M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
24 While Jehoiakim was king, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked the land of Judah. So Jehoiakim became Nebuchadnezzar’s servant for three years. Then Jehoiakim turned against Nebuchadnezzar. And he broke away from his rule. 2 The Lord sent men from Babylon, Aram, Moab and Ammon against Jehoiakim. He sent them to destroy Judah. This happened the way the Lord had said it would through his servants the prophets.
3 The Lord commanded this to happen to the people of Judah. He did it to remove them from his presence. This was because of all the sins Manasseh had done. 4 He had killed many innocent people. He had filled Jerusalem with their blood. And the Lord would not forgive these sins.
5 The other things that happened while Jehoiakim was king and all he did are written down. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. 6 Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.
7 The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again. This was because of the king of Babylon. He had captured all that belonged to the king of Egypt. He took all the land from the brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.
Jehoiachin King of Judah
8 Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king. He was king three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan. She was from Jerusalem. 9 Jehoiachin did what the Lord said was wrong, just as his father had done.
10 At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and attacked it. 11 Nebuchadnezzar himself came to the city while his officers were attacking it. 12 Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon. Jehoiachin’s mother, servants, elders and officers also surrendered. Then the king of Babylon made Jehoiachin a prisoner. This was in the eighth year Nebuchadnezzar was king. 13 Nebuchadnezzar took all the treasures from the Temple of the Lord. He also removed the treasures from the palace. He took all the gold objects Solomon king of Israel had made for the Temple. This happened as the Lord had said it would. 14 Nebuchadnezzar took away all the people of Jerusalem. This included all the leaders and all the wealthy people. He also took all the craftsmen and metal workers. There were 10,000 prisoners in all. Only the poorest people in the land were left. 15 Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. He took the king’s mother and his wives. He also took the officers and leading men of the land. They were taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 The king of Babylon also took all 7,000 soldiers. These men were all strong and able to fight in war. And 1,000 craftsmen and metal workers were taken, too. Nebuchadnezzar took them as prisoners to Babylon. 17 He made Mattaniah king in Jehoiachin’s place. Mattaniah was Jehoiachin’s uncle. He also changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.
Zedekiah King of Judah
18 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. And he was king in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah.[a] She was from Libnah. 19 Zedekiah did what the Lord said was wrong, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20 All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the Lord was angry with them. Finally, he threw them out of his presence.
The Fall of Jerusalem
Zedekiah turned against the king of Babylon.
6 So let us go on to grown-up teaching. Let us not go back over the beginning lessons we learned about Christ. We should not start over again with teaching about turning from acts that lead to death and about believing in God. 2 We should not return to the teaching of baptisms,[a] of laying on of hands,[b] of the raising of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And we will go on to grown-up teaching if God allows.
4 Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed life. They were once in God’s light. They enjoyed heaven’s gift, and they shared in the Holy Spirit. 5 They found out how good God’s word is, and they received the powers of his new world. 6 And then they fell away from Christ! It is not possible to keep on bringing them back to a changed life again. For they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others.
7 Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain. The land produces a good crop for those who work it, and it receives God’s blessings. 8 Other people are like land that grows thorns and weeds and is worthless. It is about to be cursed by God. It will be destroyed by fire.
9 Dear friends, we are saying this to you. But we really expect better things from you that will lead to your salvation. 10 God is fair. He will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people. And he will remember that you are still helping them. 11 We want each of you to go on with the same hard work all your lives. Then you will surely get what you hope for. 12 We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who have faith and patience. They will receive what God has promised.
13 God made a promise to Abraham. And as there is no one greater than God, he used himself when he swore to Abraham. 14 He said, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[c] 15 Abraham waited patiently for this to happen. And he received what God promised.
