M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Josiah Succeeds Amon(A)
34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 31 years in Jerusalem. 2 He practiced what the Lord considered to be right, following the example[a] of his ancestor David, turning neither to the right nor to the left. 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. In the twelfth year of his reign,[b] he began to remove the high places, Asherim, carved images, and cast images from Judah and Jerusalem.
4 They tore down the altars of Baals in his presence. He chopped down the incense altars that stood high above them. He broke into pieces the Asherim, the carved images, and the cast images, ground them to dust, and scattered the residue on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, thus purging Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and their surrounding ruins, 7 he also tore down altars, destroyed the Asherim and the carved images, grinding them[c] into dust, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
Josiah’s Restoration Work(B)
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purged the land and the Temple, he sent Azaliah’s son Shaphan, Maaseiah, mayor[d] of Jerusalem,[e] and Joahaz’s son Joah, the recorder, to repair the Temple of the Lord his God. 9 They approached Hilkiah the high priest and delivered to him the money that had been brought into God’s Temple that the descendants of Levi and gatekeepers had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim, the surviving Israelis, Judah, Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They paid it to the workmen who supervised the Lord’s Temple, and the workmen who were employed in the Lord’s Temple to supervise restoration and repair of the Temple. 11 They, in turn, paid the carpenters and builders to purchase quarried stone and timber for binders and beams for the buildings that previous[f] kings of Judah had let deteriorate. 12 The workmen did their duties faithfully with these foremen supervising them: Jahath and Obadiah, descendants of Levi who were Merari’s sons, Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath, and various descendants of Levi, who were skilled musicians. 13 These men also supervised the heavy lift workers and supervised all the workmen from job to job, while some of the descendants of Levi served as scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
The Book of the Law is Discovered(C)
14 While they were bringing out the money that had come in as gifts to the Lord’s Temple, Hilkiah the priest discovered the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been handed down by Moses. 15 Hilkiah reported his finding to Shaphan the scribe, telling him, “I found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple. Then he gave the book to Shaphan. 16 Shaphan took the book to the king and gave an additional report to the king, telling him “Everything that you’ve entrusted to your servants is being carried out. 17 They’ve removed the money that was found in the Lord’s Temple and have passed it on to the supervisors and the workmen.” 18 Shaphan the scribe also informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” Shaphan read from its contents to the king.
19 As soon as he heard what the Law said, he tore his clothes. 20 He issued these orders to Hilkiah, Shaphan’s son Ahikam, Micah’s son Abdon, Shaphan the scribe, and the king’s personal assistant Asaiah: 21 “Go ask the Lord for me and for those who survive in Israel and in Judah about the words that we’ve read in this book that we found, because the wrath of the Lord that we deserve to have poured out on us is very great, since our ancestors haven’t obeyed the command from[g] the Lord that required us to do everything that is written in this book.”
Hilkiah Consults with Huldah, the Woman Prophet
22 So Hilkiah and the others who had received orders from the king went to visit Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Tokhath’s son Shallum, grandson of Hasrah. She was the king’s wardrobe supervisor, and she lived in Jerusalem’s Second Quarter. They asked her about what had happened. 23 In response, she replied:
“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Pay attention! I’m bringing evil to visit this place and its inhabitants—every single curse written in the book that they’ve been reading to the King of Judah. 25 Because they abandoned me and have burned incense to other gods, provoking me to become angry at everything they’re doing,[h] therefore my wrath is about to be poured out on this place, and it won’t be quenched.’”’
26 “Now tell the king of Judah who sent you to ask the Lord about this: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says about what you’ve heard: 27 “Because your heart was sensitive, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he had to say about this place and its inhabitants—indeed, because you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and cried out to me, I have heard you,” declares the Lord. 28 “Look! I’m going to take you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in your grave in peace so that you won’t have to see all the evil that I’m going to bring to this place and to its inhabitants.”’”
So they all brought back this message to the king.
The Covenant is Renewed(D)
29 The king sent word to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 Then the king went up to the Lord’s Temple, accompanied by the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and descendants of Levi, and everyone else from the most important to the least important, and he read out loud[i] all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the Lord’s Temple. 31 While standing in his appointed place, the king made a public covenant with the Lord to follow the Lord, to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes, and to do so with all of his heart and soul, and to carry out what was written in the covenant contained in the book. 32 He also made everyone who was present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand in agreement with him. As a result, the inhabitants of Jerusalem reconfirmed the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 33 Josiah also removed all the detestable things from the territories that belonged to the people of Israel, and made everyone who lived in Israel to serve the Lord their God. For the rest of his life, they didn’t abandon their quest to follow the Lord God of their ancestors.
The Vision of the Millennial Reign
20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the bottomless pit,[a] with a large chain in his hand. 2 He captured the dragon, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan, and tied him up for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the bottomless pit,[b] locked it, and sealed it over him to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were over. After that, he must be set free for a little while.
The Vision of the First Resurrection
4 Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. They came back to life and ruled with the Messiah[c] for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection. 6 How blessed and holy are those who participate in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and the Messiah,[d] and will rule with him for a thousand years.
The Vision of the Final Judgment
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be freed from his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive Gog and Magog, the nations at the four corners of the earth, and gather them for war. They are as numerous as the sands of the seashore. 9 They marched over the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came from God[e] out of heaven and burned them up, 10 and the Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.
