M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
34 Josiah was of eight years, when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2 And he did that, that was rightful in the sight of the Lord; and went in the ways of David, his father, and bowed not to the right side, neither to the left side.
3 And in the eighth year of the realm of his empire, when he was yet a boy, (that is, sixteen years of age,) he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year after that he began, he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem from high places, and woods, and simulacra, and graven images (and in the twelfth year after that he began to reign, he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem from the hill shrines, and the idol groves/and the sacred poles, and the idols, and the carved images).
4 And they destroyed before him the altars of Baalim, and they destroyed the simulacra, that were put above (them). Also he hewed down the maumet woods, and the graven images, and brake to small gobbets; and scattered abroad the small gobbets on the burials of them, that were wont to offer to those. (And they destroyed before him the altars of the Baalim, and they destroyed the idols, that were put upon them. And he cut down the idol groves, or the sacred poles, and the carved idols, and broke them into small pieces; and he scattered those small pieces all over the burials of those, who were wont to offer to those idols.)
5 Furthermore the king burnt the bones of (the) priests upon the altars of (the) idols, and (so) he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem of idolatry.
6 But also he destroyed all the idols in the cities of Manasseh, and of Ephraim, and of Simeon, unto Naphtali.
7 And when he had scattered the altars, and had all-broken into gobbets the maumet woods, and the graven images, and had destroyed all [the] temples of idols from all the land of Israel, he turned again into Jerusalem. (And when he had destroyed the altars, and the idol groves/and the sacred poles, and had broken the carved idols into pieces, and destroyed all the temples of idols in all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.)
8 Therefore in the eighteenth year of his realm, when the land and the temple was cleansed now, he sent Shaphan, the son of Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, the prince of the city, and Joah, the son of Joahaz, his chancellor, that they should repair the house of the Lord his God. (And so in the eighteenth year of his reign, when the land and the Temple had been cleansed, he sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah, the leader of the city, and Joah, the son of Joahaz, his chancellor, to repair the House of the Lord his God.)
9 Which came to Hilkiah, the great priest; and when they had taken of him the money, that was brought into the house of the Lord, which money the deacons and porters had gathered of men of Manasseh, and of Ephraim, and of all the remnant men of Israel, and of Judah and of Benjamin, and of the dwellers of Jerusalem, (And they came to the High Priest Hilkiah; and when they had delivered the money to him, that was brought to the House of the Lord, which money the Levites, who were the guards, or the doorkeepers, had gathered from the people of Manasseh, and of Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and of Judah and of Benjamin, and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem,)
10 they gave it in(to) the hands of them that were sovereigns of the workmen in the house of the Lord, that they should restore the temple, and repair all the feeble things thereof. (they gave it to those who were the rulers, or the overseers, of the workmen in the House of the Lord, so that they could restore the Temple, and repair all its weakened, or its broken, parts.)
11 And they gave that money to the craftsmen and masons, for to buy stones hewed out of the quarries, and wood to the joinings of the building(s), and to the coupling(s) of [the] houses, which the kings of Judah had destroyed. (And they gave that money to the craftsmen and the masons, to buy stones cut out of the quarries, and timber for the joints of the buildings, and for the couplings of the houses, which the kings of Judah had destroyed.)
12 The which workmen did faithfully all things. And the sovereigns of workers were Jahath, and Obadiah, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah, and Meshullam, of the sons of Kohath, which hasted the work; all were deacons, knowing how to sing with organs. (And the workmen faithfully did their work. And the rulers, or the overseers, of the workers were Jahath, and Obadiah, Levites of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah, and Meshullam, of the Kohathites, who hastened the work; all of them were Levites, who knew how to play instruments.)
13 And over them that bare burdens to diverse uses were scribes, and masters of deacons, and porters. (And they were over those who carried burdens, and did diverse types of work; and other Levites were writers, or secretaries, and clerks, and guards, or doorkeepers.)
14 And when they bare out the money, that was brought into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah, the priest, found a book of the law of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (And when they took out the money, that was brought into the Temple of the Lord, the High Priest Hilkiah found The Book of the Law of the Lord, written by Moses.)