16 People always use the name of someone greater than themselves when they swear. The oath proves that what they say is true. And this ends all arguing about what they say. 17 God wanted to prove that his promise was true. He wanted to prove this to those who would get what he promised. He wanted them to understand clearly that his purposes never change. So God proved his promise by also making an oath. 18 These two things cannot change. God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in heaven. 20 Jesus has gone in there ahead of us and for us. He has become the high priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek.[d]
Punishment for Judah’s Enemies
3 “In those days and at that time,
I will give Judah and Jerusalem back their riches.
2 I will also gather all the nations together.
I will bring them down into the Valley Where the Lord Judges.
And there I will judge them.
Those nations scattered my own people, Israel.
They forced my people to live in other nations.
They divided up my land.
3 They threw lots for my people.
They traded boys for prostitutes.
And they sold girls to buy wine to drink.
4 “Tyre and Sidon and all of you regions of Philistia! What do you have against me? Are you punishing me for something I did? Or are you doing something to hurt me? Then I will quickly do to you what you have done to me. 5 You took my silver and gold. You took my precious treasures and put them in your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks. That way you could send them far from their land.
7 “You sent my people to that faraway place. But I will bring them back. And I will do to you what you have done to them. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. Then they will sell them to the Sabean people far away.” The Lord said this.
God Judges the Nations
9 Announce this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Wake up the soldiers!
Let all the men of war come near and attack.
10 Make your plows into swords.
Make spears from your hooks for trimming trees.
Let the weak say,
“I am strong.”
11 All of you nations, hurry.
Come together in that place.
Lord, send your strong soldiers
to gather the nations.
12 “Wake up, nations.
Come to the Valley Where the Lord Judges.
There I will sit to judge
all the nations on every side.
13 Cut them down like grain
because the harvest is ripe with sin.
Come, walk on them as you would walk on grapes,
because the winepress is full.
The barrels are full of their sins and spilling over.
These people are so evil!”
14 There are many people
in the Valley of Decision.[a]
The Lord’s day of judging is near
in the Valley of Decision.
15 The sun and the moon will become dark.
The stars will stop shining.
16 The Lord will roar like a lion from Jerusalem.
His loud voice will sound like a growl from Jerusalem.
And the sky and the earth will shake.
But the Lord will be a safe place for his people.
He will be a strong place of safety for the people of Israel.
17 “Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.
I stay in my holy Mount Zion.
Jerusalem will become holy.
Strangers will never take over that city again.
A New Life Promised for Judah
18 “On that day the mountains will be covered with grapes for sweet wine.
The hills will be covered with cows to give milk.
And water will flow through all the ravines of Judah.
A fountain will flow from the Temple of the Lord.
It will give water to the valley of acacia trees.
19 But Egypt will become empty.
And Edom will become an empty desert.
This is because they were cruel to the people of Judah.
They killed innocent people in the land of Judah.
20 But there will always be people living in Judah.
And people will live in Jerusalem from now on.
21 Egypt and Edom killed my people.
So I will definitely punish them.”
The Lord lives in Jerusalem!
A Prayer Not to Be Killed
A song of David.
143 Lord, hear my prayer.
Listen to my cry for mercy.
Come to help me
because you are loyal and good.
2 Don’t judge me, your servant,
because no one alive is right before you.
3 My enemies are chasing me.
They have crushed me to the ground.
They have made me live in darkness
like those who are long dead.
4 I am afraid.
My courage is gone.
5 I remember what happened long ago.
I recall everything you have done.
I think about all you have made.
6 I lift my hands to you in prayer.
As a dry land needs rain, I thirst for you. Selah
7 Lord, answer me quickly.
I am getting weak.
Don’t turn away from me,
or I will be like those who are dead.
8 Tell me in the morning about your love.
I trust you.
Show me what I should do
because my prayers go up to you.
9 Lord, save me from my enemies.
I come to you for safety.
10 Teach me to do what you want,
because you are my God.
Let your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
11 Lord, let me live
so people will praise you.
In your goodness
save me from my troubles.
12 In your love defeat my enemies.
Destroy all those who trouble me
because I am your servant.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.