M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Queen Athaliah rules Judah
11 When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, learned of her son’s death, she immediately destroyed the entire royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, King Jehoram’s[a] daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, secretly took Ahaziah’s son Jehoash[b] from the rest of the royal children who were about to be murdered and hid[c] him in a bedroom along with his nurse. In this way Jehoash was hidden from Athaliah and wasn’t murdered. 3 He remained hidden with his nurse in the Lord’s temple for six years while Athaliah ruled the country.
4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of the Carites and of the guards and had them come to him at the Lord’s temple. He made a covenant with them, and made them swear a solemn pledge in the Lord’s temple. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5 He commanded them, “This is what you must do: A third of you coming on sabbath duty will guard the palace, 6 a second third will be at the Sur Gate, and the final third will be at the gate behind the guards. You will take turns guarding the temple.[d] 7 You who are in the first two groups that usually go off duty on the Sabbath should also guard the Lord’s temple to protect the king. 8 Surround the king completely, each of you with your weapons drawn. Whoever comes near your ranks must be killed. Stay near the king wherever he goes.”
9 The unit commanders did everything that Jehoiada the priest ordered. They each took charge of those men reporting for duty on the Sabbath as well as those going off duty on the Sabbath. They came to the priest Jehoiada. 10 Then the priest gave the unit commanders King David’s spears and shields, which were kept in the Lord’s temple. 11 The guards, each with their weapons drawn, then took up positions near the temple and the altar, stretching from the south side of the temple to the north side to protect the king. Everyone was holding his weapons, surrounding the king. 12 Jehoiada then brought out the king’s son, crowned him, gave him the royal law,[e] and made him king and anointed him, as everyone applauded and cried out, “Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guard and the people, she went to the people at the Lord’s temple 14 and saw the king standing by the royal pillar, as was the custom, with the commanders and trumpeters beside the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athaliah ripped her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”
15 Then the priest Jehoiada ordered the unit commanders who were in charge of the army: “Take her out under guard,”[f] he told them, “and kill anyone who follows her.” This was because the priest had said, “She must not be executed in the Lord’s temple.” 16 They arrested her when she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate at the royal palace. She was executed there.
17 Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that the people would belong to the Lord. The king and the people also made a covenant. 18 Then all the people of the land went to Baal’s temple and tore it down, smashing its altars and images into pieces. They executed Mattan, Baal’s priest, in front of the altars. The priest Jehoiada posted guards at the Lord’s temple. 19 Then he took the unit commanders, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they led the king down from the Lord’s temple, processing through the Guards’ Gate to the palace, where the king sat upon the royal throne. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at peace now that Athaliah had been executed at the palace.
Jehoash rules Judah
21 [g] Jehoash was 7 years old when he became king.
12 He[h] became king in Jehu’s seventh year, and he ruled for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beer-sheba. 2 Jehoash always did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, because the priest Jehoiada was his teacher. 3 However, the shrines were not removed. People kept sacrificing and burning incense at them. 4 Jehoash said to the priests, “Collect all the currently available money relating to holy things that is brought to the temple—some is money people pay to redeem persons according to their assessed value. Collect all the money brought to the Lord’s temple that people offer voluntarily.[i] 5 The priests should take the money from their donors and use it to repair the temple wherever such a need for repair is discovered.”
6 But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests still hadn’t repaired the temple. 7 So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests together. “Why haven’t you repaired the temple?” he asked them. “Stop taking money from your donors; instead, give it directly for temple repairs.” 8 The priests agreed that they wouldn’t take any more money from the people nor be responsible for temple repairs. 9 Then the priest Jehoiada took a box, made a hole in its lid, and placed it beside the altar, to the right as one enters the Lord’s temple. The priests who stood watch at the door put all the money brought to the Lord’s temple in the box. 10 As soon as they saw that a large amount of money was in the box, the royal scribe and the high priest would come, count the money that was in the temple, and put it in a bag. 11 They would then hand over the money that had been counted[j] to those who supervised the work on the temple. These supervisors then paid money to those who worked on the Lord’s temple: carpenters, builders, 12 masons, and stonecutters. The money was used to purchase wood and quarried stone to repair the Lord’s temple and for every other cost involved in repairing it. 13 But the money that was brought to the Lord’s temple was not used to make silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets, or any gold or silver object for the Lord’s temple. 14 Instead, it was given directly to those who did the repair work; they used it to repair the Lord’s temple. 15 There was no need to check on those who received the money and paid the workers, because they acted honestly. 16 Now as for the money for compensation and purification offerings, it wasn’t brought to the Lord’s temple. It belonged to the priests.
