M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Hoshea Rules Israel

17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became the king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for nine years. ² Hoshea did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord, but not as bad as the kings of Israel before him. ³ King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against him. And Hoshea became his servant and paid taxes to him. ⁴ But the king of Assyria found that Hoshea had been making plans against him. Hoshea had sent men to King So of Egypt, instead of giving taxes to the king of Assyria. He had done this year after year. So the king of Assyria shut him up and put him in chains in prison.

Israel Carried Away to Assyria

⁵ Then the king of Assyria came against all the land. He went up to Samaria and kept soldiers around it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria in battle, and took the people of Israel away to Assyria. He had them live in Halah and Habor, by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

⁷ This happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God. He had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. But they worshiped other gods. ⁸ They walked in the ways of the nations the Lord had driven out from the people of Israel. And they walked in the ways the kings of Israel had started. ⁹ The people of Israel did things in secret which were not right, against the Lord their God. They built high places for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest town to the strongest city. ¹⁰ They set up holy objects of the false goddess Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree. ¹¹ There they burned special perfume on all the high places, as the nations did which the Lord carried away from them. They did what was bad and made the Lord angry. ¹² They worshiped false gods, about which the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.” ¹³ The Lord told Israel and Judah of the danger, through all His men who told what would happen in the future. He said, “Turn from your sinful ways and obey My Laws. Keep all the Laws which I gave your fathers, and which I gave to you through My servants and men of God.” ¹⁴ But they did not listen. They were strong-willed like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They turned away from His Laws and His agreement which He made with their fathers. They turned away when He told them of danger. They followed false gods, and became empty. They followed the nations around them. But the Lord had told them not to act like them. ¹⁶ They turned away from all the Laws of the Lord their God and made objects to look like false gods. They made two calves and an object to look like the false goddess Asherah. And they worshiped all the stars of heaven and worked for Baal. ¹⁷ Then they gave their sons and daughters as burnt gifts. They told the future and used witchcraft. They sold themselves to do what is sinful in the eyes of the Lord. And they made Him angry. ¹⁸ The Lord was very angry with Israel, and put them away from his eyes. None was left except the family of Judah.

¹⁹ Even Judah did not keep the Laws of the Lord their God. They walked in the ways which Israel had started. ²⁰ And the Lord turned away from all the children of Israel, and sent trouble upon them. He gave them over to those who destroyed the land, until He had put them away from His eyes. ²¹ When He had torn Israel from the family of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord. He led them into sin. ²² And the people of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam. They did not turn away from them, ²³ until the Lord put Israel away from His eyes. He spoke through all His servants who tell what will happen in the future that He would do this. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria until this day.

Assyrians Live in Israel

²⁴ The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sephar-vaim. He had them live in the cities of Samaria in place of the people of Israel. So they took Samaria for their own, and lived in its cities. ²⁵ At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the Lord. So the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. ²⁶ They said to the king of Assyria, “The nations you have carried away to the cities of Samaria do not know the way of the god of the land. So He has sent lions among them to kill them because they do not know the way of the god of the land.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria told them, “Take to Samaria one of the religious leaders you brought from there. Let him go and live in Samaria. And let him teach them the way of the god of the land.” ²⁸ So one of the religious leaders they had taken away from Samaria came and lived at Bethel. And he taught them how they should worship the Lord.

²⁹ But every nation still made gods of its own. They put them in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made. The people of every nation did this in the cities where they lived. ³⁰ The men of Babylon made the false god Succoth-benoth. The men of Cuth made the false god Nergal. The men of Hamath made the false god Ashima. ³¹ The Avvites made the false gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adram-melech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² They feared the Lord also, and yet they chose from among themselves religious leaders of the high places. These leaders gave the gifts for them in the houses of the high places. ³³ So the people feared the Lord, but they worshiped their own gods also. They followed the way of the nations from which they had been taken away.

³⁴ To this day, they follow the ways of times past. They do not honor the Lord. They do not follow the Laws or the Word which the Lord told the sons of Jacob, whom He gave the name Israel. ³⁵ The Lord had made an agreement and told them, “You must not fear other gods. You must not put your faces to the ground in front of them, or worship them, or give gifts to them. ³⁶ But fear the Lord, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong arm. Put your faces to the ground before Him. And give Him your gifts. ³⁷ Obey forever the Laws and the Word which He wrote for you. Do not fear other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget the agreement I have made with you. And do not honor other gods with fear. ³⁹ Fear the Lord your God and He will save you from those who hate you.” ⁴⁰ But they did not listen. They followed the ways of times past. ⁴¹ These nations feared the Lord, but they worshiped their false gods also. Their children and grandchildren did the same, and they do as their fathers did to this day.

The Work of a Leader

3 Teach your people to obey the leaders of their country. They should be ready to do any good work. ² They must not speak bad of anyone, and they must not argue. They should be gentle and kind to all people.

