M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Babylon Controls Jehoiakim
24 (A)In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The Lord sent against him (B)bands of Chaldeans, (C)bands of Arameans, (D)bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, (E)according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. 3 (F)Surely at the [a]command of the Lord it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight (G)because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and (H)also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not forgive. 5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
Jehoiachin Reigns
6 So (I)Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. 7 (J)The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, (K)for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from (L)the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.
8 (M)Jehoiachin was (N)eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, (O)according to all that his father had done.
Deportation to Babylon
10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. 12 (P)Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. So (Q)the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 13 (R)He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and (S)cut in pieces all the vessels of gold (T)which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, just as the Lord had said. 14 Then (U)he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, (V)ten thousand captives, and (W)all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained (X)except the poorest people of the land.
15 So (Y)he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also the king’s mother and the king’s wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 All the men of valor, (Z)seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon.
Zedekiah Made King
17 (AA)Then the king of Babylon made [b]his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
18 (AB)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was (AC)Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, (AD)according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For (AE)through the anger of the Lord this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And (AF)Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
The Peril of Falling Away
6 Therefore (A)leaving (B)the [a]elementary teaching about the [b]Christ, let us press on to [c](C)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from (D)dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of (E)instruction about washings and (F)laying on of hands, and the (G)resurrection of the dead and (H)eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, (I)if God permits. 4 For in the case of those who have once been (J)enlightened and have tasted of (K)the heavenly gift and have been made (L)partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and (M)have tasted the good (N)word of God and the powers of (O)the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is (P)impossible to renew them again to repentance, [d](Q)since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often [e]falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those (R)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and (S)close [f]to being cursed, and [g]it ends up being burned.
Better Things for You
9 But, (T)beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that [h]accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. 10 For (U)God is not unjust so as to forget (V)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having (W)ministered and in still ministering to the [i]saints. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence [j]so as to realize the (X)full assurance of (Y)hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but (Z)imitators of those who through (AA)faith and patience (AB)inherit the promises.
13 For (AC)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He (AD)swore by Himself, 14 saying, “(AE)I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” 15 And so, (AF)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. 16 (AG)For men swear by [k]one greater than themselves, and with them (AH)an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. 17 [l]In the same way God, desiring even more to show to (AI)the heirs of the promise (AJ)the unchangeableness of His purpose, [m]interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which (AK)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have [n]taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of (AL)the hope set before us. 19 [o]This (AM)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which (AN)enters [p]within the veil, 20 (AO)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a (AP)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
The Nations Will Be Judged
3 “[a]For behold, (A)in those days and at that time,
When I (B)restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will (C)gather all the nations
And bring them down to the (D)valley of [b]Jehoshaphat.
Then I will (E)enter into judgment with them there
On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel,
Whom they have (F)scattered among the nations;
And they have (G)divided up My land.
3 “They have also (H)cast lots for My people,
[c](I)Traded a boy for a harlot
And sold a girl for wine that they may drink.
4 Moreover, what are you to Me, O (J)Tyre, Sidon and all the regions of (K)Philistia? Are you rendering Me a recompense? But if you do recompense Me, swiftly and speedily I will (L)return your recompense on your head. 5 Since you have (M)taken My silver and My gold, brought My precious [d]treasures to your temples, 6 and sold the (N)sons of Judah and Jerusalem to the [e]Greeks in order to remove them far from their territory, 7 behold, I am going to (O)arouse them from the place where you have sold them, and return your recompense on your head. 8 Also I will (P)sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the (Q)Sabeans, to a distant nation,” for the Lord has spoken.
9 (R)Proclaim this among the nations:
(S)Prepare a war; (T)rouse the mighty men!
Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up!
10 (U)Beat your plowshares into swords
And your pruning hooks into spears;
(V)Let the weak say, “I am a mighty man.”
11 [f](W)Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations,
And gather yourselves there.
Bring down, O Lord, Your (X)mighty ones.
12 Let the nations be aroused
And come up to the (Y)valley of [g]Jehoshaphat,
For there I will sit to (Z)judge
All the surrounding nations.
13 (AA)Put in the sickle, for the (AB)harvest is ripe.
Come, (AC)tread, for the (AD)wine press is full;
The vats overflow, for their (AE)wickedness is great.
14 (AF)Multitudes, multitudes in the (AG)valley of [h]decision!
For the (AH)day of the Lord is near in the valley of [i]decision.
15 The (AI)sun and moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.
16 The Lord (AJ)roars from Zion
And (AK)utters His voice from Jerusalem,
And the (AL)heavens and the earth tremble.
But the Lord is a (AM)refuge for His people
And a (AN)stronghold to the sons of Israel.
17 Then you will (AO)know that I am the Lord your God,
Dwelling in Zion, My (AP)holy mountain.
So Jerusalem will be (AQ)holy,
And (AR)strangers will pass through it no more.
Judah Will Be Blessed
18 And in that day
The (AS)mountains will drip with [j]sweet wine,
And the hills will (AT)flow with milk,
And all the (AU)brooks of Judah will flow with water;
And a (AV)spring will go out from the house of the Lord
To water the valley of [k]Shittim.
19 Egypt will become a waste,
And Edom will become a desolate wilderness,
Because of the (AW)violence [l]done to the sons of Judah,
In whose land they have shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah will be (AX)inhabited forever
And Jerusalem for all generations.
21 And I will (AY)avenge their blood which I have not avenged,
For the Lord dwells in Zion.
Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
(A)Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your (B)faithfulness, in Your (C)righteousness!
2 And (D)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight (E)no man living is righteous.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life (F)to the ground;
He (G)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore (H)my spirit [a]is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is [b](I)appalled within me.
5 I (J)remember the days of old;
I (K)meditate on all Your doings;
I (L)muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I (M)stretch out my hands to You;
My (N)soul longs for You, as a [c]parched land. [d]Selah.
7 (O)Answer me quickly, O Lord, my (P)spirit fails;
(Q)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like (R)those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear Your (S)lovingkindness (T)in the morning;
For I trust (U)in You;
Teach me the (V)way in which I should walk;
For to You I (W)lift up my soul.
9 (X)Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
[e]I take refuge in You.
10 (Y)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let (Z)Your good Spirit (AA)lead me on level [f]ground.
11 (AB)For the sake of Your name, O Lord, (AC)revive me.
(AD)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your lovingkindness, [g](AE)cut off my enemies
And (AF)destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For (AG)I am Your servant.
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