M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Woman from Shunem Is Given Back Her Land

8 ^(A) Elisha told the woman whose son he had brought back to life,^[a] “The Lord has warned that there will be no food here for seven years. Take your family and go live somewhere else for a while.” ² The woman did exactly what Elisha had said and went to live in Philistine territory.

She and her family lived there seven years. ³ Then she returned to Israel and immediately begged the king to give back her house and property.

⁴ Meanwhile, the king was asking Gehazi the servant of Elisha about the amazing things Elisha had been doing. ⁵ While Gehazi was telling him that Elisha had brought a dead boy back to life, the woman and her son arrived.

“Here's the boy, Your Majesty,” Gehazi said. “And this is his mother.”

⁶ The king asked the woman to tell her story, and she told him everything that had happened. He then said to one of his officials, “I want you to make sure that this woman gets back everything that belonged to her, including the money her crops have made since the day she left Israel.”

Hazael Kills Benhadad

⁷ Some time later Elisha went to the capital city of Damascus to visit King Benhadad of Syria, who was sick. And when Benhadad was told he was there, ⁸ he said to Hazael,^[b] “Go meet with Elisha the man of God and get him to ask the Lord if I will get well. And take along a gift for him.”

⁹ Hazael left with forty camel loads of the best things made in Damascus as a gift for Elisha. He found the prophet and said, “Your servant, King Benhadad, wants to know if he will get well.”

¹⁰ “Tell him he will,” Elisha said to Hazael. “But the Lord has already told me that Benhadad will definitely die.” ¹¹ Elisha stared at him until Hazael was embarrassed, then Elisha began crying.^[c]

¹² “Sir, why are you crying?” Hazael asked.

Elisha answered, “Because I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn down their walled cities and slaughter their young men. You will even crush the heads of their babies and rip open their pregnant women.”

^13 (B) “How could I ever do anything like that?” Hazael replied. “I'm only a servant and don't have that kind of power.”

“Hazael, the Lord has told me that you will be the next king of Syria.”

¹⁴ Hazael went back to Benhadad and told him, “Elisha said that you will get well.” ¹⁵ But the very next day, Hazael got a thick blanket; he soaked it in water and held it over Benhadad's face until he died. Hazael then became king.

King Jehoram of Judah

(2 Chronicles 21.2-20)

¹⁶ Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah in Joram's fifth year as king of Israel, while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah.^{[d] 17} Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he ruled 8 years from Jerusalem.

¹⁸ Jehoram disobeyed the Lord by doing wrong. He married Ahab's daughter and was as sinful as Ahab's family and the kings of Israel. ^19 (C) But the Lord refused to destroy Judah, because he had promised his servant David that someone from his family would always rule in Judah.

^20 (D) While Jehoram was king, the people of Edom rebelled and chose their own king. ²¹ So Jehoram^[e] and his cavalry marched to Zair, where the Edomite army surrounded him and his commanders. During the night he attacked the Edomites, but he was defeated, and his troops escaped to their homes.^{[f] 22} Judah was never able to regain control of Edom. Even the town of Libnah^[g] rebelled at that time.

²³ Everything else Jehoram did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ²⁴ Jehoram died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem.^[h] His son Ahaziah then became king.

King Ahaziah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 22.1-6)

²⁵ Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah in the twelfth year of Joram's rule in Israel. ²⁶ Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king, and he ruled from Jerusalem for only one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. ²⁷ Since Ahaziah was related to Ahab's family,^[i] he acted just like them and disobeyed the Lord by doing wrong.

²⁸ Ahaziah went with King Joram of Israel to attack King Hazael and the Syrian troops at Ramoth in Gilead. Joram was wounded in that battle, ²⁹ so he went to the town of Jezreel to recover. Ahaziah went there to visit him.

How To Act toward Others

5 Don't correct an older man. Encourage him, as you would your own father. Treat younger men as you would your own brother, ² and treat older women as you would your own mother. Show the same respect to younger women that you would to your sister.

³ Take care of any widow who is really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn to serve God by taking care of her, as she once took care of them. This is what God wants them to do. ^5 (A) A widow who is really in need is one who doesn't have any relatives. She has faith in God, and she keeps praying to him night and day, asking for his help.

