M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Elijah is Taken to Heaven
2 As the time drew near when the Lord was about to take Elijah to heaven in a wind storm, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah instructed Elisha, “Remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me as far as Bethel.”
But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives, I’m not going to leave you while you’re still alive!” So they both went on to Bethel.
3 When the Guild of Prophets[a] who lived in Bethel came out to greet Elisha, they asked him, “You are aware, aren’t you, that later today the Lord is going to remove your master from being your mentor?”[b]
“Of course I’m aware of it,” he said. “Calm down.”
4 Elijah also spoke to him, “Elisha, remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”
But Elisha responded, “As the Lord lives, and while you’re still alive, I’m not going to leave you!” So they went to Jericho.
5 The Guild of Prophets who lived in Jericho approached Elisha and asked him, “You are aware, aren’t you, that later today the Lord is going to remove your master from being your mentor?”[c]
“Of course I’m aware of it,” he said. “Calm down.”
6 Elijah also spoke to him, “Elisha, remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me to the Jordan River.”[d]
But Elisha responded, “As the Lord lives, and while you’re still alive, I’m not going to leave you!” So they went on their way,[e] 7 accompanied by 50 men from the Guild of Prophets, who stood at a short distance from them while they were both standing by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took off his ornamented cloak, wrapped it up in a roll, struck the water, and all of a sudden the water divided into two parts! One side of the river stood still opposite the other until the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed the Jordan River,[f] Elijah invited Elisha, “Ask me what you want me to do for you before I’m taken away from you.”
So Elisha asked, “Please, may there be a double portion of[g] your spirit upon me!”
10 “That’s a hard thing to ask for,” Elijah answered, “but if you see me while I’m being taken from you, it will happen for you. But if you don’t see me, it won’t happen.”
11 As they continued on, talking as they went, suddenly chariots blazing with fire and pulled by fiery horses appeared, separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a wind storm to heaven! 12 As Elisha continued to watch, he cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and its cavalry!”[h] Then he did not see Elijah anymore.
After this, Elisha[i] gripped his clothes that he was wearing, tore them apart into two pieces, 13 picked up Elijah’s ornamented cloak that had fallen from him, and went back to stand on the bank of the Jordan River.[j] 14 Elisha[k] took hold of Elijah’s ornamental cloak that had been left behind,[l] struck the water, and cried out: “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” All of a sudden, after he had struck the water, the water divided into two parts! One side of the river stood opposite the other, and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha is Recognized as Elijah’s Successor
15 As soon as the Guild of Prophets who lived adjacent to Jericho saw Elisha,[m] they began to announce, “The spirit[n] of Elijah is at rest on Elisha!” So they came out to meet him and they greeted him by bowing low to the ground in front of him.
16 Then they asked Elisha,[o] “Look! We have 50 valiant men here with your servant! Please let them go out and search for your master Elijah.[p] Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up on a mountain or into a valley.”
Elisha responded, “Don’t bother searching.”
17 But they persisted until he was frustrated, so he said, “Send them out!” So they sent out the 50 men, and they looked around for three days but did not find Elijah.[q] 18 By the time they returned, Elisha[r] was living in Jericho. Then Elisha asked them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Elisha Cures the Waters of Jericho
19 The men who lived in the city addressed Elisha. “Look now,” they said, “our[s] city’s location is good, as you[t] have been observing, but the water springs[u] here are bad and the land isn’t sustaining crops.”
20 Elisha ordered them, “Bring me a new bowl and put some salt in it.” So they brought him what he had requested.[v]
21 Elisha went out to the springs, threw the salt into them, and declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have purified these waters. Neither death nor barrenness is to flow from them anymore.’” 22 As a result, the water springs[w] remain pure to this day, just as[x] Elisha had declared.
Elisha Rebukes Some Mockers
23 Later, Elisha[y] left there to go up to Bethel, and as he was traveling along the road, some insignificant[z] young men came from the city and started mocking him. They told him, “Get on up,[aa] baldy! Get on up, baldy!” 24 He looked behind him, took note of the young men, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Suddenly two female bears emerged from the woods and mauled 42 of the young men. 25 After this, he left from there to go to Mt. Carmel, and from there he went back to Samaria.
The Lawless One
2 Now we ask you, brothers, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[a] and our gathering together to him, 2 not to be so quickly upset[b] or alarmed when someone claims that we said,[c] either by some spirit, conversation, or letter that the Day of the Lord has already come. 3 Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for it will not come unless the rebellion[d] takes place first and the man of sin,[e] who is destined for destruction,[f] is revealed. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the sanctuary[g] of God and himself declares that he is God.
5 Don’t you remember that I repeatedly told you about these things when I was still with you? 6 You know what it is that is now holding him back, so that he will be revealed when his time comes. 7 For the secret of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the person now holding it back gets out of the way. 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord[h] will destroy with the breath of his mouth, rendering him powerless by the manifestation of his coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one[i] will be accompanied by the power of Satan. He will use every kind[j] of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonders, 10 and every type of evil to deceive[k] those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them.[l] 11 For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. 12 Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.
13 At all times we are obligated to thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you to be the first fruits[m] for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through faith in the truth. 14 With this purpose in mind, he called you through our proclamation of the[n] gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.[o] 15 So then, brothers, stand firm, and cling to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth[p] or by our letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus, the Messiah[q] himself, and may God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort[r] and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good action and word.
