M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Israel Falls to Assyria during Hoshea’s Reign
17 During the twelfth year of the reign of[a] King Ahaz of Judah, Elah’s son Hoshea became king over Israel for nine years in Samaria. 2 He practiced what the Lord considered to be evil,[b] though not like the kings of Israel who had preceded him. 3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid tribute to him. 4 But the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy involving Hoshea, who had sent envoys to King So of Egypt and stopped offering tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done annually. As a result, the king of Assyria placed him under arrest and sent him to prison. 5 After this, the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, approached Samaria, and began a three year siege. 6 As a result, during the ninth year of the reign of[c] Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took the Israelis off to Assyria, placing them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in cities ruled by the Medes.
The Idolatry of the Northern Kingdom
7 This happened because the Israelis had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt and from the domination[d] of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, because[e] they were fearing other gods, 8 and because they were following[f] the rules of the nations whom the Lord had expelled before the Israelis and that the kings of Israel had practiced.
9 The Israelis practiced secret things that were not right, offending the Lord their God. In addition, they built high places for use by all their towns, watchtowers, and fortified cities. 10 They set up pillars and Asherim on every high hill and in the shade of every green tree, 11 where they made offerings on all the high places, as did the nations whom the Lord had expelled before them. They also practiced other[g] wickedness, provoking the Lord to become angry, 12 and they served idols, a practice that the Lord had warned them, “You are not to do this.”
13 Nevertheless, the Lord had warned both Israel and Judah by means[h] of every prophet and seer: “Turn away from your evil practices[i] and keep my commandments and statutes according to the entire Law that I gave your ancestors and that I sent to you through my servants, the prophets.” 14 But they would not listen. Instead, they were stubborn,[j] just like their ancestors had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected the Lord’s[k] statutes, the covenant that he had made with their ancestors, and his warnings that he gave them. They pursued meaninglessness—and became meaningless themselves—as they followed the lifestyles of the nations that surrounded them, a practice that the Lord had warned them not to do.
16 They abandoned all of the commands given by[l] the Lord their God, crafted for themselves cast images of two calves, constructed an Asherah, worshipped all of the stars in heaven, and served Baal. 17 They passed their sons and daughters through fire, practiced divination, cast spells, and sold themselves to practice what the Lord considered to be evil, thereby[m] provoking him. 18 As a result, the Lord was angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. No one was left except for the tribe of Judah.
19 But Judah, too, did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. Instead, they lived the lifestyle[n] that Israel had chosen, 20 so the Lord rejected all of the descendants[o] of Israel, afflicted them, and handed them over to the control of plunderers until he had thrown them away from his presence.[p] 21 He ripped them away from the heritage of David, even as the people[q] appointed Nebat’s son Jeroboam to be king. Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord and made them commit great sin.
22 The Israelis practiced[r] all the sins that Jeroboam had practiced, and never wavered from them 23 until the Lord removed Israel from his presence,[s] just as he had warned through[t] all of his prophets who served him. So Israel was carried off into exile from their own land into Assyria, where they remain to this day.[u]
Assyria Supplants the Northern Kingdom
24 Because the king of Assyria brought captives[v] from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sephar-vaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria to replace the Israelis, the settlers[w] possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 When they first began to live there, the settlers[x] did not fear the Lord, so he sent lions among them, and they killed a few of them. 26 As a result, they reported to the king of Assyria, “Because the nations whom you exiled to live in the cities of Samaria don’t know the law[y] of the god of the land, he has sent lions among them. Look how the lions[z] are killing them, because they don’t know the law of the god of the land!”
27 So the king of Assyria[aa] issued this order: “Take one of the priests whom you carried away and let him go back and live there. Let him teach them the law of the god of the land.” 28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria went to live in Bethel to teach them how they ought to fear the Lord.
Assyrian Settlers Create Lasting Corruption
29 Nevertheless, each nation continued to craft their own gods and install them in the temples on the high places that the people of Samaria had constructed—every nation in their own cities where they continued to live. 30 Settlers[ab] from Babylon built Succoth-benoth, settlers[ac] from Cuth built Nergal, settlers[ad] from Hamath built Ashima, 31 and settlers[ae] from Avva built Nibhaz and Tartak. The residents of Sephar-vaim burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sephar-vaim.
32 Because they feared the Lord, they also appointed from among themselves priests for the high places who acted on their behalf in the temples on the high places. 33 While they continued to fear the Lord, they served their own gods, following the custom of the nations whom they had carried away from there. 34 To this very day, they still follow the former customs: they don’t fear the Lord and they don’t live in accordance with the statutes, ordinances, laws, or commandments that the Lord had given to the descendants of Jacob—whom he renamed Israel— 35 and with whom the Lord had made a covenant when he gave these[af] orders to them:
“You are not to fear other gods, bow down to them, serve them, or sacrifice to them. 36 Instead, it is to be the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, showing great power and public demonstrations of might,[ag] whom you are to fear, worship, and to whom you are to offer sacrifice. 37 Furthermore, you are to be careful to observe forever the statutes, ordinances, law, and the commandment that he wrote for you. And you are not to fear other gods. 38 You are not to forget the covenant that I’ve made with you, and you are not to fear other gods. 39 But you are to fear the Lord, and he will deliver you from the control[ah] of all your enemies.”
