M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
14 Abijah ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. His son Asa became king in his place, and there was ·peace in the country [rest in the land] for ten years during Asa’s time.
Asa King of Judah(A)
2 Asa did what the Lord his God ·said was good and right [desired and approved]. 3 He removed the foreign altars and the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 11:15]. He smashed the ·stone pillars that honored other gods [L pillars], and he ·tore [cut] down the Asherah [C a Canaanite fertility goddess] ·idols [poles; Deut. 7:5; 12:3; 16:21; Judg. 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kin. 18:4]. 4 Asa commanded the people of Judah to ·follow [seek] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], and to obey his ·teachings [instructions; laws] and commandments. 5 He also removed the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 11:15] and the incense altars from every town in Judah. So the kingdom ·had peace [was undisturbed] while Asa was king. 6 Asa built ·strong, walled [fortified] cities in Judah ·during the time of peace [while the land was undisturbed]. He had no war in these years, because the Lord gave him ·peace [rest].
7 Asa said to the people of Judah, “Let’s ·build up [fortify] these towns and put walls around them. Let’s make towers, gates, and bars in the gates. This country is still ours, because we have ·obeyed [sought] the Lord our God. We have ·followed [sought] him, and he has given us ·peace all around [rest on every side].” So they built and ·had success [prospered].
8 Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah and two hundred eighty thousand men from Benjamin. The men from Judah carried large shields and spears. The men from Benjamin carried small shields and bows. All of them were ·brave fighting men [valiant/skilled warriors].
9 Then Zerah from ·Cush [Ethiopia] came out to fight them with an ·enormous army [army of one million men; L a thousand thousands] and three hundred chariots. They ·came as far as [advanced to] the town of Mareshah. 10 So Asa went out to fight Zerah and ·prepared for battle [took battle positions] in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 Asa called out to the Lord his God, saying, “Lord, only you can help ·weak people [the powerless] against the ·strong [mighty; many]. Help us, Lord our God, because we ·depend on [trust in; rely on] you. We fight against this ·enormous army [multitude] in your name. Lord, you are our God. Don’t let ·anyone [man; mortals] ·win [prevail] against you.”
12 So the Lord ·defeated [routed; struck down] the ·Cushites [Ethiopians] ·when Asa’s army from Judah attacked them [before Asa and Judah], and the Cushites ·ran away [fled]. 13 Asa’s army chased them as far as the town of Gerar. So many ·Cushites [Ethiopians] were killed that ·the army could not fight again [they could not recover]; they were ·crushed [shattered; destroyed] by the Lord and his army. Asa and his army carried ·many valuable things away from the enemy [off a great amount of plunder]. 14 They destroyed all the towns ·near [around] Gerar, because the ·people living in these towns were afraid of the Lord [L terror/dread of the Lord came upon them]. Since these towns had ·many valuable things [a lot of loot/plunder], Asa’s army ·took them away [looted/plundered/despoiled them]. 15 Asa’s army also attacked the ·camps where the shepherds lived [herdsmen] and took many ·sheep [L flocks] and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
Asa’s Changes
15 The Spirit of God ·entered [came upon] Azariah son of Oded. 2 Azariah went to meet Asa and said, “Listen to me, Asa and all you people of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord ·is [will be] with you when you are with him. If you ·obey [seek] him, you will find him, but if you ·leave [abandon; forsake] him, he will ·leave [abandon; forsake] you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God and without a priest to ·teach [instruct] them and without the ·teachings [instructions; laws]. 4 But ·when they were in trouble [in their distress], they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel. They ·looked for [sought] him and found him. 5 In those days no one could travel safely. There was ·much trouble [turmoil; total chaos] in ·all the nations [every land]. 6 One nation would ·destroy [crush] another nation, and one city would ·destroy [crush] another city, because God ·troubled [confused] them with all kinds of distress. 7 But you should be strong. Don’t ·give up [be discouraged], because you will be rewarded for your good work.”
8 Asa ·felt brave [was encouraged] when he heard these words and the ·message [prophecy] from Azariah son of Oded the prophet. So he removed the ·hateful [detestable; abominable] idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He ·repaired [restored] the Lord’s altar that was in front of the ·porch [portico; vestibule; entry room] of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.