The Vision of the White Throne Judgment
11 Then I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I saw the dead, both unimportant and important, standing in front of the throne, and books were open. Another book was opened—the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to their actions, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades[f] gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to their actions. 14 Death and Hades[g] were thrown into the lake of fire. (This is the second death—the lake of fire.) 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
God’s Third Complaint: Against His Priests—Failing to Honor Him
2 Now this commandment is for you priests: 2 “If you don’t listen, and if you don’t choose[a] to give honor to my name,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “then I’ll curse both you and your blessings.[b] I’ve even cursed them[c] already, because none of you are taking it to heart. 3 Look! I’m rebuking your descendants because of you, and I’ll spread waste[d] on your faces, the waste of your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.
4 “You will know that I sent this commandment to you in order to continue my covenant with Levi,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 5 “My covenant with him was for life and peace, and I gave the commandments[e] to him so he would fear me. He did fear me as he stood in my presence.[f] 6 True teachings were in his mouth, and falsehood was not found on his lips. He walked with me peacefully and righteously, and he turned many from sin. 7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he’s the messenger of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
8 “But you priests[g] turned aside from the way, and by your teaching you caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 9 “So I also made you despised, humiliating you before all of the people, because you aren’t following my ways and are showing partiality when you teach.”
A Plea and a Prayer from Malachi
10 Do we not have one father?[h] Has not one God created us? Why does each of us act deceitfully, each man against his own brother, to profane the covenant of our ancestors? 11 Judah has become unfaithful, and a detestable thing was committed in Israel and Jerusalem. Indeed, Judah profaned the Holy Place of the Lord, which he loves, and married a daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord exclude from the community[i] of Jacob any man who does this, whoever he may be,[j] even though he brings offerings to the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
God’s Fourth Complaint: Against His Priests—Marital Abuses
13 “This is another thing you do: you flood the altar of the Lord with tears, weeping and wailing because he no longer pays attention to your offering nor takes pleasure in it from your hand. 14 Yet you ask, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord acts as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you were unfaithful to her, your partner, the wife of your covenant. 15 Did he not make them[k] one? And the vestige of the spirit remains in him. And why did he make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don’t be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
16 “Indeed, the Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce, along with the one who conceals his violence by outward appearances,”[l] says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “So guard yourselves carefully,[m] and don’t be unfaithful.”
God’s Fifth Complaint: Against His People—Complaining about God.
17 “You have wearied the Lord with your words. You ask, ‘How have we wearied you?’ By your saying, ‘All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord and he’s pleased with them,’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’”
Jesus is Sentenced to Death(A)
19 Then Pilate had Jesus taken away and whipped. 2 The soldiers twisted some thorns into a victor’s crown, put it on his head, and threw a purple robe on him. 3 They kept coming up to him and saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” Then they began to slap him on the face.
4 Pilate went outside again and told the Jews,[a] “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 Then Jesus came outside, wearing the victor’s crown of thorns and the purple robe.
Pilate told them, “Here is the man!”
6 When the high priests and the officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Pilate told them, “You take him and crucify him. I find no basis for a charge against him.”
7 The Jewish leaders[b] answered Pilate,[c] “We have a law, and according to that Law he must die because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this, he became even more afraid. 9 Returning to his headquarters,[d] he asked Jesus, “Where are you from?”
But Jesus did not answer him.
10 So Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to speak to me? You realize, don’t you, that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?”
11 Jesus answered him, “You have no authority over me at all, except what was given to you from above. That’s why the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 From then on, Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders[e] kept shouting, “If you release this fellow, you’re not a friend of Caesar! Anyone who claims to be a king is defying Caesar!”
13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat in a place called The Pavement, which in Hebrew is called Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day for the Passover, about noon.[f] He told the Jewish leaders,[g] “Here is your king!”
15 Then they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate asked them, “Should I crucify your king?”
The high priests responded, “We have no king but Caesar!” 16 Then Pilate[h] handed him over to be crucified, and they took Jesus away.
Jesus is Crucified(B)
17 Carrying the cross all by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, along with two others, one on each side of him with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus from Nazareth,[i] the King of the Jews.” 20 Many Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
21 Then the Jewish high priests told Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this fellow said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’”
22 Pilate replied, “What I have written I have written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier, and took his cloak[j] as well. The cloak was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. 24 So they told each other, “Let’s not tear it. Instead, let’s throw dice to see who gets it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture that says,
“They divided my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they threw dice.”[k]
So that is what the soldiers did.
25 Meanwhile, standing near Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.[l] 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he kept loving standing there, he told his mother, “Dear lady,[m] here is your son.” 27 Then he told the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
Jesus Dies on the Cross(C)
28 After this, when Jesus realized that everything was now completed, he said (in order to fulfill the Scripture), “I’m thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was standing there, so they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 After Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.
Jesus’ Side is Pierced
31 Since it was the Preparation Day, the Jewish leaders[n] did not want to leave the bodies on the crosses during the Sabbath, because that was a particularly important Sabbath. So they asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and the bodies[o] removed. 32 So the soldiers went and broke the legs of the first man and then of the other man who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water immediately came out. 35 The one who saw this has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows he is telling the truth so that you, too, may believe, 36 because these things happened so that the Scripture might be fulfilled:
“None of his bones will be broken.”[p]
37 In addition, another passage of Scripture says,
“They will look on the one whom they pierced.”[q]
Jesus is Buried(D)
38 Later on, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders),[r] asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, and he came and removed his body. 39 Nicodemus, the man who had first come to Jesus at night, also arrived, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 100 litra.[s] 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths along with spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41 A garden was located in the place where he was crucified, and in that garden was a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. 42 Because it was the Jewish Preparation Day, and because the tomb was nearby, they put Jesus there.
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