40 But they wouldn’t listen. Instead, they did what they had been doing before. 41 These nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their descendants did the same thing, as did their grandchildren. Just as their ancestors had done, they also do the same thing to this day.
Concentrate on Doing What is Good
3 Remind believers[a] to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, and to be ready to do any honorable kind of work. 2 They are not to insult[b] anyone or be argumentative. Instead, they are to be gentle and perfectly courteous to everyone. 3 After all, we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and misled. We were slaves to many kinds of lusts and pleasures, spending our days in malice and jealousy. We were despised, and we hated one another.
4 In grace our Savior God appeared,
to make his love for mankind clear.
5 ‘Twas not for deeds that we had done,
but by his steadfast love[c] alone,
he saved us through a second birth,
renewed us by the Spirit’s[d] work,
6 and poured him out upon us, too,
through Jesus the Messiah[e] our Savior true.
7 And so, made heirs by his own grace,
eternal life we now embrace.[f]
8 This saying is trustworthy.[g] I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have put their faith in God may devote themselves to good actions. These things are good and helpful to other people.
9 But avoid foolish controversies, arguments about genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the Law. These things are useless and worthless. 10 Have nothing to do with a divisive person after you have warned him once or twice. 11 For you know that a person like this is corrupt and keeps on sinning, being self-condemned.
Final Instructions to Titus
12 As soon as I send Artemas to you, or perhaps Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do all you can to send Zenas the expert in the Law and Apollos on their way, and see that they have everything they need. 14 Our own people should also learn to make good deeds a priority when urgent needs arise, so they won’t be unproductive.
Final Greeting
15 All who are with me send you greetings. Greet our fellow believers who love us. May grace be with all of you! Amen.[h]
The Coming Destruction
10 “Israel, the overgrown[a] vine, bears fruit like itself;
the more fruitful they become,
the more altars they build.
The better the land,
the more ornate the stone idols.[b]
2 Their hearts are divided;
from now on they are to be found guilty.
God[c] will tear down their altars,
he will destroy their stone idols.[d]
3 From now on they will say,
‘We have no king,
because we did not fear the Lord—
and what would a king do for us?’
4 Their word is falsely given
as they make their agreements;[e]
so judgment springs up
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.[f]
5 “The residents of Samaria will be terrified
because of the cows[g] of Beth-aven.
Its people will mourn over Beth-aven,[h]
along with the priests who will mourn its glory,
because that glory has departed.[i]
6 Indeed, that glory[j] will be carried to Assyria—
it will become a present for an avenging king.[k]
Ephraim will be disgraced,
and Israel will become ashamed of its decision.
7 Samaria’s king will float away
like driftwood on the surface of water.
8 Destroyed will be the high places of Aven,
that are the sin of Israel.
Both thorn and thistle will grow up over their altars.
They will call out to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’
and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’
9 “From the time of Gibeah,
you have sinned, Israel;
There they took their stand;
the battle at Gibeah could not subdue the lawless.
10 When I’m ready, I will chasten them;
and the people will gather against them,
to imprison them for their two unrighteous acts.”[l]
Israel Urged to Sow in Righteousness
11 “Ephraim, the well-trained heifer,
loves to thresh grain,
so I will spare her neck.
I will turn Ephraim into a pack animal.
Judah will pull the plow,
and Jacob will turn up the fallow ground.
12 Sow in righteousness in your own interest,
reap in gracious love,
break up your own unprepared ground;
It is now time to inquire of[m] the Lord,
until he comes to pour out righteousness for you.
13 You have plowed[n] evil;
you have reaped unrighteousness;
you have eaten the fruit of hypocrisy;
because you trusted in your own direction,
and in the number of your mighty forces.
14 Therefore a disaster will come upon your people,
and all of your fortresses will be ruined.
As Shalman[o] destroyed Beth-arbel in wartime,
mothers were[p] dashed to pieces
along with their children.
15 The same will happen to you, Bethel,
because of your great evil—
early one morning the king of Israel will be totally silenced.”
A Song of Ascents
God Defeats Israel’s Enemies
129 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,”
let Israel repeat it,
2 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,
yet they haven’t defeated me.
3 Wicked people[a] plowed over my back,
creating long-lasting wounds.”[b]
4 The Lord is righteous—
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all who hate Zion
be turned away and be ashamed.
6 May they become like a tuft of grass on a roof top,
that withers before it takes root—
7 not enough to fill one’s hand
or to bundle in one’s arms.
8 And may those who pass by never tell them,
“May the Lord’s blessing be upon you.
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Mercy
130 I cry to you from the depths, Lord,
2 Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears pay attention
to what I ask of you![c]
3 Lord,[d] if you were to record iniquities,
Lord, who could remain standing?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits,
and I will hope in his word.
6 My soul looks to the Lord
more than watchmen look for the morning—
more, indeed, than[e] watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is gracious love,
along with abundant redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its sins.
A Davidic Song of Ascents
Hope in the Lord
131 Lord, my heart is not arrogant,
nor do I look haughty.
I do not aspire[f] to great things,
nor concern myself with things beyond my ability.
2 Instead, I have composed and quieted myself
like a weaned child with its mother;
I am like a weaned child.
3 Place your hope in the Lord, Israel,
both now and forever.
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