M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
King Hoshea of Israel
17 In Ahaz’s twelfth year as king of Judah, Hoshea, son of Elah, began to rule as king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for nine years. 2 He did what Yahweh considered evil, but he didn’t do what the kings of Israel before him had done.
The Fall of Samaria
3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria defeated Hoshea, who became his servant and was required to make annual payments to him. 4 The king of Assyria found Hoshea to be a traitor. (Hoshea had sent messengers to King Dais of Egypt and had stopped making annual payments to the king of Assyria.) So the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison. 5 Then the king of Assyria attacked the entire country. He attacked Samaria and blockaded it for three years. 6 In Hoshea’s ninth year as king of Israel, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took the Israelites to Assyria as captives. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 The Israelites sinned against Yahweh their Elohim, who brought them out of Egypt and rescued them from the power of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt). They worshiped other gods 8 and lived by the customs of the nations that Yahweh had forced out of the Israelites’ way. They also did what their kings wanted them to do. 9 The Israelites secretly did things against Yahweh their Elohim that weren’t right:
They built for themselves illegal places of worship in all of their cities, from the smallest watchtower to the largest fortified city.
10 They set up sacred stones and poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah on every high hill and under every large tree.
11 At all the illegal places of worship, they sacrificed in the same way as the nations that Yahweh had removed from the land ahead of them.
They did evil things and made Yahweh furious.
12 They served idols, although Yahweh had said, “Never do this.”
13 Yahweh had warned Israel and Judah through every kind of prophet and seer,[a] “Turn from your evil ways, and obey my commands and decrees as I commanded your ancestors in all my teachings, the commands I sent to you through my servants the prophets.” 14 But they refused to listen. They became as impossible to deal with as their ancestors who refused to trust Yahweh their Elohim. 15 They rejected his decrees, the promise[b] he made to their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They went after worthless idols and became as worthless as the idols. They behaved like the nations around them, although Yahweh had commanded them not to do that. 16 They abandoned all the commands of Yahweh their Elohim:
They made two calves out of cast metal.
They made a pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah.
They prayed to the entire army of heaven.
They worshiped Baal.
17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters by burning them alive.
They practiced black magic and cast evil spells.
They sold themselves by doing what Yahweh considered evil, and they made him furious.
18 Yahweh became so angry with Israel that he removed them from his sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left. 19 Even Judah didn’t obey the commands of Yahweh their Elohim but lived according to Israel’s customs. 20 So Yahweh rejected all of Israel’s descendants, made them suffer, handed them over to those who looted their property, and finally turned away from Israel.
21 When he tore Israel away from the family of David, the people of Israel made Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) king. Jeroboam forced Israel away from Yahweh and led them to commit a serious sin. 22 The Israelites followed all the sins Jeroboam committed and never turned away from them. 23 Finally, Yahweh turned away from Israel as he had said he would through all his servants, the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their land to Assyria as captives, and they are still there today.
Assyria Brings Foreign People to Settle in Israel
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its cities.
25 When they first came to live there, they didn’t worship Yahweh. So Yahweh sent lions to kill some of them. 26 Then someone said to the king of Assyria, “The people you took as captives and settled in the cities of Samaria don’t know the customs of the god of that country, so he sent lions. Now the lions are killing them because they don’t know the customs of the god of this country.”
27 The king of Assyria gave this command: “Bring one of the priests you captured from there. Let him go back to teach them the customs of the god of that country.” 28 So one of the priests who had been taken prisoner from Samaria went to live in Bethel. He taught them how to worship Yahweh.
29 But each group that settled in Samaria continued to make its own gods. They put them at the illegal places of worship, which the people of Samaria had made. Each group did this in the cities where they lived:
30 The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth.
The people from Cuth made Nergal.
The people from Hamath made Ashima.
31 The people from Avva made Nibhaz and Tartak.
The people from Sepharvaim burned their children for Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 So while these people were worshiping Yahweh, they also appointed all kinds of people to serve as priests for the shrines at their illegal places of worship. 33 They worshiped Yahweh but also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had come.
34 Today they are still following their customs, as they’ve done from the beginning. They don’t fear Yahweh or live by the decrees, customs, teachings, or commands that Yahweh gave to the descendants of Jacob (whom he named Israel). 35 When Yahweh made a promise to Israel, he commanded, “Never worship other gods, bow down to them, serve them, or sacrifice to them. 36 Instead, worship Yahweh, who used his great power and a mighty arm to bring you out of Egypt. Bow down to Yahweh, and sacrifice to him. 37 Faithfully obey the laws, rules, teachings, and commands that he wrote for you: ‘Never worship other gods. 38 Never forget the promise I made to you. Never worship other gods. 39 Instead, worship Yahweh your Elohim, and he will rescue you from your enemies.’”
40 The people of Israel had refused to listen and made up their own rules, as they had done from the beginning. 41 These other nations worshiped Yahweh but also served their own idols. So did their children and their grandchildren. They still do whatever their ancestors did.
3 Remind believers to willingly place themselves under the authority of government officials. Believers should obey them and be ready to help them with every good thing they do. 2 Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone.
