M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of King Jotham of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. But he did not do what was right in the eyes of Adonai his God, as his father David had done. 3 Instead he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, like the abominations of the nations whom Adonai had dispossessed before Bnei-Yisrael. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every leafy tree.
5 Then King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of King Remaliah of Israel marched against Jerusalem to wage war. They besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. 6 At that time King Rezin of Aram recovered Elath for Aram, and drove the Jews out of Elath. Then the Edomites came to Elath and settled there to this day.
7 So Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” 8 Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the House of Adonai and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and sent them as a present to the king of Assyria. 9 So the king of Assyria responded to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and captured it, and deported its inhabitants as captives to Kir and put Rezin to death.
Ahaz Remodels the Temple
10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria and saw the altar that was at Damascus. So King Ahaz sent to Urijah the kohen the pattern of the altar and its model needed for its construction. 11 Then Urijah the kohen built an altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, and Urijah the kohen finished it by the time King Ahaz returned from Damascus. 12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, the king approached the altar and went up to it. 13 Then he burned his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his fellowship offerings on the altar. 14 As for the bronze altar that was before Adonai, he moved it from the forefront of the House, from between his altar and the House of Adonai, and put it on the north side of his own altar.
15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the kohen saying, “Upon the great altar you will burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their grain offering and their drink offering. Also sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifices. But the bronze altar will be for me to inquire by.”
16 Thus Urijah the kohen did everything just as King Ahaz commanded. 17 Then King Ahaz cut off the borders of the stands and removed the laver from them. He also took down the sea from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pavement. 18 The covered passageway for Shabbat that they had built in the House as well as the outer entry for the king, he removed from the House of Adonai, because of the king of Assyria.
19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 Then Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. Then his son Hezekiah became king in his place.
Advice for Behavior in Community
2 But as for you, speak things that are fitting for sound instruction. 2 Older men are to be clear-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, in patience. 3 Likewise, older women are to be sanctified in demeanor—not backbiting or enslaved to much wine. Let them be teachers of what is good, 4 so that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, managing their household, kind, submitted to their own husbands, so that God’s word may not be dishonored.
6 Likewise urge the younger men to be self-controlled, 7 in all things showing yourself to be an example of good deeds—integrity in instruction, dignity, 8 sound speech beyond criticism—so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.
9 Urge slaves to submit themselves to their own masters in all things, well-pleasing and not back-talking, 10 not stealing but showing all good faithfulness, so that they may do credit to the teaching about God our Savior in everything.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 training us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live in a manner that is self-controlled and righteous and godly in the present age. 13 We wait for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua. 14 He gave Himself for us so that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and so that He might purify for Himself a chosen people, zealous for good deeds. [a] 15 So communicate these things, and encourage and correct with complete authority. Let no one look down on you.
Days of Desolation Are Coming
9 Do not rejoice, O Israel,
do not celebrate like the peoples—
for so you have gone whoring away from your God.
You have loved a prostitute’s pay,
on every grain-threshing-floor.
2 Threshing-floor and wine-press will not sustain them,
and new wine will fail her.
3 They will not dwell in Adonai’s land.
Instead Ephraim will return to Egypt,
and eat unclean food in Assyria.
4 They will pour no wine-offerings to Adonai—
they would not be pleasing to Him.
Their sacrifices will be like
the bread of mourners for them.
All that eat it will be defiled,
for their bread is for their appetite,
not coming into the House of Adonai.
5 What will you do for a moed
or for the day of Adonai’s feast?
6 Look, even if they escape the desolation,
Egypt will gather them up;
Memphis will bury them.
And their precious silver treasures?
Weeds will possess them.
Thorns will be in their tents.
7 The days of punishment have come;
the days of retribution have come.
Let Israel know! The prophet is a fool;
the man of the spirit is mad!
For great is your iniquity
and great the hostility.
8 Ephraim is a watchman with my God,
a prophet.
A bird catcher’s trap is on all his paths.
Hostility is in the House of his God.
9 They have deeply corrupted themselves
as in the days of Gibeah.
He will remember their iniquity,
He will punish their sin.
10 “Like grapes in the wilderness
I found Israel.
Like early fruit on a fig tree in its first season
I saw your fathers.
They came to Baal-peor
and devoted themselves to shame.
So they became as detestable
as the thing they loved.
11 Ephraim’s glory flies away like a bird—
no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!
12 For if they should raise their children,
I would make them childless to the last man.
Yes, woe to them
when I depart from them!
13 Ephraim, as I have seen,
is like Tyre, planted in a meadow,
but Ephraim will bring his children out to the slayer.”
14 Give them, Adonai, what will You give?
Give them a miscarrying womb
and dried up breasts.
15 “All their wickedness is at Gilgal,
for there I despised them.
Because of their wicked practices,
I will drive them out of My House.
I will love them no more.
All their princes are rebellious.
16 Ephraim is blighted;
their root is withered;
they bear no fruit.
Even if they bring forth children,
I will slay the cherished ones in their wombs.”
17 My God will cast them off,
since they did not listen to Him.
So they will become wanderers among the nations.
Joyful Restoration of Zion
Psalm 126
1 A Song of Ascents.
When Adonai restored the captives of Zion,
it was as if we were dreaming.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with a song of joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“Adonai has done great things for them.”
3 Adonai has done great things for us
—we are joyful!
4 Restore us from captivity, Adonai,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with a song of joy.
6 Whoever keeps going out weeping,
carrying his bag of seed,
will surely come back with a song of joy,
carrying his sheaves.
He Gives Sleep to His Children
Psalm 127
1 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless Adonai builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless Adonai watches over the city,
the watchman stands guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise up early and stay up late,
eating the bread of toil—
for He provides for His beloved ones even in their sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage of Adonai
—the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,
so are the children of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they speak with their enemies at the gate.
Blessing on Those Who Fear God
Psalm 128
1 A Song of Ascents.
Happy is everyone in awe of Adonai,
who walks in His ways,
2 for you will eat the labor of your hands.
You will be blessed
and it will be good for you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house.
Your children will be like olive saplings around your table.
4 Behold, thus will the man be blessed
who fears Adonai.
5 May Adonai bless you out of Zion,
and may you see Jerusalem in prosperity
all the days of your life,
6 and may you live to see your children’s children.
Shalom be upon Israel!
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.