17 About this same time, Aram’s King Hazael came up, attacked Gath, and captured it. Next Hazael decided to march against Jerusalem. 18 Judah’s King Jehoash took all the holy objects that had been dedicated by his ancestors—Judah’s kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah—along with the holy objects he himself had dedicated, as well as all the gold in the treasure rooms of the Lord’s temple and the palace, and he sent them to Aram’s King Hazael. Hazael then pulled back from Jerusalem.
19 The rest of Jehoash’s[k] deeds and all that he accomplished, aren’t they written in the official records of Judah’s kings? 20 Jehoash’s officials plotted a conspiracy and killed him at Beth-millo on the road that goes down to Silla. 21 It was Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer, his officials, who struck him so that he died. He was buried with his ancestors in David’s City. His son Amaziah succeeded him as king.
Pass on the message and share suffering
2 So, my child, draw your strength from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Take the things you heard me say in front of many other witnesses and pass them on to faithful people who are also capable of teaching others.
3 Accept your share of suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Nobody who serves in the military gets tied up with civilian matters, so that they can please the one who recruited them. 5 Also in the same way, athletes don’t win unless they follow the rules. 6 A hardworking farmer should get the first share of the crop. 7 Think about what I’m saying; the Lord will give you understanding about everything.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead and descended from David. This is my good news. 9 This is the reason I’m suffering to the point that I’m in prison like a common criminal. But God’s word cannot be imprisoned. 10 This is why I endure everything for the sake of those who are chosen by God so that they too may experience salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 This saying is reliable:
“If we have died together, we will also live together.
12 If we endure, we will also rule together.
If we deny him, he will also deny us.
13 If we are disloyal, he stays faithful”
because he can’t be anything else than what he is.
Speak, instruct, and act correctly
14 Remind them of these things and warn them in the sight of God not to engage in battles over words that aren’t helpful and only destroy those who hear them. 15 Make an effort to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker, who doesn’t need to be ashamed but is one who interprets the message of truth correctly. 16 Avoid their godless discussions, because they will lead many people into ungodly behavior, 17 and their ideas will spread like an infection. This includes Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have deviated from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already happened. This has undermined some people’s faith.
19 God’s solid foundation is still standing with this sign: The Lord knows the people who belong to him,[a] and Everyone who confesses the Lord’s name must avoid wickedness.[b] 20 In a mansion, there aren’t just gold and silver bowls but also some bowls that are made of wood and clay. Some are meant for special uses, some for garbage.[c] 21 So if anyone washes filth off themselves, they will be set apart as a “special bowl.” They will be useful to the owner of the mansion for every sort of good work.
Avoid conflict with opponents
22 Run away from adolescent cravings. Instead, pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace together with those who confess the Lord with a clean heart. 23 Avoid foolish and thoughtless discussions, since you know that they produce conflicts. 24 God’s slave shouldn’t be argumentative but should be kind toward all people, able to teach, patient, 25 and should correct opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will change their mind and give them a knowledge of the truth. 26 They may come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap that holds them captive to do his will.
The lesson of infidelity
3 Then the Lord said to me again, “Go, make love to a woman who has a lover and is involved in adultery, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen pieces of silver, a large amount of barley, and a portion of wine.[a] 3 I said to her, “You must stay with me for many days; you won’t act like a prostitute; you won’t have sex with a man, nor I with you.” 4 Similarly, the Israelites will remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred standing stone, without a priestly vest or household divine images. 5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; they will come trembling to the Lord and to the Lord’s goodness in the latter days.
