M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Manasseh Rules Judah
33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. And he ruled for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was bad in the eyes of the Lord. He did the hated things of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the sons of Israel. 3 For he built again the high places which his father Hezekiah had broken down. He built altars for the false gods of Baal and made objects of worship for the false goddess Asherah. He worshiped all the stars of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the Lord’s house, of which the Lord had said, “My name will be in Jerusalem forever.” 5 He built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two open spaces of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his sons as a gift in the valley of Ben-hinnom. He did witchcraft and asked the demon world about the future. He asked the demon world to do very special things, and he talked with people who spoke with the spirits of the dead. He did what was very bad in the eyes of the Lord, and made Him angry. 7 Manasseh made an object to look like a false god, and put it in God’s house, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem which I have chosen from all the families of Israel, I will put My name forever. 8 And I will never again take Israel out of the land which I have chosen for your fathers, if only they will obey all that I have told them in the Laws given through Moses.” 9 Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to do more sinful things than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.
Manasseh Turns from His Sin
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. 11 So the Lord brought the captains of the army of the king of Assyria against them. And they took Manasseh with hooks and tied him with brass chains and brought him to Babylon. 12 When Manasseh was in trouble, he prayed to the Lord his God, and put away his pride before the God of his fathers. 13 When he prayed to Him, God heard his prayer and listened to him, and brought him again to Jerusalem and to his nation. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
14 After this he built the outside wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the Fish Gate. He built it around the Ophel, and made it very high. Then he put army captains in all the strong cities of Judah. 15 He took away the strange gods and the false god from the house of the Lord. And he took away all the altars he had built on the mountain of the Lord’s house and in Jerusalem, and threw them outside the city. 16 He set up the altar of the Lord and gave peace gifts and thank gifts in worship on it. And he told Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 But the people still killed animals in worship at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.
The End of Manasseh’s Rule
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words the men who spoke for God spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are among the writings of the kings of Israel. 19 His prayer and how God heard his prayer, and of all his sin and how he was not faithful, are found in the writings of the men who spoke for God. Also it is written where he built the high places, and made the objects of the false goddess Asherah, and made objects to look like gods, before he put away his pride. 20 So Manasseh died and they buried him in his own house. And his son Amon became king in his place.
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and ruled for two years in Jerusalem. 22 Amon did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. He killed animals in worship to all the false gods his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. 23 He did not put away his pride before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon added to his guilt. 24 His servants made plans against him, and killed him in his own house. 25 But the people of the land killed all those who had killed King Amon and made his son Josiah king in his place.
Giving Thanks in Heaven
19 After this I heard what sounded like the voices of many people in heaven, saying, “Thanks to our God, the One Who saves. Honor and power belong to Him. 2 For the way He punishes people is right and true. He has punished the powerful woman who sold the use of her body. She was making the earth sinful with her sex sins. She killed those who worked for God. He has punished her for it.” 3 Again they said, “Thanks to our God. The smoke from her burning goes up forever.” 4 The twenty-four leaders and the four living beings got down and worshiped God Who was sitting on the throne. They said, “Let it be so. Thanks to our God!”
5 A voice came from the throne, saying, “Give thanks to our God, you servants who are owned by Him. Give thanks to our God, you who honor Him with love and fear, both small and great.”
The Wedding Supper of the Lamb
6 Then I heard what sounded like the voices of many people. It was like the sound of powerful rushing water. And it was like loud thunder. It said, “Thanks to our God. For the Lord our God is King. He is the All-powerful One. 7 Let us be full of joy and be glad. Let us honor Him, for the time has come for the wedding supper of the Lamb. His bride has made herself ready. 8 She was given clean, white, fine linen clothes to wear. The fine linen is the right living of God’s people.”
9 The angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Those who are asked to the wedding supper of the Lamb are happy.’” And he said, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “No! Do not worship me. I am a servant together with you and your Christian brothers who tell of their trust in Christ. Worship God. For those who speak for Jesus are led in what to say as the early preachers were led.”
The King of Kings on the White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened. A white horse was standing there. The One Who was sitting on the horse is called Faithful and True. He is the One Who punishes in the right way. He makes war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire. He has many crowns on His head. His name is written on Him but He is the only One Who knows what it says. 13 The coat He wears has been put in blood. His name is The Word of God. 14 The armies in heaven were dressed in clean, white, fine linen. They were following Him on white horses. 15 Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword to punish the nations. He will be the Leader over them using a piece of iron. He walks on the grapes where wine is made, pressing out the anger of God, the All-powerful One. 16 On His coat and on His leg is the name written, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried out with a loud voice to all the birds flying in the sky, “Come and gather together for the great supper of God! 18 Come and eat the flesh of kings and of captains of soldiers and of strong men and of the flesh of horses and of those sitting on them. Come and eat the flesh of all men, small and great. Some are free and some are not free.”
19 Then I saw the wild animal and the kings of the earth and their armies gather together. They were ready to fight against the One Who is sitting on the white horse and against His army. 20 The wild animal was taken. The false preacher was taken with it. It was the false preacher who had done powerful works in front of the wild animal. In this way, he fooled those who had received the mark of the wild animal and those who worshiped his false god. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the One Who sat on the horse. All the birds were filled by eating the flesh of these who were killed.
1 This is the Word of the Lord spoken to Israel through Malachi.
God’s Love for Israel
2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” says the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but I have hated Esau. I have laid waste his mountains and have given his riches to the wild dogs of the desert.” 4 Edom may say, “We have been destroyed, but we will return and build our cities again.” But the Lord of All says, “They may build, but I will tear down. They will be called the sinful land, the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.” 5 You will see this with your own eyes and say, “The Lord is great even outside the land of Israel!”