What God Did for Us
3 Indeed, we, too, were once stupid, disobedient, and misled. We were slaves to many kinds of lusts and pleasures. We were mean and jealous. We were hated, and we hated each other.
4 However, when God our Savior made his kindness and love for humanity appear, 5 he saved us, but not because of anything we had done to gain his approval. Instead, because of his mercy he saved us through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal. 6 God poured a generous amount of the Spirit on us through Yeshua Christ our Savior. 7 As a result, God in his kindness[a] has given us his approval and we have become heirs who have the confidence that we have everlasting life. 8 This is a statement that can be trusted. I want you to insist on these things so that those who believe in God can concentrate on setting an example by doing good things. This is good and helps other people.
Advice for Titus
9 Avoid foolish controversies, arguments about genealogies, quarrels, and fights about Moses’ Teachings. This is useless and worthless. 10 Have nothing to do with people who continue to teach false doctrine after you have warned them once or twice. 11 You know that people like this are corrupt. They are sinners condemned by their own actions.
Farewell
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, hurry to visit me in the city of Nicopolis. I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Give Zenas the lawyer and Apollos your best support for their trip so that they will have everything they need.
14 Our people should also learn how to set an example by doing good things when urgent needs arise so that they can live productive lives.
15 Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet our faithful friends.
God’s good will[b] be with all of you.
Israel Is Like a Rotten Vine
10 The people of Israel are like vines that used to produce fruit.
The more fruit they produced,
the more altars they built.
The more their land produced,
the more stone markers they set up to honor other gods.
2 They are hypocrites. Now they must take their punishment.
Elohim will tear down their altars and destroy their stone markers.
3 So they’ll say,
“We have no king because we didn’t fear Yahweh.
Even if we had a king, he couldn’t do anything for us.”
4 They say many things. They lie when they take oaths,
and they make promises they don’t intend to keep.
That’s why lawsuits spring up
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
5 Those who live in Samaria fear the calf-shaped idol at Beth Aven.
The people will mourn over it.
The priests will cry loudly
because its glory will be taken away into captivity.
6 The thing itself will be carried to Assyria
as a present to the great king.[a]
Ephraim will be disgraced.
Israel will be ashamed because of its plans.
7 The king of Samaria will be carried away
like a piece of wood on water.
8 The illegal worship sites of Aven will be destroyed.
Israel sins there.
Thorns and weeds will grow over those altars.
People will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9 Israel, you have sinned ever since the incident at Gibeah.
You never change.
War will overtake the wicked people in Gibeah.
10 “I will punish them when I’m ready.
Armies will gather to attack them.
They will be punished for their many sins.
Israel Is Like a Cow That Threshed Grain
11 “Ephraim is like a trained calf that loves to thresh[b] grain.
I will put a yoke[c] on its beautiful neck.
I will harness Ephraim.
Judah must plow.
Jacob must break up the ground.
12 “Break new ground.
Plant righteousness,
and harvest the fruit that your loyalty will produce for me.”
It’s time to seek Yahweh!
When he comes, he will rain righteousness on you.
13 You have planted wickedness and harvested evil.
You have eaten the fruit that your lies produced.
You have trusted your own power and your many warriors.
14 So your army will hear the noise of battle.
All your fortresses will be destroyed
like the time Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in battle.
Mothers and their children were smashed to death.
15 This is what will happen to you, Bethel,
because you have done many wicked things.
At daybreak, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.
Psalm 129
A song for going up to worship.
1 “From the time I was young, people have attacked me . . .”
(Israel should repeat this.)
2 “From the time I was young, people have attacked me,
but they have never overpowered me.
3 They have plowed my back like farmers plow fields.
They made long slashes like furrows.”
4 Yahweh is righteous.
He has cut me loose
from the ropes that wicked people tied around me.
5 Put to shame all those who hate Zion.
Force them to retreat.
6 Make them be like grass on a roof,
like grass that dries up before it produces a stalk.
7 It will never fill the barns of those who harvest
or the arms of those who gather bundles.
8 Those who pass by will never say to them,
“May you be blessed by Yahweh”
or “We bless you in the name of Yahweh.”
Psalm 130
A song for going up to worship.
1 O Yahweh, out of the depths I call to you.
2 O Adonay, hear my voice.
Let your ears be open to my pleas for mercy.
3 O Yahweh, who would be able to stand
if you kept a record of sins?
4 But with you there is forgiveness
so that you can be feared.
5 I wait for Yahweh, my soul waits,
and with hope I wait for his word.
6 My soul waits for Adonay
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in Yahweh,
because with Yahweh there is mercy
and with him there is unlimited forgiveness.
8 He will rescue Israel from all its sins.
Psalm 131
A song by David for going up to worship.
1 O Yahweh, my heart is not conceited.
My eyes do not look down on others.
I am not involved in things too big or too difficult for me.
2 Instead, I have kept my soul calm and quiet.
My soul is content as a weaned child is content in its mother’s arms.
3 Israel, put your hope in Yahweh now and forever.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.