M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
24 During Jehoiakim’s reign King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Judah, and Jehoiakim became subject to him for three years. Then Jehoiakim turned against him and rebelled.
2 Yahweh sent raiding parties of Babylonians, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim to destroy Judah as Yahweh had predicted through his servants the prophets. 3 Without a doubt, this happened to Judah because Yahweh had commanded it to happen. He wanted to remove the people of Judah from his sight because of Manasseh’s sins—everything he had done, 4 including the innocent blood he had shed. He had a lot of innocent people in Jerusalem killed, and Yahweh refused to forgive him.
5 Isn’t everything else about Jehoiakim—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? 6 Jehoiakim lay down in death with his ancestors, and his son Jehoiakin succeeded him as king.
7 The king of Egypt didn’t leave his own country again because the king of Babylon had taken all the territory from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates River. This territory had belonged to the king of Egypt.
King Jehoiakin of Judah(A)
8 Jehoiakin was 18 years old when he began to rule as king. He was king for three months in Jerusalem. His mother was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem. 9 Jehoiakin did what Yahweh considered evil, as his father had done.
10 At that time the officers of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem. (The city was blockaded.) 11 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon arrived while his officers were blockading the city. 12 King Jehoiakin of Judah, his mother, officials, generals, and eunuchs surrendered to the king of Babylon. In the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon captured Jehoiakin. 13 He also took away all the treasures in Yahweh’s temple and the royal palace. As Yahweh had predicted, Nebuchadnezzar stripped the gold off all the furnishings that King Solomon of Israel had made for Yahweh’s temple. 14 He captured all Jerusalem, all the generals, all the soldiers (10,000 prisoners), and all the craftsmen and smiths. Only the poorest people of the land were left. 15 He took Jehoiakin to Babylon as a captive. He also took the king’s mother, wives, eunuchs, and the leading citizens of the land from Jerusalem as captives to Babylon. 16 The king of Babylon brought all 7,000 of the prominent landowners, 1,000 craftsmen and smiths, and all the men who could fight in war as captives to Babylon.
King Zedekiah of Judah(B)
17 The king of Babylon made King Jehoiakin’s Uncle Mattaniah king in his place and changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah. 18 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 19 Zedekiah did what Yahweh considered evil, as Jehoiakim had done.
20 Yahweh became angry with Jerusalem and Judah and threw the people out of his sight.
Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
6 With this in mind, we should stop going over the elementary truths about Christ and move on to topics for more mature people. We shouldn’t repeat the basics about turning away from the useless things we did and the basics about faith in God. 2 We shouldn’t repeat the basic teachings about such things as baptisms, setting people apart for holy tasks, dead people coming back to life, and eternal judgment. 3 If God permits, we will do this.
4 Some people once had God’s light. They experienced the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit. 5 They experienced the goodness of God’s word and the powers of the world to come. 6 Yet, they have deserted Christ. They are crucifying the Son of God again and publicly disgracing him. Therefore, they cannot be led a second time to God.
7 God blesses the earth. So rain often falls on it, and it produces useful crops for farmers. 8 However, if the earth produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
God Will Not Forget You
9 Dear friends, even though we say these things, we are still convinced that better things are in store for you and that they will save you. 10 God is fair. He won’t forget what you’ve done or the love you’ve shown for him. You helped his holy people, and you continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to prove that you’re working hard so that you will remain confident until the end. 12 Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience.
13 God made a promise to Abraham. Since he had no one greater on whom to base his oath, he based it on himself. 14 He said, “I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 So Abraham received what God promised because he waited patiently for it.
16 When people take oaths, they base their oaths on someone greater than themselves. Their oaths guarantee what they say and end all arguments. 17 God wouldn’t change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. 18 God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given. 19 We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the holy place behind the curtain 20 where Yeshua went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest.
The Lord Will Rescue His People
3 [a]“In those days and at that time,
I will bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem.
2 I will gather all the nations.
I will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.[b]
I will judge them there.
They scattered the Israelites, the people who belong to me,
among the nations.
They divided my land.
3 They threw dice for my people.
They traded boys for prostitutes.
They sold girls so that they could buy wine to drink.
4 “Now what do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon
and all the regions of Philistia?
Are you paying me back for something I have done?
If you are paying me back,
I will quickly pay you back for what you have done.
5 You took my silver and my gold.
You brought my finest treasures to your temples.
6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks.
That way you could send them far away from their land.
7 I am going to make them leave the place where you sold them.
I will pay you back for what you have done.
8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah.
They will sell them to the people of Sheba,
a nation that is far away.”
Yahweh has spoken.
9 Announce this among the nations:
Prepare yourselves for war.
Wake up the warriors.
Have all the warriors come near and attack.
10 Hammer your plowblades into swords
and your pruning shears into spears.
Weaklings should say that they are warriors.
11 Hurry from every direction, and gather there, all you nations.
O Yahweh, bring your soldiers.
12 Wake up, you nations.
Come to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
13 Cut them down like grain.
The harvest is ripe.
Stomp on them as you would stomp on grapes.
The winepress is full.
The vats overflow.
The nations are very wicked.
14 There are many, many people in the valley of decision.
The day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon will turn dark.
The stars will no longer shine.
16 Yahweh will roar from Zion,
and his voice will thunder from Jerusalem.
The sky and the earth will shake.
Yahweh will be a Machseh for his people.
He will be a stronghold for the people of Israel.
17 “You will know that I am Yahweh your Elohim.
I live on my holy mountain, Zion.
Jerusalem will be holy.
Foreigners will never invade it again.
18 On that day new wine will cover the mountains.
Milk will flow on the hills.
Water will flow in all the brooks of Judah.
A spring will flow from Yahweh’s temple.
It will water the valley of Shittim.
19 Egypt will become a wasteland.
Edom will become a barren desert.
This is because the nations were cruel to Judah.
They murdered innocent people in their land.
20 People will always live in Judah.
People will live in Jerusalem from now on.
21 I will punish those who murder.”[c]
Yahweh lives in Zion!
Psalm 143
A psalm by David.
1 O Yahweh, listen to my prayer.
Open your ears to hear my urgent requests.
Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.
2 Do not take me to court for judgment,
because there is no one alive
who is righteous in your presence.
3 The enemy has pursued me.
He has ground my life into the dirt.
He has made me live in dark places
like those who have died long ago.
4 That is why I begin to lose hope
and my heart is in a state of shock.
5 I remember the days long ago.
I reflect on all that you have done.
I carefully consider what your hands have made.
6 I stretch out my hands to you in prayer.
Like parched land, my soul thirsts for you. Selah
7 Answer me quickly, O Yahweh.
My spirit is worn out.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I will be like those who go into the pit.
8 Let me hear about your mercy in the morning,
because I trust you.
Let me know the way that I should go,
because I long for you.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Yahweh.
I come to you for protection.
10 Teach me to do your will, because you are my Elohim.
May your good Ruach lead me on level ground.
11 O Yahweh, keep me alive for the sake of your name.
Because you are righteous, lead me out of trouble.
12 In keeping with your mercy, wipe out my enemies
and destroy all who torment me,
because I am your servant.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.