M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Jotham Rules Judah

27 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king. And he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. ² Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He did all that his father Uzziah had done, only he did not go into the house of the Lord. But the people still sinned much. ³ Jotham built the upper gate of the Lord’s house, and did much building on the wall of Ophel. ⁴ He built cities in the hill country of Judah, and strong places and towers on the tree-covered hills. ⁵ He fought with the king of the Ammonites and won the war against them so that the Ammonites paid taxes to him. During that year they paid him silver weighing as much as 100 men, 100,000 baskets of wheat, and 100,000 baskets of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this amount in the second and in the third year. ⁶ So Jotham became powerful, because he let the Lord his God lead him in all his ways. ⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and his acts, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. ⁹ Jotham died and they buried him in the city of David. His son Ahaz became king in his place.

Ahaz Rules Judah

28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king. And he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. ² But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He also made objects to look like the false gods of Baal. ³ He burned special perfume in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. And he burned his sons in fire, following the hated ways of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel. ⁴ He gave gifts in worship and burned special perfume on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Syria and Israel Win over Judah

⁵ So the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria. The Syrians won the war against Ahaz and carried away many of his people to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who killed many of his people in the war. ⁶ For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed 120,000 powerful soldiers of Judah in one day, because they had turned away from the Lord God of their fathers. ⁷ And Zichri, a strong man of Ephraim, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah the second in power to the king.

Oded—the Man of God

⁸ The sons of Israel carried away 200,000 women and sons and daughters of Judah. They also took many good things from them to Samaria. ⁹ But a man who spoke for the Lord was there, whose name was Oded. He went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “See, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has given them into your hand. But you have killed them in an anger which has even gone up to heaven. ¹⁰ And now you plan to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem work hard for you. Do you not have sins of your own against the Lord your God? ¹¹ Now listen to me. Return the people whom you have taken from your brothers. For the burning anger of the Lord is against you.” ¹² Then some of the leaders of the sons of Ephraim stood up against those who were coming from the battle. These leaders were Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai. ¹³ They said, “You must not bring the people in here. For you plan to bring guilt upon us against the Lord, adding to our sins and our guilt. We are already so guilty that His burning anger is against Israel.” ¹⁴ So the men of war left the people and things taken from Judah in front of the leaders and all the people of Israel. ¹⁵ Then the men who were chosen by name came and took the people of Judah. And they gave clothing to all of them who had none, using the clothes found among the things taken from Judah. They gave them clothes and shoes, and food and drink, and poured oil on them. They led all their weak ones on donkeys, and brought them to their brothers at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help. ¹⁷ For the Edomites had come to fight Judah again, and carried people away. ¹⁸ The Philistines also had come to fight against the cities of the valley and of the Negev of Judah. They had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they came to live there. ¹⁹ For the Lord brought trouble to Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel. Ahaz caused the people of Judah to sin and was not faithful to the Lord. ²⁰ So King Tilgath-pilneser of Assyria came against him and brought him trouble instead of strength. ²¹ Ahaz took riches from the house of the Lord and from the house of the king and of the princes, and gave them to the king of Assyria. But it did not help him.

The Sins and Death of Ahaz

²² In the time of his trouble, this same King Ahaz became even less faithful to the Lord. ²³ For he gave gifts on the altar to the gods of Damascus who had beaten him in battle. He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will give gifts to them so they may help me.” But they were what destroyed him and all Israel. ²⁴ Ahaz gathered together the objects of the house of God and cut them in pieces. Then he closed the doors of the Lord’s house, and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every city of Judah he made high places to burn special perfume to other gods. And he made the Lord, the God of his fathers, very angry. ²⁶ Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Ahaz died, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem. They did not bring him into the graves of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son ruled in his place.

The Lamb Stands in Jerusalem

14 Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. There were 144,000 people with Him. These people had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. ² I heard a voice coming from heaven. It was like the sound of rushing water and of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like people playing music on their harps. ³ This large group sang a new song. They sang before the throne and in front of the four living beings and the twenty-four leaders. Only the 144,000 could learn this song. They had been bought by the blood of Christ and made free from the earth. ⁴ These are men who have kept themselves pure by not being married. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been bought by the blood of Christ and have been made free from among men. They are the first ones to be given to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ No lie has come from their mouths. They are without blame.

The Three Angels

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in the heavens. He was carrying the Good News that lasts forever. He was preaching to every nation and to every family group and to the people of every language and to all the people of the earth. ⁷ He said with a loud voice, “Honor God with love and fear. The time has come for Him to judge all men. Worship Him Who made heaven and earth and the sea and the places where water comes out of the earth.”

⁸ A second angel followed, saying, “Babylon has fallen! The great city Babylon has fallen! She made all the nations drink of the wine of her sinful sex life.”

⁹ A third angel followed, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the wild animal and his false god and receives a mark on his forehead or hand, ¹⁰ he will drink of the wine of the anger of God. It is mixed in full strength in the cup of God’s anger. They will be punished with fire and burning sulphur in front of the holy angels and before the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke of those who are being punished will go up forever. They have no rest day or night. It is because they have worshiped the wild animal and his false god and have received the mark of his name. ¹² This is why God’s people need to keep true to God’s Word and stay faithful to Jesus.

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write these words: ‘From now on those who are dead who died belonging to the Lord will be happy.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will have rest from all their work. All the good things they have done will follow them.”

The War of Armageddon

¹⁴ I looked and saw a white cloud. Sitting on the cloud was One like the Son of Man. He had a crown of gold on His head. In His hand He had a sharp knife for cutting grain. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out from the house of God and called to Him with a loud voice. He said, “Use Your knife and gather in the grain. The time has come to gather the grain because the earth is ready.” ¹⁶ He Who sat on the cloud raised His knife over the earth. And the grain was gathered in.