15 And Hilkiah said to Shaphan, the writer, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah took it to Shaphan, (And Hilkiah said to Shaphan, the writer, I have found The Book of the Law in the House of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave it to Shaphan,)
16 and he bare in the book to the king (and he took the book to the king); and he told to him, and said, Lo! all things be fulfilled, or ended, which thou hast given into the hands of thy servants.
17 And they have welled together the silver, which is found in the house of the Lord; and it is given to the sovereigns of the craftsmen, and (to those) making diverse works; (And they have melted together the silver, which was kept in the House of the Lord; and it was given to the rulers, or the overseers, of the craftsmen, and to those doing diverse types of work;)
18 furthermore Hilkiah, the priest, took to me this book. And when he had rehearsed this book in the presence of the king, (and furthermore, the High Priest Hilkiah gave me this book. And when he had read the book before the king,)
19 and when the king had heard the words of the law, he rent his clothes; (and the king had heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes;)
20 and he commanded to Hilkiah, and to Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and to Abdon, the son of Micah, and to Shaphan, the scribe, and to Asaiah, the servant of the king, and said,
21 Go ye, and pray the Lord for me, and for the remnant of men of Israel and of Judah, on all the words of this book, that is found (Go ye, and pray to the Lord for me, and for the rest of the people who remain in Israel and Judah, concerning all the words of this book, that is found). For great (is the) vengeance of the Lord (that) hath dropped upon us, for our fathers kept not the words of the Lord, to do all things that be written in this book.
22 Therefore Hilkiah, and they that were sent together (with him) from the king, went to Huldah, the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, (the) keeper of the king’s clothes, the which Huldah dwelled in Jerusalem in the second ward (who lived in Jerusalem’s second ward); and they spake to her the words, which we told before.
23 And she answered to them, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Say ye to the man, that sent you to me,
24 The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall bring evils upon this place, and upon the dwellers thereof (and upon its inhabitants), and all the cursings that be written in this book, that they have read before the king of Judah.
25 For they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to alien gods, for to stir me to wrathfulness in all the works of their hands (For they have abandoned me, and have sacrificed to foreign, or other, gods, and have stirred me to anger with all the works of their hands); therefore my strong vengeance shall drop upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.
26 But speak ye thus to the king of Judah, that sent you to pray (to) the Lord, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, For thou heardest the words of the book,
27 and thine heart thereby is made nesh, and thou art meeked in the sight of the Lord of these things which be said against this place, and against the dwellers of Jerusalem, and thou hast reverenced my face, and hast rent thy clothes, and hast wept before me; also I have heard thee, saith the Lord. (and thy heart is softened by it, and thou art humbled before the Lord by these things which be said against this place, and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou hast reverenced my face, and hast torn thy clothes, and hast wept before me; yea, I have heard thee, saith the Lord.)
28 For now I shall gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be borne into thy sepulchre in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil, that is, none of all the evils, that I shall bring in upon this place, and upon the dwellers thereof (and upon its inhabitants). Then they told to the king all things, that Huldah had said.
29 And after that the king had called together all the elder men of Judah and of Jerusalem,
30 he went up into the house of the Lord, and there went up together with him all the men of Judah, and the dwellers of Jerusalem, priests, and deacons, and all the people, from the least unto the most; to whose hearing in the house of the Lord, the king read all the words of the foresaid book. (he went up to the House of the Lord, and there went up together with him all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, from the least unto the most; to whom the king then read aloud all the words of the foresaid book that was found in the House of the Lord.)
31 And he stood in his throne, and smote, or made, a bond of peace before the Lord, for to follow him, and to keep the commandments, and the witnessings, and the justifyings of him, in all his heart, and in all his soul; and to do those things which were written in that book, that he had read. (And he stood by his throne, and struck a covenant before the Lord, to follow him, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul; and to do those things that were written in that book, that he had read.)
32 And he charged greatly upon this thing all men, that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin; and the dwellers of Jerusalem did after the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers. (And he greatly charged all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to keep this oath, or this pledge; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did after the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers.)