9 Then Asa gathered all the people from Judah and Benjamin and from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living in Judah. Many people ·came [defected; deserted] to Asa even from Israel, ·because [when] they saw that the Lord, Asa’s God, was with him.
10 Asa and these people ·gathered [assembled] in Jerusalem in the third month [C late spring] of the fifteenth year of Asa’s ·rule [reign]. 11 ·At that time [L On that day] they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred ·bulls [oxen] and seven thousand sheep and goats from the ·valuable things Asa’s army had taken from their enemies [plunder/spoil they had brought back]. 12 Then they made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] to ·obey [seek] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], with their whole ·being [L heart and soul]. 13 Anyone who refused to ·obey [seek] the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be ·killed [executed; put to death]. It did not matter if that person was ·important [great] or ·unimportant [small], a man or woman. 14 Then Asa and the people ·made a promise before [swore allegiance/an oath/a vow to] the Lord, shouting with a loud voice and blowing trumpets and sheep’s horns. 15 All the people of Judah ·were happy about [rejoiced over] the ·promise [vow; oath], because they had ·promised [vowed; sworn] with all their heart. They ·looked for [earnestly sought] God and found him. So the Lord gave them ·peace [rest] ·in all the country [on every side].
The Removal of Maacah(B)
16 King Asa also removed Maacah, his ·grandmother [L mother], from being queen mother, because she had made a ·terrible [obscene; repulsive; loathsome; abominable] Asherah ·idol [pole; 14:3]. Asa cut down that idol, ·smashed it into pieces, [and crushed] and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17 But the ·places of worship to gods [L high places; 11:15] were not removed from ·Judah [L Israel; 12:6]. Even so, Asa was ·faithful [wholeheartedly loyal/devoted] all his life.
18 Asa brought into the ·Temple [L house] of God the ·gifts [dedicated/holy things] he and his father had given: silver, gold, and ·utensils [articles].
19 There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s ·rule [reign].
John Sees Heaven
4 After the vision of these things I looked, and [L look; T behold] there before me was an open door in heaven. And the ·same [L first] voice that spoke to me before, that sounded like a trumpet [1:8], said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2 Immediately I was in the ·Spirit [or spirit; C a state of deep spiritual communion with God; 1:10], and [L look; T behold] before me was a throne in heaven, and someone was sitting on it. 3 The One who sat on the throne looked like precious stones, like jasper and carnelian [C a symbol of great beauty, purity and value]. All around the throne was a ·rainbow [or halo] ·the color of [or that looked like] an emerald. 4 Around the throne there were twenty-four other thrones with twenty-four elders sitting on them [C probably angelic leaders]. They were dressed in white and had golden crowns [C wreaths symbolizing honor or victory; see 2:10] on their heads. 5 Lightning flashes and ·noises and thunder [or the rumbling of thunder; C phenomena associated with God’s appearance at Mount Sinai; Ex. 19:16–18] came from the throne. Before the throne seven lamps were burning, which are the seven spirits [C either angels or the “sevenfold Spirit”—the Holy Spirit portrayed in his perfection; 3:1] of God. 6 Also before the throne there was something that looked like a sea of glass, clear like crystal.
In the center and around the throne were four living creatures ·with eyes all over them [full of eyes], in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion. The second was like an ·ox [or calf]. The third had a face like a man. The fourth was like a flying eagle [Ezek. 1:10; C angelic beings identified with the most powerful example of various species]. 8 Each of these four living creatures had six wings and was ·covered all over with eyes [full of eyes], inside and out. Day and night they never ·stop [rest from] saying:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God ·Almighty [All-powerful].
He was, he is, and he is coming [1:4, 8].”
9 [L Whenever] These living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever. 10 Then the twenty-four elders bow down before the One who sits on the throne, and they worship him who lives forever and ever. They ·put their crowns down [cast/lay their crowns; 4:4] before the throne and say:
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and ·power [strength],
because you made all things.
Everything existed and was made,
·because you wanted it [by your will].”
The Beauty of the Temple
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month [C Oct. 17, 520 bc; Tishri 21 on the Hebrew calendar; the same date Solomon finished the temple 440 years earlier (960 bc); 1 Kin. 6:38; 8:2], the Lord spoke his word through Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest [1:1], and to the ·rest of the people who are left alive [remnant of the people; 1:12]. Say, 3 ‘Do any of you remember ·how great the Temple was [the former glory of this house] before it was destroyed? What does it look like now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?’ 4 But the Lord says, ‘Zerubbabel, be ·brave [strong]. Also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be ·brave [strong]. And all you people who live in the land, be ·brave [strong],’ says the Lord. ‘Work, because I am with you,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 5 ‘I made a promise to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit ·is still with [remains among] you. So don’t be afraid.’
