M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jehoshaphat’s Judicial Reforms
19 Then King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. 2 Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate Adonai? Because of this, wrath from before Adonai is against you. 3 Nevertheless, good things are found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles out of the land and have set your heart to seek God.”
4 Jehoshaphat dwelt in Jerusalem and he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba over to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to Adonai, the God of their fathers. 5 He also appointed judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. 6 He said to the judges. “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for Adonai who is with you when you pass judgment. 7 Now then, let the fear of Adonai be upon you. Be very careful what you do, for there is no injustice or favoritism or bribe-taking with Adonai Eloheinu.”
8 In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, kohanim and the leading patriarchs of Israel to render the judgment of Adonai and to settle disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
9 He charged them saying, “This is how you shall act: in the fear of Adonai, faithfully and wholeheartedly. 10 When any dispute comes to you from your kinsmen who live in their cities, whether bloodshed, or concerning Torah, mitzvot, statutes or ordinances, you must warn them so that they will not be guilty before Adonai. Otherwise wrath will come upon you and your kinsmen. Act accordingly and you will not be guilty.
11 “Behold, Amariah the chief kohen will be over you in all matters pertaining to Adonai, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the House of Judah, in all the matters pertaining to the king. Also the Levites will serve as officials before you. Act courageously and may Adonai be with the good.”
Jehoshaphat’s Prayer and the Valley of Bracha
20 Now it happened after this that the Moabites and the Ammonites together with other Ammonites came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Some came and reported to Jehoshaphat saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Aram, and are already in Hazazon-Tamar” (that is En-Gedi).
3 Jehoshaphat was afraid so he resolved to seek Adonai, and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 Judah assembled to seek help from Adonai; indeed, they came from all the cities of Judah to seek Adonai.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the House of Adonai in front of the new courtyard 6 and said:
“Adonai, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand and no one can stand against You. 7 Are You not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and gave it to the descendants of Your friend Abraham forever? 8 They settled in it and built You a Temple there for Your Name saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us—the sword of judgment, pestilence or famine—we will stand before this House and before You—for Your Name is in this House—and cry to You in our distress and You will hear and deliver us.’
10 “Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir—whose land You did not allow Israel to invade when they came from the land of Egypt, instead they turned aside from them and did not destroy them— 11 now behold, how they repay us by coming to drive us out of Your possession that You gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will You not execute judgment on them? For we have no power to face this great multitude that is attacking us. We do not know what to do—but our eyes are on You.”
13 All Judah was standing before Adonai with their infants, their wives and their children.
14 Then in the midst of the congregation, the Ruach Adonai came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, 15 and he said:
“Listen all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat. Thus Adonai says to you, ‘Do not be afraid or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them as they come up the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand and see the salvation of Adonai with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out to face them, for Adonai is with you.’”
18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Adonai to worship Adonai. 19 Levites, from the sons of Kohath and the sons of Korah, stood up to praise Adonai, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 Early in the morning they arose and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Adonai your God and you will be confirmed. Trust in His prophets and you will succeed.” 21 After consulting with the people, he appointed singers to Adonai praising the splendor of His holiness, as they went out before the army saying,
“Praise Adonai,
`for His mercy endures forever.”
22 As they began singing and praising, Adonai set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. 23 For the Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to exterminate and annihilate them. When they had exterminated the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 When Judah came to the lookout in the wilderness and looked for the multitude, behold, only corpses were lying on the ground—no one had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people went to take the plunder, they found an abundance of goods, clothing and precious articles, which they pillaged, more than they could carry away. For three days they were taking the plunder because there was so much. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Bracha[a] where they blessed Adonai. That is why the name of that place is called the Valley of Bracha to this day.
27 Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem for Adonai had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They came to Jerusalem to the House of Adonai with harps, lyres and trumpets. 29 So the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the region because they heard that Adonai had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was untroubled for his God gave him rest all around.
Jehoshaphat’s Last Days
31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was 35 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shlihi. 32 He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not stray from it, doing what was right in the eyes of Adonai. 33 However, the high places were not removed, nor did the people direct their hearts to the God of their fathers.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is included in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 Afterward, King Jehoshaphat of Judah allied himself with King Ahaziah of Israel, thereby acting wickedly. 36 He joined with him to construct ships to go to Tarshish, and they constructed the ships in Ezion-geber.
37 Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, Adonai will break up your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.
The Seventh Seal and Seven Trumpets
8 Now when the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets[a] were given to them. 3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden incense burner.[b] He was given much incense to offer up along with the prayers of all the kedoshim upon the golden altar before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the kedoshim,[c] rose before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the incense burner and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there were clashes of thunder and rumblings and flashes of lightning and earthquakes.[d]
6 Then the seven angels holding the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. 7 The first trumpeted,[e] and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown upon the earth.[f] A third of the earth burned up, a third of the trees burned up, and all the green grass burned up.
8 The second angel trumpeted, and something like a huge mountain[g] ablaze with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel trumpeted, and a great star fell from the heavens, burning like a torch. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 Now the name of the star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters that were made bitter.[h]
12 The fourth angel trumpeted, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them were darkened.[i] A third of the day would not shine, as well as a third of the night.
13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying out with a loud voice as it flew high in the sky, saying, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpets the three angels are about to sound!”