Israel’s sins and coming punishment
4 Hear the Lord’s word,
people of Israel;
for the Lord has a dispute
with the inhabitants of the land.
There’s no faithful love or loyalty,
and no knowledge of God in the land.
2 Swearing, lying, murder,
together with stealing and adultery are common;
bloody crime followed by bloody crime.
3 Therefore, the earth itself becomes sick,
and all who live on it grow weak;
together with the wild animals
and the birds in the sky,
even the fish of the sea are dying.
4 Yet let no one protest,
and let no one complain.
Listen, priest, I am angry with your people.[b]
5 You will stumble by day;
and at nighttime so will your prophet,
and I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are destroyed
from lack of knowledge.
Since you have rejected knowledge,
so I will reject you from serving me as a priest.
Since you have forgotten the Instruction of your God,
so also I will forget your children.
7 The more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged their glory for shame.
8 They feed on the sin of my people;
they set their hearts on evil things.
9 The priest will be just like the people;
I will punish them for their ways,
and judge them for their deeds.
10 They will eat but not be satisfied;
they will have sex like prostitutes,
but they will not have children,
because they have rejected the Lord
to devote themselves to 11 false religious practices.
Description of Israel’s idolatry
Wine and new wine
destroy understanding.
12 My people take advice from a piece of wood,
and their divining rod gives them predictions.
A spirit of prostitution has led them astray;
they have left God to follow other gods.
13 They offer sacrifices on mountaintops,
and make entirely burned offerings on hills;
they offer sacrifices under various green trees,
because their shade is pleasant.
Therefore, your daughters act like prostitutes,
and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters because they act like prostitutes,
nor your daughters-in-law because they commit adultery;
for the men themselves visit prostitutes,
and offer sacrifices with consecrated workers at temples;
so now the people without sense must come to ruin.
15 Israel, even though you act like a prostitute,
don’t let Judah become guilty.
Don’t enter into Gilgal,
or go up to Beth-aven,
and don’t swear, “As the Lord lives.”
16 Like a stubborn cow Israel is stubborn.
Now the Lord will tend them,[c]
as the Lord tends a lamb in a pasture.
17 Ephraim is associated with idols—
let him alone!
18 Though they have stopped drinking,
they continue to behave like prostitutes;
indeed, they “love”; shame is their pride.
19 The wind has wrapped her in its wings;
they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
ע ayin
121 I’ve done what is just and right.
Don’t just hand me over to my oppressors.
122 Guarantee good things for your servant.
Please don’t let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes are worn out looking for your saving help—
looking for your word that will set things right.
124 Act toward your servant according to your faithful love.
Teach me your statutes!
125 I’m your servant!
Help me understand so I can know your laws.
126 It is time for the Lord to do something!
Your Instruction has been broken.
127 But I love your commandments
more than gold, even more than pure gold.
128 That’s why I walk straight by every single one of your precepts.
That’s why I hate every false path.
פ pe
129 Your laws are wonderful!
That’s why I guard them.
130 Access to your words[a] gives light,
giving simple folk understanding.
131 I open my mouth up wide, panting,
because I long for your commandments.
132 Come back to me and have mercy on me;
that’s only right for those who love your name.
133 Keep my steps steady by your word;
don’t let any sin rule me.
134 Redeem me from the people who oppress me
so I can keep your precepts.
135 Shine your face on your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136 Rivers of tears stream from my eyes
because your Instruction isn’t being kept.
צ tsade
137 Lord, you are righteous,
and your rules are right.
138 The laws you commanded are righteous,
completely trustworthy.
139 Anger consumes me
because my enemies have forgotten what you’ve said.
140 Your word has been tried and tested;
your servant loves your word!
141 I’m insignificant and unpopular,
but I don’t forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness lasts forever!
Your Instruction is true!
143 Stress and strain have caught up with me,
but your commandments are my joy!
144 Your laws are righteous forever.
Help me understand so I can live!
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible