M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Jehoshaphat Becomes King in Judah

17 Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place, and made himself strong against Israel. ² He placed soldiers in all the strong cities of Judah, and in places built for them in the land of Judah. And he put soldiers in the cities of Ephraim which his father Asa had taken in battle. ³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the early ways of his father. He did not follow the false gods of Baal. ⁴ He looked to the God of his father, followed His Laws, and did not act as Israel did. ⁵ So the Lord made the nation strong under his rule. And all Judah paid taxes to Jehoshaphat. He had great riches and honor. ⁶ He was strong in his heart in the ways of the Lord. And he took the high places and the false goddess Asherah out of Judah again.

⁷ In the third year of his rule, Jehoshaphat sent his leaders to teach in the cities of Judah. He sent Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah. ⁸ With them he sent the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah. And with them he sent the religious leaders, Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught in Judah, having the book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

Jehoshaphat’s Strength

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord was on all the nations of the lands around Judah. So they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts, and silver for taxes. The Arabians brought him flocks, 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. ¹² So Jehoshaphat became greater and greater. And he built strong places and store-cities in Judah. ¹³ He had many things in the cities of Judah. And he had powerful soldiers in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ This was the number of them by their fathers’ houses: Adnah was the captain of thousands from Judah. He had 300,000 powerful soldiers with him. ¹⁵ Next to him was Johanan, the captain of 280,000. ¹⁶ Next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who gave himself to work for the Lord. He had 200,000 powerful soldiers with him. ¹⁷ Eliada was a powerful soldier of the family of Benjamin. He had with him 200,000 men with bows and battle-coverings. ¹⁸ Next to him was Jehozabad, the captain of 180,000 ready for war. ¹⁹ These are the men who served the king, as well as those whom the king put in the strong cities through all Judah.

The Seven Locks: the First Lock—Power to Win

6 I saw the Lamb break open the first of the seven locks. I heard one of the four living beings cry out like the sound of thunder, “Come and see!” ² I looked and saw a white horse. The one who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him. He went out to win and he won.

The Second Lock—Fighting

³ He broke open the second lock. Then I heard the second living being say, “Come and see!” ⁴ Another horse came out. This one was red. The one who sat on it was given a long sword. He was given power to take peace from the earth so men would kill each other.

The Third Lock—No Food

⁵ He broke open the third lock. Then I heard the third living being say, “Come and see!” I looked and saw a black horse. The one who sat on it had something in his hand with which to weigh things. ⁶ I heard a voice from among the four living beings saying, “A small jar of wheat for a day’s pay. Three small jars of barley for a day’s pay. Do not hurt the olive oil and wine.”

The Fourth Lock—Death

⁷ He broke open the fourth lock. Then I heard the fourth living being say, “Come and see!” ⁸ I looked and saw a light colored horse. The one who sat on it had the name of Death. Hell followed close behind him. They were given the right and the power to kill one-fourth part of everything on the earth. They were to kill with the sword and by people having no food and by sickness and by the wild animals of the earth.

The Fifth Lock—Killed for Telling of Jesus

⁹ He broke open the fifth lock. Then I saw under the altar all the souls of those who had been killed for telling the Word of God. They had also been killed for being faithful in telling about Christ. ¹⁰ All those who had been killed cried out with a loud voice saying, “How long will it be yet before You will punish those on the earth for killing us? Lord, You are holy and true.” ¹¹ White clothes were given to each one of them. They were told to rest a little longer. They were to wait until all the other servants owned by God and their Christian brothers would be killed as they had been. Then the group would be complete.

The Sixth Lock—God’s Anger on the Earth

¹² I looked as the Lamb broke the sixth lock. The earth shook as if it would break apart. The sun became black like dark cloth. The moon became like blood. ¹³ The stars of the sky fell to the earth. They were like figs falling from a tree that is shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The sky passed away like paper being rolled up. Every mountain and island moved from its place. ¹⁵ The kings and the leaders of the earth hid themselves in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. All the head soldiers and rich men and strong men and men who were free and those who were owned by someone hid themselves also. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us! Hide us from the face of the One Who sits on the throne. Hide us from the anger of the Lamb, ¹⁷ because the special day of Their anger has come! Who is able to stand against it?”

Zechariah Sees a String

2 Then I looked up and saw a man holding a string used to find the length of things. ² So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To see how long and how wide Jerusalem is.” ³ Then the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, ⁴ and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the many men and cattle in it. ⁵ For I will be a wall of fire around her,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will be the shining-greatness of her.’”

