M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
19 But Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned to his palace in Jerusalem in peace. 2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and he said to King Jehoshaphat, “How do you help those who are wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. 3 However, some good things are found in you for you swept away the Asherah poles from the land, and you set your heart to seek after God.”
The Reforms of Jehoshaphat
4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and he brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers. 5 And he set judges in the land among all the fortified cities of Judah, one by one. 6 And he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do because you do not judge according to man but the Lord, and He is with you in the matter of judgment. 7 So now may the fear of the Lord be on you. Consider and act well because there is no injustice, partiality, or bribe taking with the Lord our God.”
8 Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some from the Levites and the priests and some from the heads of the families of Israel, in order to render judgment and decide disputes before the Lord; and they lived in Jerusalem. 9 And he commanded them, “So you will act in the fear of the Lord, in honesty, and with a complete heart. 10 And any dispute that comes before you all from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed or offenses against law or commandment, against statutes or judgments, you will warn them, lest they trespass against the Lord and wrath come upon you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not trespass.
11 “Note that Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king’s matters; also, the Levites will be officials before you. Deal courageously, and the Lord will be with the good.”
Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon
20 After that, the Moabites and the Ammonites, together with some Meunites,[a] came against Jehoshaphat for battle.
2 And some came and declared this to Jehoshaphat, “A large multitude is coming against you from across the Dead Sea from Edom; and observe, they are in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was fearful and set himself to seek the Lord, and he called for a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah was assembled to seek the Lord; even from all the cities of Judah, they came to obtain aid from the Lord.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new courtyard, 6 and he said:
“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are strength and might, and there is no one who can oppose You. 7 Did You not, our God, drive out those who lived in this land before Your people Israel, and You gave it perpetually to the descendants of Abraham, who was in covenant love with You. 8 And they have dwelled in it and have built in it for You a sanctuary for Your name saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, then we will stand before this temple and before You because Your name is in this temple. And we will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver.’
10 “Now here are the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, when they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not render judgment on them? For we have not strength enough to stand before this great army that is coming against us. And we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You.”
13 Now all of Judah was standing before the Lord, even their infants, wives, and children.
14 And in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from the line of Asaph.
15 And he said, “Pay attention all Judah, and those dwelling in Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear, nor be dismayed because of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow, go down against them. They will travel up by the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the back of the valley, before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 It will not be necessary for you to fight in this conflict. Take your positions, stand, and observe the deliverance of the Lord for you, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be filled with terror. Tomorrow, go out before them, and the Lord will be with you.”
18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground, and all Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem fell before the Lord to worship Him. 19 And the Levites from the descendants of the Kohathites and Korahites rose up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a very loud voice.
20 So they rose up early in the morning and went out to the Wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be supported. Believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And he consulted with the people and then appointed singers for the Lord and those praising Him in holy attire as they went before those equipped for battle saying,
“Praise the Lord,
for His mercy endures forever.”
22 When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were defeated. 23 Then the Ammonites and Moabites stood up against those dwelling from Mount Seir to destroy and finish them. Then when they made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, each man attacked his companion to destroy each other.
24 And Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, and they turned to the vast army and saw only corpses lying on the ground. And no one was spared. 25 Then Jehoshaphat and his people came to gather their plunder, and they found among them an abundance of riches with the corpses, and precious jewelry, which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much to carry. 26 On the fourth day they gathered at the Valley of Berakah, because there they blessed the Lord. For this reason people have called the name of this place the Valley of Berakah until this day.
27 Then they all returned, every man from Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat as their head, to Jerusalem with joy because the Lord made them rejoice because of the death of their enemies. 28 So they entered Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord.
29 And it happened that the terror of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands who heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet, because his God gave him rest on all sides.
The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign(A)
31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began his reign, and he was king in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. The name of his mother was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 He walked in the way of his father Asa, and he did not turn aside from doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 33 Only the high places were not taken down. The people had yet to set their hearts to the God of their fathers.
34 And the remainder of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are taken up in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 Also, Jehoshaphat king of Judah was united with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. 36 Jehoshaphat joined with him to make ships to travel to Tarshish, and they made ships in Ezion Geber. 37 And Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will tear down your works.” So the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to journey to Tarshish.
The Seventh Seal
8 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it onto the earth. And there were noises, thundering, lightning, and an earthquake.
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown upon the earth. A third of the trees and all the green grass were burned up.
8 Then the second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded, and a great star from heaven, burning like a torch, fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. 11 The name of this star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day had no light, and likewise a third of the night.
13 Then I watched, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other trumpet blasts of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”
The Vision of the Gold Lampstand
4 And the angel who was speaking with me returned and woke me up like a man who is roused from his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”
And I responded, “I see a completely gold lampstand and a bowl at its top, with seven lights on it, and seven pipes on it for each lamp in order to light them. 3 And there are two olive trees next to it, one on the right of the bowl and one on the left.”
4 So I answered and I asked the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel speaking with me responded, “Do you really not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.”
6 And he said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.
7 “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will be made level ground, and he will bring out the top stone amidst shouting of ‘Grace! Grace to the stone!’ ”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have established the foundation of this house, and they will even complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me to all of you.
10 “For who has despised the day of small things? These seven will rejoice and see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are the eyes of the Lord, which survey to and fro throughout the earth.”
11 Then I answered and I asked, “What are these two olives trees on the right and left of the lampstand?”
12 And I asked a second time, “What are these two branches of the olive trees that are next to the two golden pipes from which they pour out the gold oil?”
13 And he asked me, “Do you not know what these are?”
I responded, “No, my lord.”
14 He answered, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of all the earth.”
The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers
7 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee. He would not walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You do. 4 For no one does anything in secret, while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, reveal Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always fitting. 7 The world cannot hate you. But it hates Me, because I testify concerning it, that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not going up to this feast yet, because My time has not yet fully come.” 9 Having said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles
10 However, after His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He also went up, not publicly, but secretly. 11 Then the Jews looked for Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?”
12 There was much complaining among the people concerning Him. For some said, “He is a good Man.”
Others said, “No, He deceives the people.” 13 Yet no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews marveled, saying, “How has this Man become educated, having never been taught?”
16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If any man desires to do His will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory. But He who seeks the glory of Him who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did Moses not give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”
20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”
21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a man on the Sabbath day (although it did not come from Moses, but from the Patriarchs). 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath day, so that the Law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry at Me because I completely healed a man on the Sabbath day? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but practice righteous judgment.”
Is He the Christ?
25 Then some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 Look! He speaks publicly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers indeed know that this is really the Christ? 27 But we know where this Man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple, cried out, “You know Me and you likewise know where I am from. I have not come on My own authority, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”
30 So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many of the people believed in Him and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”
Officials Sent to Arrest Jesus
32 The Pharisees heard the people murmuring these things concerning Him. So the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.
33 Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. 34 You will look for Me and you will not find Me. And where I am, you cannot come.”
35 The Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What kind of saying is this which He said, ‘You will look for Me and you will not find Me. And where I am, you cannot come’? ”
Rivers of Living Water
37 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” 39 By this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him would receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Division Among the People
40 Therefore when they heard these words, many of the people said, “Truly, this is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Has the Scripture not said that the Christ comes from the seed of David, out of the town of Bethlehem where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people because of Him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
The Unbelief of Those in Authority
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”
46 The officers answered, “No man has ever spoken like this Man.”
47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 Not at all. This crowd who does not know the law is accursed.”
50 Nicodemus, being one of them who came to Jesus by night, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”
52 They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”
The Woman Caught in Adultery
53 Then everyone went to his own house.[a]
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.