6 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘In a short time I will once again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and ·they will bring their wealth [L the treasures of the nations shall come]. Then I will fill this ·Temple [L house] with glory [C God’s manifest presence],’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 8 ‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 9 ‘The ·new Temple [L glory of this second/latter house] will be greater than the one before,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].”
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month [C December 18, 520 bc; Kislev 24 on the Hebrew calendar] in the second year Darius was king, the Lord spoke his word to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘Ask the priests ·for a teaching [about the law; for guidance/instruction]. 12 Suppose a person carries in the fold of his clothes some meat made holy for the Lord. If that fold touches bread, ·cooked food [stew], wine, olive oil, or some other food, will that be made holy?’”
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “If a person who is ·unclean [C ceremonially] from touching a dead body touches any of these foods, will the food become unclean, too?”
The priests answered, “Yes, it would become unclean.”
14 Then Haggai answered, “The Lord says, ‘This is also true for the people of this nation. They are ·unclean [defiled], and everything they do with their hands is unclean to me. Whatever they offer at the altar is also ·unclean [defiled].
15 “‘·Think about [Consider; L Set your heart on] this from now on! Think about how it was before you started laying stones on top of stones to build the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 16 A person used to come to a ·pile of grain expecting to find twenty basketfuls [L heap of twenty measures/ephahs], but there were only ten. And a person used to come to the wine vat to take out fifty ·jarfuls [measures; L baths], but only twenty were there. 17 I ·destroyed your work [struck all the work of your hands] with ·diseases [blight], mildew, and hail, but you still did not come back to me,’ says the Lord. 18 ‘It is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month [December 18, 520 bc; Kislev 24 on the Hebrew calendar], the day in which the people finished working on the foundation of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. From ·now [L this day] on, think about these things: 19 Do you have seeds for crops still in the barn? Your vines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not given fruit yet. But from ·now [L this day] on I will bless you!’”
The Lord Makes a Promise to Zerubbabel
20 Then the Lord spoke his word a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month [December 18, 520 bc; Kislev 24 on the Hebrew calendar]. He said, 21 “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will ·destroy [overthrow] the ·foreign [L thrones of] kingdoms and ·take away [shatter] the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will destroy the chariots and their riders. The horses will fall with their riders, ·as people kill each other with swords [L each one by the sword of his brother].’ 23 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says, ‘On that day I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will make you ·important like [L like] my signet ring, because I have chosen you!’ says the Lord All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].”
Nicodemus Comes to Jesus
3 There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees [C a religious party which strictly observed OT laws and later customs] and ·an important Jewish leader [L a ruler of the Jews; C probably a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court of the time]. 2 ·One night [or By night; C perhaps with connotations that he could not “see” spiritually] Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], we know you are a teacher sent from God, because no one can do the ·miracles [L signs; 2:11] you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], unless you are born ·again [or from above; C this may be a play on words, meaning both “again” and “from above”], you cannot ·be in [experience; L see] God’s kingdom.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “But if a person is already old, how can he be born ·again [or from above; 3:3]? ·He cannot enter his mother’s womb again. So how can a person be born a second time [L Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born]?”
5 But Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], unless you are born from water and the Spirit [C equivalent to being born again (3:3); water could symbolize physical birth, but more likely symbolizes spiritual cleansing which brings renewal; Ezek. 36:25–27], you cannot enter God’s kingdom. 6 ·Human life comes from human parents [L That which is born of the flesh is flesh; C flesh here means human nature], but ·spiritual life comes from the Spirit [L that which is born of the Spirit is spirit]. 7 Don’t be ·surprised [amazed; astonished] when I tell you, ‘You [C plural, referring to the Jews or the Jewish leaders] must be born ·again [or from above; 3:3].’ 8 The wind [C one word means both “wind” and “spirit” in Greek] blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit.” [C We cannot comprehend or control the Spirit, but we experience his effect.]
