, the One God
1 [g]Not to us,[h] O Lord, not to us,
but to your name give glory
because of your kindness and faithfulness.
2 Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”[i]
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever he pleases.[j]
4 Their idols are merely silver and gold,
the work of human hands.[k]
5 They have mouths but they cannot speak;
they have eyes but they cannot see.
6 They have ears but they cannot hear;
they have noses but they cannot smell.
7 They have hands but they cannot feel;
they have feet but they cannot walk;
their throats can emit no sound.
8 Those who make them end up like them,
as do all who place their trust in them.
9 [l]The house of Israel trusts in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
10 The house of Aaron trusts in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
11 Those who fear the Lord trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
12 [m]The Lord will be mindful of us and bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,
the small no less than the great.[n]
14 [o]May the Lord cause you to increase,
both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
16 [p]The heavens belong to the Lord,
but he has given the earth to humanity.
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
those who sink into silence.[q]
18 It is we who bless the Lord
from this time forward and forevermore.[r]
Alleluia.
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