M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Hezekiah Will Live Fifteen Years Longer

20 In those days Hezekiah became sick enough to die. The man of God, Isaiah the son of Amoz, came to him and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Get those of your house ready. For you will die. You will not get well again.’” ² Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, ³ “I beg You, O Lord, remember how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart. I have done what is good in Your eyes.” And Hezekiah cried much. ⁴ Before Isaiah had gone out of the center room, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ⁵ “Return to Hezekiah the leader of My people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. See, I will heal you. On the third day you must go up to the house of the Lord. ⁶ And I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you and this city from the power of the king of Assyria. And I will help this city because of My honor and because of My servant David.” ‘ ” ⁷ Then Isaiah said, “Bring a loaf made of figs. Have them take and lay it on the sore on Hezekiah’s body. Then he will be well again.” And they took and laid it on the boil and he was healed.

⁸ Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the special thing for me to see, that the Lord will heal me, and that I will go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” ⁹ Isaiah said, “This will be the special thing for you to see from the Lord, to show that the Lord will do what He has said. Will the shadow go ten steps farther, or go back ten steps?” ¹⁰ Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to go ten steps farther. But let the shadow turn back ten steps.” ¹¹ So Isaiah the man of God cried to the Lord, and the Lord brought the shadow back ten steps, on the steps set up by King Ahaz.

Men Come from Babylon

¹² At that time Berodach-baladan, a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah. For he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. ¹³ Hezekiah listened to them and showed them all his riches. He showed them the silver, the gold, the spices, the oil of much worth, the things used in battle, and all that was found in his store-rooms. There was nothing in his house, or in all the places of his rule, that Hezekiah did not show them. ¹⁴ Then Isaiah the man of God came to King Hezekiah and said, “What did these men say? From where have they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” ¹⁵ Isaiah said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my riches that I have not shown them.”

¹⁶ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord. ¹⁷ ’See, the days are coming when all that is in your house, all that your fathers have kept in store to this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ¹⁸ ’And some of your sons who will be born to you will be taken away. They will be servants in the house of the king of Babylon.’” ¹⁹ Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and people will be safe in my days?”

The Death of Hezekiah

²⁰ Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his strength are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. He made the pool and the ditch and brought water into the city. ²¹ Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh became king in his place.

Do Not Wait to Be Saved from the Punishment of Sin

2 That is why we must listen all the more to the truths we have been told. If we do not, we may slip away from them. ² These truths given by the angels proved to be true. People were punished when they did not obey them. ³ God was so good to make a way for us to be saved from the punishment of sin. What makes us think we will not go to hell if we do not take the way to heaven that He has made for us? The Lord was the first to tell us of this. Then those who heard Him told it later. ⁴ God proved what they said was true by showing us special things to see and by doing powerful works. He gave the gifts of the Holy Spirit as He wanted to.

Jesus, the Way to Heaven

⁵ God did not make angels to be the leaders of that world to come which we have been speaking about. ⁶ Instead, the Holy Writings say, “What is man that You think of him and the son of man that You should remember him?” ^{(A) 7} “You made him so he took a place that was not as important as the angels for a little while. You gave him the crown of honor and shining-greatness. *You made him the head over everything You have made. ⁸ You have put everything under his feet.” ^(B) There is nothing that does not obey him, but we do not see all things obey him yet. ⁹ But we do see Jesus. For a little while He took a place that was not as important as the angels. But God had loving-favor for everyone. He had Jesus suffer death on a cross for all of us. Then, because of Christ’s death on a cross, God gave Him the crown of honor and shining-greatness.