⁶ A widow who thinks only about having a good time is already dead, even though she is still alive.

⁷ Tell all this to everyone, so they will do the right thing. ⁸ People who don't take care of their relatives, and especially their own families, have given up their faith. They are worse than someone who doesn't have faith in the Lord.

⁹ For a widow to be put on the list of widows, she must be at least 60 years old, and she must have been faithful in marriage.^{[a] 10} She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God's people into her home,^[b] helping people in need, and always making herself useful.

¹¹ Don't put young widows on the list. They may later have a strong desire to get married. Then they will turn away from Christ ¹² and become guilty of breaking their promise to him. ¹³ Besides, they will become lazy and get into the habit of going from house to house. Next, they will start gossiping and become busybodies, talking about things that are none of their business.

¹⁴ I would prefer that young widows get married, have children, and look after their families. Then the enemy won't have any reason to say insulting things about us. ¹⁵ Look what's already happened to some of the young widows! They have turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ If a woman who is a follower has any widows in her family, she^[c] should help them. This will keep the church from having that burden, and then the church can help widows who are really in need.

Church Leaders

¹⁷ Church leaders^[d] who do their job well deserve to be paid^[e] twice as much, especially if they work hard at preaching and teaching. ^18 (B) It is just as the Scriptures say, “Don't muzzle an ox when you are using it to grind grain.” You also know the saying, “Workers are worth their pay.”

^19 (C) Don't listen to any charge against a church leader, unless at least two or three people bring the same charges. ²⁰ But if any of the leaders should keep on sinning, they must be corrected in front of the whole group, as a warning to everyone else.

²¹ In the presence of God and Christ Jesus and their chosen angels, I order you to follow my instructions! Be fair with everyone, and don't have any favorites.

²² Don't be too quick to accept people into the service of the Lord^[f] by placing your hands on them.

Don't sin because others do, but stay close to God.

²³ Stop drinking only water. Take a little wine to help your stomach trouble and the other illnesses you often have.

²⁴ Some people get caught in their sins almost at once, even before the time of judgment. But other people's sins don't show up until later. ²⁵ It is the same with good deeds. Some are easily seen, but none of them can be hidden.

Part Four: The Dead Will Rise to Life

12 ^(A) Michael, the chief of the angels, is the protector of your people, and he will come at a time of terrible suffering, the worst in all of history. And your people who have their names written in The Book^[a] will be protected. ^2 (B) Many of those who lie dead in the ground will rise from death. Some of them will be given eternal life, and others will receive nothing but eternal shame and disgrace. ^3 (C) Everyone who has been wise will shine as bright as the sky above, and everyone who has led others to please God will shine forever like the stars.

^4 (D) Daniel, I now command you to keep the message of this book secret until the end of time, even though many people will go everywhere, searching for the knowledge to be found in it.^[b]

The End of Time

⁵ Daniel wrote:

I looked around and saw two other people—one on this side of the river and one on the other side. ⁶ The angel who had spoken to me was dressed in linen and was standing upstream from them.^[c] So one of the two beside the river asked him, “How long before these amazing things happen?”

^7 (E) The angel then raised both hands toward heaven and said, “In the name of the God who lives forever, I solemnly promise that it will be a time, two times, and half a time.^[d] Everything will be over, when the suffering of God's holy people comes to an end.”

⁸ I heard what the angel said, but I didn't understand. So I asked, “Sir, how will it all end?”

The angel in my vision then replied:

⁹ Daniel, go about your business, because the meaning of this message will remain secret until the end of time. ^10 (F) Many people will have their hearts and lives made pure and clean, but those who are evil will keep on being evil and never understand. Only the wise will understand. ^11 (G) There will be 1,290 days from the time that the daily sacrifices are stopped, until someone sets up the “Horrible Thing” that causes destruction. ¹² God will bless everyone who patiently waits until 1,335 days have gone by.

¹³ So, Daniel, be faithful until the end! You will rest, and at the end of time, you will rise from death to receive your reward.