¹⁷ Then another angel came out from the house of God in heaven. He had a sharp knife for cutting grain also. ¹⁸ Another angel who has power over fire came out from the altar. He said with a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp knife, “Use your knife and gather in the grapes from the vine of the earth, for they are ready to gather.” ¹⁹ The angel used his sickle on the earth. He gathered from the vine of the earth and put the fruit into the large place for making wine. It was full of God’s anger. ²⁰ They walked on it outside the city and blood came out of the place where wine is made. The blood ran as far as a man could walk in seven days. It came up as high as a horse’s head.

Israel Will Be Brought Home

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the spring time. It is the Lord Who makes the storm clouds. He gives rain to men, and gives vegetables in the field to every one. ² The false gods say what is not true. Those who use their secret ways tell lies about the false dreams they have seen. Their comfort means nothing. So the people go from place to place like sheep and are troubled because they have no shepherd. ³ “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders. For the Lord of All has visited His flock, the people of Judah, and will make them like His proud horse in battle. ⁴ From them will come the cornerstone. From them will come the tent nail. From them will come the bow of battle. And from them will come every ruler. ⁵ Together they will be like powerful men, crushing under foot those who hate them into the mud of the streets. They will fight and win the battle against the horsemen because the Lord is with them. ⁶ I will give strength to the family of Judah. I will save the family of Joseph, and I will bring them back, because I have loving-pity on them. They will be as if I had not turned away from them. For I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them. ⁷ Ephraim will be like a powerful man. Their hearts will be glad as with wine. And their children will see it and be glad. Their hearts will have joy in the Lord. ⁸ I will call them together, for I have saved them and set them free. And they will be as many as they were before. ⁹ Even when I send them everywhere among the nations, they will remember Me in far countries. They and their children will live and return. ¹⁰ I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon until there is no more room for them. ¹¹ When they pass through the sea of trouble, I will hold back the waves in the sea. The whole Nile River will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be brought down, and Egypt will lose its power. ¹² I will make My people Israel strong in the Lord, and they will walk in His name,” says the Lord.

Jesus Washes the Feet of His Followers

13 It was before the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Jesus knew the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had loved His own who were in the world. He loved them to the end. ² He and His followers were having supper. Satan had put the thought into the heart of Judas Iscariot of handing Jesus over to the leaders of the country. ³ Jesus knew the Father had put everything into His hands. He knew He had come from God and was going back to God. ⁴ Jesus got up from the supper and took off His coat. He picked up a cloth and put it around Him. ⁵ Then He put water into a wash pan and began to wash the feet of His followers. He dried their feet with the cloth He had put around Himself.

Peter Speaks Out against Jesus Washing His Feet

⁶ Jesus came to Simon Peter. Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “You do not understand now what I am doing but you will later.” ⁸ Peter said to Him, “I will never let You wash my feet.” Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you will not be a part of Me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, do not wash only my feet, but wash my hands and my head also.” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Anyone who has washed his body needs only to wash his feet. Then he is clean all over. You are all clean except one.” ¹¹ Jesus knew who was going to hand Him over to the leaders. That is why He said, “You are all clean except one.”

Jesus Tells Why He Washed Their Feet

¹² Jesus washed their feet and put on His coat. Then He sat down again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord. You are right because that is what I am. ¹⁴ I am your Teacher and Lord. I have washed your feet. You should wash each other’s feet also. ¹⁵ I have done this to show you what should be done. You should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ For sure, I tell you, a workman who is owned by someone is not greater than his owner. One who is sent is not greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you will be happy if you do them.

¹⁸ “I am not speaking about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. What is written in the Holy Writings must happen. It says, ‘The man who eats bread with Me has turned against Me.’ ^{(A) 19} I tell you this now before it happens. After it happens, you will believe that I am Who I say I am, the Christ. ²⁰ For sure, I tell you, he who receives the one I send out, receives Me. He who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

Jesus Tells of the One Who Will Hand Him Over to the Leaders ^(B)

²¹ When Jesus had said this, He was troubled in heart. He told them in very plain words, saying, “For sure, I tell you, one of you is going to hand Me over to the leaders of the country.”

²² The followers began to look at each other. They did not know which one He was speaking of. ²³ One follower, whom Jesus loved, was beside Jesus. ²⁴ Simon Peter got this follower to look his way. He wanted him to ask Jesus which one He was speaking of. ²⁵ While close beside Jesus, he asked, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is the one I give this piece of bread to after I have put it in the dish.” Then He put the bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ²⁷ After Judas had eaten the piece of bread, Satan went into him. Jesus said to Judas, “What you are going to do, do in a hurry.”

²⁸ No one at the supper knew why Jesus had said this to Judas. ²⁹ They thought it was because Judas carried the bag of money, and Jesus had said that Judas should buy what they needed for the religious gathering. Or they thought Judas should give something to poor people. ³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread, he went out. It was night.

Love—the Greatest Law

³¹ After Judas went out, Jesus said, “The Son of Man is now honored and God has been honored in Him. ³² If God is honored in Him, God will also honor Him in Himself right now. ³³ Little children, I will be with you only a little while. You will look for Me. I say to you what I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come!’ ³⁴ I give you a new Law. You are to love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. ³⁵ If you love each other, all men will know you are My followers.”

Jesus Tells How Peter Will Lie about Him ^(C)

³⁶ Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “You cannot follow Me now where I am going. Later you will follow Me.” ³⁷ Peter said to Jesus, “Why can I not follow You now? I will die for You.” ³⁸ Jesus answered Peter, “Will you die for Me? For sure, I tell you, before a rooster crows, you will have said three times that you do not know Me.”