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 father 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 His mind rejoiced 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, brave warriors, in Jerusalem. 14 These are their numbers according to their ancestral families. For Judah, the commanders of thousands:
Adnah the commander and 300,000 brave warriors with him;
15 next to him, Jehohanan the commander and 280,000 with him;
16 next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer(M) of the Lord, and 200,000 brave warriors with him;
17 from Benjamin, Eliada, a brave warrior, and 200,000 with him armed with bow and shield;
18 next to him, Jehozabad and 180,000 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[a] the Lamb open one of the seven[b] seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”[c][d] 2 I looked, and there was a white horse.(A) The horseman on it had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a victor to conquer.[e]
The Second Seal
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”[f][g] 4 Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its horseman was empowered[h] to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.(B)
The Third Seal
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!”[i][j] And I looked, and there was a black horse. The horseman on it had a set of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius—but do not harm the olive oil and the wine.”
The Fourth Seal
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”[k][l] 8 And I looked, and there was a pale green[m] horse. The horseman on it was named Death, and Hades was following after him. Authority was given to them[n](C) over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.
The Fifth Seal
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the people[o] slaughtered because of God’s word and the testimony they had.[p](D) 10 They cried out with a loud voice: “Lord,[q] the One who is holy and true, how long until You judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?” 11 So a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow slaves and their brothers, who were going to be killed just as they had been.
The Sixth Seal
12 Then I saw Him open[r] the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred; the sun turned black like sackcloth(E) made of goat hair; the entire moon[s] became like blood; 13 the stars[t] of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; 14 the sky separated like a scroll being rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.(F) 16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us(G) from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 because the great day of Their[u] wrath has come! And who is able to stand?”(H)
Third Vision: Surveyor
2 [a]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 livestock in it.”(A) 5 The declaration of the Lord: “I will be a wall(B) of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it.”
6 “Get up! Leave 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 “Go, Zion! Escape, you who are living with Daughter Babylon.” 8 For the Lord of Hosts says this: “He has sent Me[b] for His glory against the nations who are plundering you, for anyone who touches you touches the pupil[c] of His[d] eye. 9 I will move against them with My[e] power, and they will become plunder for their own servants.(D) Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me.[f]
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[g] people.(E) I will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me[h] 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 people be silent(G) before the Lord, for He is coming from His holy dwelling.”
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 Hebrew, which has five colonnades.[b] 3 Within these lay a large number of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed [—waiting for the moving of the water, 4 because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had].[c]
5 One man was there who had been sick for 38 years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time,(C) He said to him, “Do you want to get well?”
7 “Sir,”(D) the sick man answered, “I don’t have a man 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 so the Jews(F) said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath!(G) It’s illegal for you to pick 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 cured did not know who it was,(I) because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.[d]
14 After this, Jesus found him in the temple complex(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)
Honoring the Father and the Son
16 Therefore, the Jews began persecuting(L) Jesus[e] because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.(M) 17 But 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 with God.
19 Then Jesus replied, “I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father[f] does, the Son also does these things in the same way.(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 anyone He wants to.(S) 22 The Father,(T) in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people will 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 “I assure 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 “I assure 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 judgment.
30 “I can do nothing on My own. I judge only as I hear, and My judgment(AC) is righteous,(AD) because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.(AE)
Four Witnesses to Jesus
31 “If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid.[g] 32 There is Another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony He gives about Me is valid.[h](AF) 33 You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth.(AG) 34 I don’t receive man’s testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 John[i](AH) was a burning and shining lamp,(AI) and for a time you were willing to enjoy 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 living in you, because you don’t believe the One He sent. 39 You pore over[j] the Scriptures(AO) because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me.(AP) 40 And you are not willing(AQ) to come to Me(AR) so that you may have life.
41 “I do not accept glory(AS) from men, 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) yet you don’t accept Me.(AV) If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe? While accepting glory from one another, you 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 his writings,(AZ) how will you believe My words?”(BA)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.