Joy to Come for Jerusalem

⁶ “Come, come, run from the land of the north!” says the Lord. “For I have sent you to the four winds of the heavens,” says the Lord. ⁷ “O Zion! Run away, you who are living with the people of Babylon.” ⁸ For the Lord of All says, “The Lord of shining-greatness has sent Me against the nations which have robbed you in battle. For whoever touches you, touches what is of great worth to Him. ⁹ I will wave My hand over them, and they will be taken by those who were made to serve them. Then you will know that the Lord of All has sent Me. ¹⁰ Sing for joy and be glad, O people of Zion. For I am coming and I will live among you,” says the Lord. ¹¹ “Many nations will be joined to the Lord in that day and will become My people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of All has sent Me to you. ¹² The Lord will receive Judah as His share in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. ¹³ All of you be quiet before the Lord. For He is coming from His holy place.”

Jesus Heals the Man at the Pool of Bethesda

5 Some time later, there was a religious gathering of the Jews. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ² In Jerusalem there is a pool with five porches called Bethesda near the sheep gate. ³ Inside these porches lay many sick people. Some were blind. Some could not walk. Some could not move their bodies. ⁴ (*An angel of the Lord came at certain times and made the water move. All of them were waiting for it to move. Whoever got in the water first after it was moving was healed of whatever sickness he had.)

⁵ A man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. ⁶ Jesus saw him lying there and knew the man had been sick a long time. Jesus said to him, “Would you like to be healed?” ⁷ The sick man said, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is moving. While I am coming, another one gets in first.” ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your bed and walk.” ⁹ At once the man was healed and picked up his bed and walked. This happened on the Day of Rest.

¹⁰ The Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Day of Rest. It is against the Law for you to carry your bed.” ¹¹ He said to them, “The Man Who healed me said to me, ‘Pick up your bed and walk.’ ¹² Then the Jews asked him, “What man said to you, ‘Pick up your bed and walk’?” ¹³ The man who had been healed did not know Who He was. Jesus had gone away while many people were there.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found the man who had been healed in the house of God. He said to him, “Listen! You have been healed. Stop sinning or something worse will come to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus Who had healed him.

The Jews Want to Kill Jesus

¹⁶ Because Jesus did these things on the Day of Rest, the Jews made it very hard for Him. ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “My Father is still working all the time so I am working also.” ¹⁸ The Jews tried all the more to kill Him, not only because He had worked on the Day of Rest, but because He had also called God His Own Father. This made Him the same as God.

Jesus Tells How He Works

¹⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son does also. ²⁰ The Father loves the Son and shows the Son everything He does. The Father will show Him greater works than these. They will surprise you. ²¹ The Father raises up the dead and makes them live. The Son also gives life to anyone He chooses. ²² The Father does not say who is guilty. He gives this to the Son to do. ²³ He does this so that all people will honor the Son as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him.

²⁴ “For sure, I tell you, anyone who hears My Word and puts his trust in Him Who sent Me has life that lasts forever. He will not be guilty. He has already passed from death into life.

The Good People and the Sinful People Are Raised from the Dead

²⁵ “For sure, I tell you, the time is coming. Yes, the time is here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear will live. ²⁶ The Father has life in Himself. He has given power to the Son to have life in Himself. ²⁷ God has given Him the right and the power to say if people are guilty, because He is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not be surprised at this. The time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice. ²⁹ They will come out. Those who have done good will be raised again and will have new life. Those who have been sinful will be raised again and will be told they are guilty and will be punished.

Jesus Tells of John and of Himself

³⁰ “I can do nothing by Myself. I say who is guilty only as My Father tells Me. That way, what I say is right, because I am not trying to do what I want to do. I am doing what the Father, Who sent Me, wants Me to do. ³¹ If I tell about Myself, My words are worth nothing. ³² There is another One Who tells about Me. I know the words He says about Me are true.

³³ “You sent to John the Baptist and he told you the truth. ³⁴ I do not need words from men to say I am right. I say this that you might be saved from the punishment of sin. ³⁵ John the Baptist was a burning and shining light. You were willing for awhile to be glad in his light. ³⁶ I have something greater than John which tells of Me. I am doing works the Father has given Me to do and they are proving that the Father has sent Me. ³⁷ The Father has told of Me and has sent Me. You have never heard His voice. You have never seen Him. ³⁸ You do not have His Word living in your hearts because you do not put your trust in the One He sent.

³⁹ “You do read the Holy Writings. You think you have life that lasts forever just because you read them. They do tell of Me. ⁴⁰ But you do not want to come to Me so you might have life. ⁴¹ I do not take any honor from men. ⁴² I know you and you do not have the love of God in your hearts. ⁴³ I have come in the name of My Father. You do not receive Me. If another person comes in his own name, you will receive him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe when you are always wanting honor from each other? And yet you do not look for the honor that comes from the only God.

⁴⁵ “Do not think that I will tell the Father you are guilty. The one who says you are guilty is Moses. You trust him. ⁴⁶ If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me. For Moses wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ If you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe My Words?”