9 Nicodemus ·asked [replied], “How can this ·happen [be]?”
10 Jesus ·said [replied; answered], “You are ·an important teacher in Israel [L the teacher of Israel], and you don’t ·understand [know] these things? 11 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], we talk about what we know, and we ·tell [testify; bear witness] about what we have seen, but you don’t ·accept what we tell you [L receive our testimony/witness]. 12 I have told you about things here on earth [C the teaching about being born again], and you do not believe me. ·So you will not [L So how will you…?] believe me if I tell you about things of heaven. 13 ·The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is [L No one has gone up into heaven except] the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man[a] [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14].
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the ·snake [T serpent] in the ·desert [wilderness; C Moses put a bronze snake statue on a pole, and those who looked at it were healed of snake bites; Num. 21:4–9], the Son of Man must also be lifted up [C an allusion to the cross and resurrection]. 15 So that everyone who ·believes can have eternal life in him [or believes in him can have eternal life].
16 “[L For] God loved the world so much that he gave his ·one and only [only; unique; T only begotten; 1:14, 18] Son so that whoever believes in him may not ·be lost [T perish], but have eternal life. 17 [L For; Indeed] God did not send his Son into the world to ·judge the world guilty [condemn the world], but to save the world through him. 18 People who believe in God’s Son are not ·judged guilty [condemned]. Those who do not believe have already been ·judged guilty [condemned], because they have not believed in [L the name of] God’s ·one and only [only; unique; T only begotten; 3:16] Son. 19 ·They are judged by this fact [L And this is the judgment/condemnation/verdict]: The Light [C Jesus, God’s Son] has come into the world, ·but they did not want light. They wanted darkness [L but people loved the darkness more than the light], because they were doing evil things. 20 All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show ·all the evil things they do [L their deeds/actions]. 21 But those who ·follow the true way [do what is true; live by the truth] come to the light, and it ·shows [may be seen] that the things they do were done ·through [or in the sight of; or in obedience to; L in] God.”
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this, Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] went into the ·area [countryside] of Judea, where he ·stayed [spent time] with his ·followers [disciples] and baptized people. 23 John was also baptizing in Aenon [C a town (meaning “springs”) of uncertain location on the Jordan River (but see note on Salim)], near Salim [C a town (meaning “peace”) probably located either near Shechem or just south of Bethshan, both of which are in a Samaritan area], because there was plenty of water there. People were going there to be baptized. 24 (This was before John was put into prison [Matt. 4:12].)
25 Some of John’s ·followers [disciples] had an ·argument [discussion; debate] with a Jew about ·religious washing [ceremonial cleansing; L purification; C the Jewish people washed themselves for ritual purposes before eating, before worshiping in the Temple, and at other special times]. 26 So they came to John and said, “Teacher [L Rabbi], remember the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, the one ·you spoke about so much [L about whom you have testified/witnessed]? He is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
27 John answered, “A ·man [person] can get only what ·God gives him [L is given to him from heaven]. 28 You yourselves heard me ·say [testify], ‘I am not the ·Christ [Messiah], but I am the one sent ·to prepare the way for him [L before him; 1:20–28; compare Is. 40:3].’ 29 The bride belongs only to the bridegroom. But the ·friend who helps the bridegroom [or the best man] stands by and listens to him. He ·is thrilled [rejoices greatly] that he gets to hear the bridegroom’s voice. In the same way, ·I am really happy [L my joy is fulfilled; C in this analogy, John is the best man and Jesus is the bridegroom]. 30 He must ·become greater [increase], and I must ·become less important [decrease].
The One Who Comes from Heaven
31 “The One [C Jesus] who comes from above is ·greater than [L above] all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and talks about ·things on the earth [earthly matters]. But the One who comes from heaven is ·greater than [L above] all. 32 He ·tells [testifies to; bears witness to] what he has seen and heard, but no one ·accepts [receives] ·what he says [his testimony; 3:11]. 33 Whoever ·accepts what he says [receives his testimony] has ·proven [certified; affirmed; L set his seal] that God is true. 34 [L For] The One whom God sent speaks the words of God, because God gives him the Spirit ·fully [L without measure/limit]. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given ·him power over everything [him authority over all; L all things into his hand]. 36 Those who believe in the Son have eternal life, but those who ·do not obey [reject] the Son will ·never have [L not see] life. God’s ·anger [wrath] ·stays [remains] on them.”
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