Unclean Gifts Given on the Altar
6 “A son honors his father. A servant honors his owner. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? If I am a boss, where is My respect? says the Lord of All to you, O religious leaders who hate My name. But you say, ‘How have we hated Your name?’ 7 You are bringing unclean food to My altar. But you say, ‘How have we made Your altar unclean?’ “Because you say the Lord’s table is to be hated. 8 When you bring a blind animal to the altar as My gift, is it not sinful? When you bring one that cannot walk, or one that is sick, is it not sinful? Why not bring it to your ruler? Would he be pleased with you? Would he receive it?” says the Lord of All. 9 “Now pray for God’s favor, that He may be kind to us. With such gifts from your hands, will He receive any of you in kindness?” says the Lord of All. 10 “If only there were one among you who would shut the gates and stop you from burning a fire on My altar for nothing! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of All. “And I will not receive a gift in worship from you. 11 From sunrise to sunset My name will be great among the nations. Special perfume will be given to My name everywhere, and a grain gift that is pure. For My name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of All. 12 “But you are making it unclean when you say that the table of the Lord is unclean, and that its food is to be hated. 13 You say, ‘How tired it makes us!’ And you turn your nose away from it,” says the Lord of All. “You bring what was stolen, and what cannot walk, and what is sick. You bring this as your gift! Should I receive that from your hands?” says the Lord. 14 “A curse will come upon the sinful man who promises to give a male from his flock, but gives an animal that is not perfect to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the Lord of All. “And My name is feared among the nations.
Jesus Handed Over to Sinners (A)
18 When Jesus had said these things, He went with His followers across the small river Kidron. He and His followers went to a garden there. 2 Judas, who was handing Him over to the leaders, knew the place also. Jesus and His followers had met there many times. 3 Judas led some soldiers and some men who had been sent by the head religious leaders of the Jews and the proud religious law-keepers to the garden. They carried lamps and sticks that were burning and swords.
4 Jesus knew what was going to happen to Him. He went out and asked them, “Who are you looking for?” 5 The soldiers answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said, “I am Jesus.” Judas, who was handing Him over, was with them also.
6 When He said to them, “I am Jesus,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7 He asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” They said again, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 He said, “I have told you that I am Jesus. If you are looking for Me, let these men go their way.” 9 He said this so the words He spoke might happen, “I have not lost one of those You gave Me.”
10 Simon Peter had a sword. He took it and hit a servant who was owned by the head religious leader and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Then Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back where it belongs. Am I not to go through what My Father has given Me to go through?”
Jesus Stands in Front of Annas
12 Then the soldiers and their captain and the men sent by the Jewish religious leaders took Jesus and tied Him. 13 They took Him to Annas first. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the head religious leader that year. 14 Caiaphas had talked to the Jews. He told them it would be a good thing if one man should die for the people.
Peter Lies about Jesus (B)
15 Simon Peter and another follower came behind Jesus. This other follower was known to the head religious leader. He went with Jesus to the head religious leader’s house. 16 Peter stood outside at the gate. The other follower, who was known by the head religious leader, went out and talked to the servant-girl who watched the gate. Then he took Peter inside. 17 The servant-girl who watched the door said to Peter, “Are you not a follower of this Man?” He said, “I am not!” 18 The servants who were owned by someone and the soldiers had made a fire because it was cold. They were getting warm by the fire. Peter was standing with them getting warm.
Jesus Stands in Front of Caiaphas (C)
19 The head religious leader of the Jews asked Jesus about His followers. He asked Jesus about His teaching. 20 Jesus said, “I have spoken very plain words to the world. I have always taught in the Jewish place of worship and in the house of God. It is where the Jews go all the time. My words have not been said in secret. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard what I said to them. They know what I said.”
22 Then one of the soldiers standing there hit Jesus with his hand. He said, “Is that how You talk to the head religious leaders?” 23 Jesus said, “If I said anything wrong, tell Me what was wrong. If I said what was right, why did you hit Me?” 24 Then Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, the head religious leader. Jesus was still tied up.
25 Simon Peter was standing there and getting warm. They said to him, “Are you not one of His followers also?” He lied and said he did not know Jesus and answered, “I am not!” 26 A servant who was owned by the head religious leader was there. He was of the family of the man whose ear Peter cut off. The man said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Again Peter lied and said he did not know Jesus. At once a rooster crowed.
Jesus Stands in Front of Pilate (D)
28 They led Jesus from Caiaphas into the court room. It was early in the morning. They did not go inside because their Law said if they did they would become dirty with sin. Then they would not be able to eat the religious supper to remember how the Jews left Egypt. 29 So Pilate came out to them. He asked, “What have you to say against the Man?” 30 The Jews said, “If He had not done wrong, we would not have brought Him to you.”
31 Then Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and give Him a trial by your Law.” The Jews said to him, “It is against our Law to put anyone to death.” 32 This happened as Jesus said it would happen. He had told what kind of death He would die.
33 Then Pilate went back into the court room. He called for Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus said, “Do you ask Me this yourself, or did others say this to you about Me?” 35 Pilate said, “Do you think I am a Jew? Your own people and religious leaders have handed You over to me. What have You done?” 36 Jesus said, “My holy nation does not belong to this world. If My holy nation were of this world, My helpers would fight so I would not be handed over to the Jews. My holy nation is not of this world.” 37 Pilate said to Him, “So You are a King?” Jesus said, “You are right when you say that I am a King. I was born for this reason. I came into the world for this reason. I came to speak about the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
Jesus or Barabbas Is to Go Free (E)
38 Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” After Pilate said this, he went out again to the Jews. He said, “I do not find Him guilty. 39 But every year a man who is in prison is allowed to go free at the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Do you want the King of the Jews to go free?” 40 Then they spoke with loud voices, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.