M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Ahaz Reigns over Judah
16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, (A)Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king. 2 (B)Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had done. 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, (C)and even made his son pass through the fire, (D)according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had [a]driven out from before the sons of Israel. 4 He (E)sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
5 Then (F)Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to wage war; and they besieged Ahaz, (G)but could not [b]overcome him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered (H)Elath for Aram, and cleared the Judeans out of [c]Elath entirely; and the [d]Arameans came to Elath and have lived there to this day.
Ahaz Seeks Help of Aram
7 (I)So Ahaz sent messengers to (J)Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me from the [e]hand of the king of Aram and from the [f]hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” 8 (K)Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria. 9 (L)So the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and (M)captured it, and carried the people of it away into exile to (N)Kir, and put Rezin to death.
Damascus Falls
10 Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet (O)Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar which was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to (P)Urijah the priest the [g]pattern of the altar and its model, according to all its workmanship. 11 So Urijah the priest built an altar; according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, thus Urijah the priest made it, [h]before the coming of King Ahaz from Damascus. 12 When the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; then (Q)the king approached the altar and [i]went up to it, 13 and [j]burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 (R)The bronze altar, which was before the Lord, [k]he brought from the front of the house, from between (S)his altar and the house of the Lord, and he put it on the north side of his altar. 15 Then King Ahaz [l]commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar [m]burn (T)the morning burnt offering and the evening meal offering and the king’s burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their meal offering and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But (U)the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.” 16 So Urijah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded.
17 Then King Ahaz (V)cut off the borders of the stands, and removed the laver from them; he also (W)took down the sea from the bronze oxen which were under it and put it on a pavement of stone. 18 The covered way for the sabbath which they had built in the house, and the outer entry of the king, he removed from the house of the Lord because of the king of Assyria.
Hezekiah Reigns over Judah
19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written (X)in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 So (Y)Ahaz slept with his fathers, and (Z)was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.
Duties of the Older and Younger
2 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for (A)sound doctrine. 2 (B)Older men are to be (C)temperate, dignified, sensible, (D)sound (E)in faith, in love, in [a]perseverance.
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, (F)not malicious gossips nor (G)enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may [b]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, (H)workers at home, kind, being (I)subject to their own husbands, (J)so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
6 Likewise urge (K)the young men to be [c]sensible; 7 in all things show yourself to be (L)an example of good deeds, with [d]purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so (M)that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.
9 Urge (N)bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not [e]argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of (O)God our Savior in every respect.
11 For the grace of God has (P)appeared, [f](Q)bringing salvation to all men, 12 [g]instructing us to deny ungodliness and (R)worldly desires and (S)to live sensibly, righteously and godly (T)in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the (U)appearing of the glory of [h](V)our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who (W)gave Himself for us (X)to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to (Y)purify for Himself a (Z)people for His own possession, (AA)zealous for good deeds.
15 These things speak and (AB)exhort and (AC)reprove with all [i]authority. (AD)Let no one disregard you.
Ephraim Punished
9 (A)Do not rejoice, O Israel, [a]with exultation like the [b]nations!
For you have (B)played the harlot, [c]forsaking your God.
You have loved harlots’ earnings on [d]every threshing floor.
2 Threshing floor and wine press will (C)not feed them,
And the new wine will fail [e]them.
3 They will not remain in (D)the Lord’s land,
But Ephraim will return to (E)Egypt,
And in (F)Assyria they will eat (G)unclean food.
4 They will not pour out drink offerings of (H)wine to the Lord,
(I)Their sacrifices will not please Him.
Their bread will [f]be like [g]mourners’ bread;
All who eat of it will be (J)defiled,
For their bread will be for [h]themselves alone;
It will not enter the house of the Lord.
5 (K)What will you do on the day of the appointed festival
And on the day of the (L)feast of the Lord?
6 For behold, they will go because of destruction;
Egypt will gather them up, (M)Memphis will bury them.
Weeds will take over their treasures of silver;
(N)Thorns will be in their tents.
7 The days of (O)punishment have come,
The days of (P)retribution have come;
[i]Let Israel know this!
The prophet is a (Q)fool,
The [j]inspired man is (R)demented,
Because of the grossness of your (S)iniquity,
And because your hostility is so great.
8 Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a prophet;
Yet the snare of a bird catcher is in all his ways,
And there is only hostility in the house of his God.
9 They have gone (T)deep [k]in depravity
As in the days of (U)Gibeah;
He will (V)remember their iniquity,
He will punish their sins.
10 I found Israel like (W)grapes in the wilderness;
I saw your forefathers as the (X)earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.
But they came to (Y)Baal-peor and devoted themselves to [l](Z)shame,
And they became as (AA)detestable as that which they loved.
11 As for Ephraim, their (AB)glory will fly away like a bird—
No birth, no pregnancy and no conception!
12 Though they bring up their children,
Yet I will bereave them [m]until not a man is left.
Yes, (AC)woe to them indeed when I depart from them!
13 Ephraim, as I have seen,
Is planted in a pleasant meadow like (AD)Tyre;
But Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter.
14 Give them, O Lord—what will You give?
Give them a (AE)miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 All their evil is at (AF)Gilgal;
Indeed, I came to hate them there!
Because of the (AG)wickedness of their deeds
I will drive them out of My house!
I will love them no more;
All their princes are (AH)rebels.
16 (AI)Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up,
They will bear (AJ)no fruit.
Even though they bear children,
I will slay the (AK)precious ones of their womb.
17 My God will cast them away
Because they have (AL)not listened to Him;
And they will be (AM)wanderers among the nations.
Thanksgiving for Return from Captivity.
A Song of Ascents.
126 When the Lord (A)brought back [a]the captive ones of Zion,
We were (B)like those who dream.
2 Then our (C)mouth was filled with laughter
And our (D)tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has (E)done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
We are (F)glad.
4 Restore our captivity, O Lord,
As the [b](G)streams in the [c]South.
5 Those who sow in (H)tears shall reap with (I)joyful shouting.
6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Prosperity Comes from the Lord.
A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord (J)builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord (K)guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To [d]retire late,
To (L)eat the bread of [e]painful labors;
For He gives to His (M)beloved (N)even in his sleep.
3 Behold, (O)children are a [f]gift of the Lord,
The (P)fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a (Q)warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 How (R)blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
(S)They will not be ashamed
When they (T)speak with their enemies (U)in the gate.
Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.
A Song of Ascents.
128 (V)How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who (W)walks in His ways.
2 When you shall (X)eat of the [g](Y)fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and (Z)it will be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a (AA)fruitful vine
[h]Within your house,
Your children like (AB)olive plants
Around your table.
4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.
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