M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

24 During Jehoiakim’s rule, Nebuchadnezzar marched into the land and attacked it. He was king of Babylon. He became Jehoiakim’s master for three years. But then Jehoiakim decided he didn’t want to remain under Nebuchadnezzar’s control. ² The Lord sent robbers against Jehoiakim from Babylon, Aram, Moab and Ammon. He sent them to destroy Judah. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through his servants the prophets. ³ These things happened to Judah in keeping with what the Lord had commanded. He brought enemies against his people in order to remove them from his land. He removed them because of all the sins Manasseh had committed. ⁴ Manasseh had spilled the blood of many people who weren’t guilty of doing anything wrong. In fact, he spilled so much of their blood that he filled Jerusalem with it. So the Lord refused to forgive him.

⁵ The other events of the rule of Jehoiakim are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Judah. ⁶ Jehoiakim joined the members of his family who had already died. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin became the next king after him.

⁷ The king of Egypt didn’t march out from his own country again. That’s because the king of Babylon had taken so much of his territory. It reached from the Wadi of Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin King of Judah

⁸ Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta. She was the daughter of Elnathan. She was from Jerusalem. ⁹ Jehoiachin did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did just as his father Jehoiakim had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, marched to Jerusalem. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. ¹¹ Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city. He arrived while his officers were attacking it. ¹² Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, handed himself over to Nebuchadnezzar. Jehoiachin’s mother did the same thing. And so did all his attendants, nobles and officials.

The king of Babylon took Jehoiachin away as his prisoner. It was in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. ¹³ Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the Lord’s temple. He also removed the treasures from the royal palace. He cut up the gold objects that Solomon, the king of Israel, had made for the temple. That’s what the Lord had announced would happen. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar took all the people of Jerusalem to the land of Babylon as prisoners. That included all the officers and fighting men. It also included all the skilled workers. The total number of prisoners was 10,000. Only the poorest people were left in the land.

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon as his prisoner. He also took the king’s mother from Jerusalem to Babylon. And he took Jehoiachin’s wives, his officials and the most important people of the land. ¹⁶ The king also forced the whole army of 7,000 soldiers to go away to the land of Babylon. Those men were strong and able to go to war. And the king forced 1,000 skilled workers to go to Babylon. ¹⁷ Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin’s uncle Mattaniah king in his place. And Nebuchadnezzar changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.

Zedekiah King of Judah

¹⁸ Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah. She was from Libnah. ¹⁹ Zedekiah did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did just as Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ The enemies of Jerusalem and Judah attacked them because the Lord was angry. In the end the Lord threw them out of his land.

The Fall of Jerusalem

Zedekiah also refused to remain under the control of Nebuchadnezzar.

6 So let us move beyond the simple teachings about Christ. Let us grow up as believers. Let us not start all over again with the basic teachings. They taught us that we need to turn away from doing things that lead to death. They taught us that we must have faith in God. ² These basic teachings taught us about different ways of becoming “clean.” They taught us about placing hands of blessing on people. They taught us that people will rise from the dead. They taught us that God will judge everyone. And they taught us that what he decides will last forever. ³ If God permits, we will go beyond those teachings and grow up.

⁴ What if some people fall away from the faith? It won’t be possible to bring them back. It is true that they have seen the light. They have tasted the heavenly gift. They have shared in the Holy Spirit. ⁵ They have tasted the good things of God’s word. They have tasted the powers of the age to come. ⁶ But they have fallen away from the faith. So it won’t be possible to bring them back. They won’t be able to turn away from their sins. They are losing everything. That’s because they are nailing the Son of God to the cross all over again. They are bringing shame on him in front of everyone. ⁷ Some land drinks the rain that falls on it. It produces a crop that is useful to those who farm the land. That land receives God’s blessing. ⁸ But other land produces only thorns and weeds. That land isn’t worth anything. It is in danger of coming under God’s curse. In the end, it will be burned.

⁹ Dear friends, we have to say these things. But we are sure of better things in your case. We are talking about the things that have to do with being saved. ¹⁰ God is fair. He will not forget what you have done. He will remember the love you have shown him. You showed it when you helped his people. And you show it when you keep on helping them. ¹¹ We want each of you to be faithful to the very end. If you are, then what you hope for will fully happen. ¹² We don’t want you to slow down. Instead, be like those who have faith and are patient. They will receive what God promised.

God Keeps His Promise

¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, God gave his word. There was no one greater than himself to promise by. So he promised by making an appeal to himself. ¹⁴ He said, “I will certainly bless you. I will give you many children.” (Genesis 22:17) ¹⁵ Abraham was patient while he waited. Then he received what God promised him.

¹⁶ People promise things by someone greater than themselves. Giving your word makes a promise certain. It puts an end to all arguing. ¹⁷ So God gave his word when he made his promise. He wanted to make it very clear that his purpose does not change. He wanted those who would receive what was promised to know this. ¹⁸ When God made his promise, he gave his word. He did this so we would have good reason not to give up. Instead, we have run to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope is set before us in God’s promise. So God made his promise and gave his word. These two things can’t change. He couldn’t lie about them. ¹⁹ Our hope is certain. It is something for the soul to hold on to. It is strong and secure. It goes all the way into the Most Holy Room behind the curtain. ²⁰ That is where Jesus has gone. He went there to open the way ahead of us. He has become a high priest forever, just like Melchizedek.

The Lord Judges the Nations

⁴ “Tyre and Sidon, why are you doing things like that to me? And why are you doing them, all you people in Philistia? Are you trying to get even with me for something I have done? If you are, I will pay you back for it in a quick and speedy way. ⁵ You took my silver and gold. You carried off my finest treasures to your temples. ⁶ You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks. You wanted to send them far away from their own country.

⁷ “But now I will stir them up into action. I will bring them back from the places you sold them to. And I will do to you what you did to them. ⁸ I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. And they will sell them to the Sabeans. The Sabeans are a nation that is far away.” The Lord has spoken.

¹² The Lord says,

The Lord Blesses His People

¹⁷ The Lord says,

A psalm of David.