¹⁰ God made all things. He made all things for Himself. It was right for God to make Jesus a perfect Leader by having Him suffer for men’s sins. In this way, He is bringing many men to share His shining-greatness. ¹¹ Jesus makes men holy. He takes away their sins. Both Jesus and the ones being made holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them His brothers. ¹² Jesus is saying to His Father, “I will tell My brothers Your name. I will sing songs of thanks for You among the people.” ^{(C) 13} And again He says, “I will put My trust in God.” At another time He said, “Here I am with the children God gave Me.” ^(D)

¹⁴ It is true that we share the same Father with Jesus. And it is true that we share the same kind of flesh and blood because Jesus became a man like us. He died as we must die. Through His death He destroyed the power of the devil who has the power of death. ¹⁵ Jesus did this to make us free from the fear of death. We no longer need to be chained to this fear. ¹⁶ Jesus did not come to help angels. Instead, He came to help men who are of Abraham’s family. ¹⁷ So Jesus had to become like His brothers in every way. He had to be one of us to be our Religious Leader to go between God and us. He had loving-pity on us and He was faithful. He gave Himself as a gift to die on a cross for our sins so that God would not hold these sins against us any longer. ¹⁸ Because Jesus was tempted as we are and suffered as we do, He understands us and He is able to help us when we are tempted.

Israel Judged the Last Time

13 When Ephraim spoke, men shook in fear. He was honored in Israel. But he sinned by worshiping Baal, and died. ² And now they sin more and more. They make false gods for themselves. Their able workmen make them out of silver. And they say, “Let the men who give gifts in worship kiss the calf-gods!” ³ So they will be like the morning cloud, and like the water on the grass in the early morning which is soon gone. They will be like the dust of the grain that is blown away from the grain-floor, and like smoke from a fire.

⁴ “I am the Lord your God Who brought you out of Egypt. You were not to know any god but Me, for there is no one who can save you but Me. ⁵ I cared for you in the desert, in the land where there was no water. ⁶ When I fed them, they were filled. And when they were filled, their heart became proud and they forgot Me. ⁷ So I will be like a lion to them. I will lie in wait by the road like a leopard. ⁸ I will fight them like a bear robbed of her young ones. I will tear open their chests. I will eat them there like a female lion, and tear them like a wild animal.

⁹ “I will destroy you, O Israel, because you are against Me, against your Helper. ¹⁰ Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your cities, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and leaders’? ¹¹ I gave you a king in My anger, and in My anger I took him away.

¹² “The wrong-doing of Ephraim is being kept. His sin is being stored up. ¹³ The pains like a woman giving birth will come upon him, but he is not a wise son. He is not willing to be born. ¹⁴ I will pay the price to free them from the power of the grave. I will save them from death. O Death, where are your thorns? O Grave, where is your power to destroy? I will have no loving-pity.

¹⁵ “Even if he grows among his brothers, an east wind will come. The wind of the Lord will come from the desert. And his well will dry up. His water will be gone. It will take away everything of much worth. ¹⁶ Samaria will suffer for her guilt, for she has not wanted to obey her God. They will be killed by the sword. Their little ones will be crushed in pieces. And their women who are soon to give birth will be torn open.”

Israel in a Strange Land

137 We sat down and cried by the rivers of Babylon when we remembered Zion. ² There upon the trees we put our harps. ³ For those who held us there made us sing. And those who made it hard for us asked for joy. They said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

⁴ How can we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? ⁵ If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget what it is able to do. ⁶ May my tongue hold to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not honor Jerusalem above my highest joy.

⁷ O Lord, remember what the sons of Edom did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Knock it down,” they said, “Knock it down to the ground.” ⁸ O daughter of Babylon, you who will be destroyed, how honored will be the one who pays you back for what you have done to us! ⁹ How honored will be the one who catches your children and throws them against the rock!

A Song of Praise

138 I will give You thanks with all my heart. I will sing praises to You in front of the gods. ² I will bow down toward Your holy house. And I will give thanks to Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth. For You have honored Your Word because of what Your name is. ³ You answered me on the day I called. You gave me strength in my soul.

⁴ O Lord, all the kings of the earth will give thanks to You when they have heard the words of Your mouth. ⁵ And they will sing of the ways of the Lord. For the shining beauty of the Lord is great. ⁶ For even if the Lord is honored, He thinks about those who have no pride. But He knows the proud from far away. ⁷ Even if I walk into trouble, You will keep my life safe. You will put out Your hand against the anger of those who hate me. And Your right hand will save me. ⁸ The Lord will finish the work He started for me. O Lord, Your loving-kindness lasts forever. Do not turn away from the works of Your hands.