God Saved Us from All These Things

³ There was a time when we were foolish and did not obey. We were fooled in many ways. Strong desires held us in their power. We wanted only to please ourselves. We wanted what others had and were angry when we could not have them. We hated others and they hated us.

⁴ But God, the One Who saves, showed how kind He was and how He loved us ⁵ by saving us from the punishment of sin. It was not because we worked to be right with God. It was because of His loving-kindness that He washed our sins away. At the same time He gave us new life when the Holy Spirit came into our lives. ⁶ God gave the Holy Spirit to fill our lives through Jesus Christ, the One Who saves. ⁷ Because of this, we are made right with God by His loving-favor. Now we can have life that lasts forever as He has promised.

⁸ What I have told you is true. Teach these things all the time so those who have put their trust in God will be careful to do good things. These things are good and will help all men.

⁹ Do not argue with people about foolish questions and about the Law. Do not spend time talking about all of your early fathers. This does not help anyone and it is of no use. ¹⁰ Talk once or twice to a person who tries to divide people into groups against each other. If he does not stop, have nothing to do with him. ¹¹ You can be sure he is going the wrong way. He is sinning and he knows it.

¹² I will send Artemas or Tychicus to you. As soon as one of them gets there, try to come to me in the city of Nicopolis. I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³ Zenas, the man who knows the law, and Apollos are going on a trip. Do everything you can to help them. ¹⁴ Our people must learn to work hard. They must work for what they need and be able to give to others who need help. Then their lives will not be wasted. ¹⁵ All those with me here greet you. Greet my Christian friends there. May you have God’s loving-favor.

Israel’s Sin

10 Israel is a spreading vine full of fruit. The more fruit he had, the more altars he made. As his land became richer, he made his pillars for worship better. ² Their heart is not faithful, and now they must suffer for their sins. The Lord will break down their altars and destroy their pillars for worship.

³ Then they will say, “We have no king because we do not fear the Lord. And what could a king do for us?” ⁴ They speak empty words and make false promises, so punishment grows like weeds of poison in a plowed field. ⁵ The people of Samaria will be afraid for the calf of Beth-aven. Its people will have sorrow for it. Its religious leaders who worship false gods will cry over it in a loud voice. They will cry because its greatness has gone. ⁶ The thing itself will be carried to Assyria and given to King Jareb. Ephraim will be put to shame, and Israel will be ashamed of its false god. ⁷ Samaria and its king will be lost like a piece of wood on the water. ⁸ The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

⁹ “You have sinned since the days of Gibeah, O Israel, and there you have stayed. Will not the sinners be destroyed in battle in Gibeah? ¹⁰ I will punish them when I please. And the nations will be gathered against them when they are punished for their many sins.

¹¹ “Ephraim is a well-taught young cow that loves to crush the grain. But I will put a load on her beautiful neck. I will drive Ephraim. Judah must plow. And Jacob must break up the ground. ¹² Plant what is right and good for yourselves. Gather the fruit of lasting love. Break up your ground that has not been plowed. For it is time to look for the Lord, until He comes and pours His saving power on you. ¹³ You have plowed wrong-doing and have gathered sin. You have eaten the fruit of lies. You have trusted in your own strength and in your many soldiers. ¹⁴ The noise of battle will rise up among your people. All your strong cities will be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle. Mothers were crushed in pieces with their children. ¹⁵ This will be done to you at Bethel because of your many sins. When the day begins, the king of Israel will be destroyed.

A Prayer against All Who Hate Zion

129 “They have made it hard for me many times since I was young,” let Israel now say. ² “They have made it hard for me many times since I was young. But they have not won over me. ³ Those who plow have plowed my back. And they have made their ditches long.” ⁴ The Lord is right and good. He has cut in two the ropes of the sinful.

⁵ May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned away. ⁶ Let them be like grass on the roof, which dries up before it grows. ⁷ No one can pick it and fill his hand. No one can gather it and fill his arms. ⁸ And those who pass by do not say, “May the Lord be good to you. We pray that good will come to you in the name of the Lord.”

A Prayer for Help

130 O Lord, I have cried to You out of the deep places. ² Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears hear the voice of my prayers. ³ If you, Lord, should write down our sins, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But You are the One Who forgives, so You are honored with fear.

⁵ I wait for the Lord. My soul waits and I hope in His Word. ⁶ My soul waits for the Lord more than one who watches for the morning; yes, more than one who watches for the morning. ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord! For there is loving-kindness with the Lord. With Him we are saved for sure. ⁸ And He will save Israel from all their sins.

Child-Like Trust in the Lord

131 O Lord, my heart is not proud. My eyes are not filled with pride. And I do not trouble myself with important things or in things too great for me. ² For sure I have made my soul quiet like a child who no longer nurses while he is with his mother. My soul within me is like a child who no longer nurses. ³ O Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.