Two Olive Trees and the Capstone
4 Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me—like a man who is wakened from his sleep.
2 He asked me, ‘What do you see?’
I replied, ‘Behold, I see a solid gold menorah with its bowl at the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven pipes for the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 Also two olive trees are by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on the left side of it.’[a]
4 Then I responded by saying to the angel speaking with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’
5 The angel who spoke with me responded by asking me, ‘You do not know what these are?’
I replied, ‘No, my lord.’
6 Then he responded to me by saying, ‘This is the word of Adonai to Zerubbabel saying: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Ruach!” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 7 “What are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. He will bring out the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace” to it.’”
8 Again the word of Adonai came to me saying: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this House. His hands will also finish it. Then you will know that Adonai-Tzva’ot has sent me to you. 10 For who despises the day of small things? These seven—which are the eyes of Adonai that run back and forth throughout the whole earth—will rejoice when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
11 Then I responded by asking him, “What are these two olive trees, on the right and on the left of the menorah?” 12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two golden pipes that empty the golden oil out of them?”
13 He said to me, “You do not know what these are?”
I said, “No, my lord.”
14 So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Anticipating Hostility at Sukkot
7 After these events, Yeshua was walking about in the Galilee. He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Judean leaders wanted to kill Him. 2 Now the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles[a] was near. 3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so Your disciples also may see the works You are doing. 4 No one who wants to be well known does everything in secret. If You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world!” 5 For not even His brothers were trusting in Him.
6 Therefore Yeshua said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always at hand. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify that its works are evil. 8 You go on up to the Feast. I’m not going to this feast, because My time hasn’t yet fully come.” 9 After saying these things, He stayed in the Galilee.
10 But after His brothers went to the Feast, He also went, not openly but secretly. 11 Then the Judean leaders were searching for Him at the Feast and kept asking, “Where is that fellow?” 12 There was a lot of murmuring about Him in the crowds. Some were saying, “He is good.” But others were saying, “Not so! He leads the people astray.” 13 Yet no one spoke openly about Him for fear of the Judean leaders.
Teaching at the Temple
14 About halfway through the Feast, Yeshua went up to the Temple and began teaching. 15 Then the Judean leaders were amazed, saying, “How does this man know so much, having never been taught?”[b]
16 Yeshua answered, “My teaching is not from Me, but from Him who sent Me. 17 If anyone wants to do His will, he will know whether My teaching comes from God or it is Myself speaking. 18 Whoever speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true and there is no unrighteousness in Him. 19 Hasn’t Moses given you the Torah? Yet none of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”
20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who’s trying to kill you?”
21 Yeshua answered, “I did one good work, and all of you are amazed. 22 Because Moses has given you circumcision (though it is not from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a man on Shabbat. 23 If a man receives circumcision on Shabbat so that the Torah of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry that I healed a man’s whole body on Shabbat? 24 Do not judge by appearance, but judge righteously.”
25 Then some of the people from Jerusalem were saying, “Isn’t this the person they’re trying to kill? 26 Look, He speaks openly and they’re saying nothing to Him. Can it be that the leaders know He is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this person is from. But the Messiah, whenever He may come, no one knows where He is from.”
28 Then, while teaching in the Temple courts, Yeshua cried out, “You know both who I am and where I am from! I have not come on My own, but the One who sent Me is true. You do not know Him, 29 but I know Him because I am from Him and He sent Me.”
30 Then they were trying to seize Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many from the crowd believed in Him and were saying, “When the Messiah comes, He won’t perform more signs than this person has, will He?” 32 The Pharisees heard people in the crowd murmuring these things about Him, and the ruling kohanim and Pharisees sent guards to arrest Him.
33 Yeshua said, “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to the One who sent Me. 34 You will look for Me but will not find Me. Where I am, you cannot come.”
35 The Judean leaders then said among themselves, “Where is this person about to go that we shall not find Him? He’s not going to the Diaspora to teach the Greeks, is He? 36 What did He mean by saying, ‘You will look for Me but will not find Me. Where I am, you cannot come’?”
Satisfying Spiritual Thirst
37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua stood up and cried out loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” [c] 39 Now He said this about the Ruach, whom those who trusted in Him were going to receive; for the Ruach[d] was not yet given, since Yeshua was not yet glorified.
40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd said, “This man really is the Prophet.” 41 Others were saying, “This is the Messiah.” Still others were saying, “The Messiah doesn’t come from the Galilee, does He? 42 Didn’t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from the seed of David and from Bethlehem, David’s town?” [e] 43 So a division arose in the crowd because of Yeshua. 44 Some wanted to capture Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
Religious Adversaries
45 Then the guards returned to the ruling kohanim and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him?”
46 “Never has anyone spoken like this man,” the guards answered.
47 The Pharisees responded, “You haven’t been led astray also, have you? 48 Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him? 49 No, but this mob that doesn’t know the Torah—they are cursed!”
50 Nicodemus, the one who had come to Yeshua before and was one of them, said to them, 51 “Our Torah doesn’t judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”
52 They answered him, “You aren’t from the Galilee too, are you? Search, and see that no prophet comes out of the Galilee!”[f]
53 Then everyone went to his own house.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.