Daniel’s Service to Darius
6 [a]It pleased Darius to appoint 120 regional authorities[b] over the kingdom throughout the realm, 2 along with three chief administrators from them, one of which was Daniel. The regional authorities[c] reported to these three administrators,[d] so that the king would experience no losses. 3 Daniel distinguished himself among all the administrators and regional authorities,[e] because he was of an extraordinary spirit. Therefore the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom.
A Plot to Destroy Daniel
4 Because of this, the administrators and regional authorities[f] tried to bring allegations of dereliction of duty in government affairs against Daniel, but they were unable to find any charges of corruption. Daniel[g] was trustworthy, and no evidence of[h] negligence or corruption could be found against him. 5 So these men said, “We’ll never find any basis for complaint against Daniel unless we build it on the requirements of his God.”
6 Then these administrators and regional authorities[i] went as a group to the king and said this, “Your majesty, live forever! 7 All of the royal administrators, prefects, regional authorities,[j] scribes, and governors have concluded that the king should establish and enforce an edict that anyone who prays to any god or man for the next 30 days (except to you, your majesty) is to be thrown into the lions’ pit. 8 Therefore, your majesty, establish the decree and sign the written document so it can’t be changed, in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians that can’t be repealed.” 9 So King Darius signed the edict contained in the written document.
Daniel is Accused
10 When Daniel learned that the written document had been signed, he went to an upstairs room in his house that had windows opened facing Jerusalem. Three times a day he would kneel down, pray, and give thanks to his God, just as he had previously done.
11 The conspirators[k] then went as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking help before his God. 12 So they approached the king and asked, “Didn’t you sign an edict that for the next 30 days if anyone prays to any god or man, except to you, your majesty, he would be thrown into the lions’ pit?”
The king responded, “The decree has been established, in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians that can’t be repealed.”
13 Then they told the king, “Daniel, who is one of the Judean exiles, pays no attention to you, your majesty, or to the written decree, since he is still praying three times a day.”
14 When the king heard this, he was greatly upset, because he was determined to make every effort to save Daniel before the sun set. 15 But the men who had gone as a group to the king told him,[l] “Remember, your majesty, that according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, any decree or edict that the king establishes cannot be repealed.”
Daniel in the Lions’ Pit
16 At this point, the king ordered Daniel brought in and thrown into the lions’ pit. The king spoke to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve constantly, will deliver you himself.” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the opening to the pit, and the king affixed a seal to it with his personal signet ring and with the signet rings of his officials so that no one would interfere with Daniel’s situation. 18 Then the king retired to his palace to spend the night fasting. He enjoyed no entertainment, and he couldn’t sleep.
19 The king got up at dawn and went quickly to the lions’ pit. 20 As he approached where Daniel was in the pit, he cried out to him[m] in a voice filled with anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve constantly, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
21 Daniel replied to the king, “May your majesty live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and sealed the mouths of the lions. They have not harmed me, proving that I’m innocent before him. Also against you, your majesty, I’ve committed no offense.”
23 The king was ecstatic, so he gave orders for Daniel to be released from the pit. Daniel was taken up from the pit, and no injury was found to have been inflicted on him, because he had believed in his God. 24 Then the king gave orders to bring those men who had tried to have Daniel devoured, and they threw them, their children, and their wives into the lions’ pit. They had not reached the floor of the pit before the lions had overtaken them and crushed all their bones.
Darius Exonerates Daniel
25 Afterward, King Darius wrote to all people, nations, and languages who lived throughout his realm:
“May great prosperity be yours!
26 “I hereby decree that in every area of my kingdom men[n] are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God,
who endures forever.
His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed,
and his dominion continues forever.
27 He delivers and rescues
and performs signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth.
He has delivered Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 Daniel achieved success during the reigns of Darius and Cyrus the Persian.
The Gracious Person[a]
112 Hallelujah!
How happy is the person who fears the Lord,
who truly delights in his commandments.
2 His descendants will be powerful in the land,
a generation of the upright who will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 A light shines in the darkness for the upright,
for the one who is gracious, compassionate, and just.
5 It is good for the person who lends generously,
conducting his affairs with fairness.
6 He will never be shaken;
the one who is just will always be remembered.
7 He need not fear a bad report,
for his heart is unshaken, since he trusts in the Lord.
8 His heart is steadfast, he will not fear.
In the end he will look in triumph over his enemy.
9 He gives generously to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked person sees this and flies into a rage;
his teeth gnash and wear away.
The desire of the wicked will amount to nothing.
Praise to the Loving God
113 Hallelujah!
Give praise, you servants of the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord!
2 May the name of the Lord be blessed
from now to eternity.
3 From rising[b] to setting[c] sun,
may the name of the Lord be praised.
4 The Lord is exalted high above all the nations;
his glory beyond the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
enthroned on high,
6 yet stooping low to observe
the sky and the earth?
7 He lifts the poor person from the dust,
raising the needy from the trash pile
8 and giving him a seat among nobles—
with the nobles of his people.
9 He makes the barren woman among her household
a happy mother of joyful children.
Hallelujah!
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