33 Therefore Josiah did away all the abominations from all the countries of the sons of Israel; and made all men, that were left in Israel, to serve the Lord God (And so Josiah did away all the abominations from all the territories of the Israelites; and made all, who were left in Israel, to serve the Lord God); and in all the days of his life they went not away from the Lord God of their fathers.
20 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of deepness, and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he caught the dragon, the old serpent, that is the Devil and Satan; and he bound him by a thousand years.
3 And he sent him into deepness, and closed, and marked on him, that he deceive no more the folks, till a thousand years be filled [And he sent him into deepness, and closed, and signed, or sealed, upon him, that he deceive no more folks, till a thousand years be fulfilled]. After these things it behooveth him to be unbound a little time.
4 And I saw seats, and they sat on them, and doom was given to them. And the souls of men beheaded for the witnessing of Jesus, and for the word of God, and them that worshipped not the beast, neither the image of it, neither took the character of it in their foreheads, neither in their hands [or in their hands]. And they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 And others of dead men lived not [The others of dead lived not], till a thousand years were ended. This is the first again-rising.
6 Blessed and holy is he, that hath part in the first again-rising. In these men the second death hath not power [In these the second death hath no power]; but they shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when a thousand years shall be ended, Satan shall be unbound of his prison;
8 and he shall go out, and shall deceive folks, that be on four corners of the earth [that be in four corners of the earth], Gog and Magog. And he shall gather them [together] into battle, whose number is as the gravel of the sea.
9 And they ascended up on the broadness of the earth, and environed the castles of saints, and the loved city. And fire came down of God from heaven, and devoured them [And fire came down from God from heaven, and devoured them].
10 And the devil, that deceived them, was sent into the pool of fire and brimstone, where both the beast and false prophets shall be tormented day and night, into worlds of worlds. Amen.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and one sitting on it, from whose sight earth fled and heaven [from whose sight earth flew away and heaven]; and the place is not found of them.
12 And I saw dead men, great and small, standing in the sight of the throne; and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and dead men were deemed of these things that were written in the books, after the works of them.
13 And the sea gave his dead men, that were in it; and death and hell gave their dead men [and death and hell gave their dead], that were in them. And it was deemed of each [And it is deemed of all], after the works of them.
14 And hell and death were sent into the pool of fire [And death and hell be sent into pool of fire]. This is the second death.
15 And he that was not found written in the book of life, was sent into the pool of fire.
2 And now, A! ye priests, this commandment is to you. (And now, O! ye priests, this command, or this decree, is for you.)
2 If ye will (not) hear, and if ye will not put on the heart, that ye give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall send neediness into you, and I shall curse your blessings; and I shall curse them, for ye have not put on the heart. (If ye will not listen to me, and if ye will not put it in your hearts, that ye should give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall send need, or want, into you, and I shall curse your blessings; yea, I shall curse them, for ye have not put it in your hearts.)
3 Lo! I shall cast forth to you the arm, and I shall scatter on your face the drit of your solemnities, and it shall take you with it. (Lo! I shall cut off your arms, that is, I shall punish your children, and I shall rub the dirt, or the dung, from the animals that you offer at your solemn feasts, all over your faces, and then you shall be taken away with it.)
4 And ye shall know, that I sent to you this commandment, that my covenant were with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. (And ye shall know, that I have given you this command, or that I have issued this decree, so that my covenant with the Levites shall not be broken, saith the Lord of hosts./And ye shall know, that I have given you this command, or that I have issued this decree, that my covenant with the Levites is finished, or is over, saith the Lord of hosts.)
5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave to him a dread, and he dreaded me, and he dreaded of the face of my name. (My covenant for life and peace was with them; and I gave them the fear of me, and they did fear me, and they were afraid before my name/and I gave them reverence, or respect, for me, and they did revere, or respect, me, and they did have reverence, or awe, before my name.)
6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and wickedness was not found in his lips; in peace and in equity he walked with me, and he turned away many men from wickedness. (The Law of Truth was in their mouths, and wickedness was not found on their lips; they walked with me in peace and in uprightness, and they turned many people away from wickedness.)
7 For the lips of a priest keep knowing, and they shall again-seek the law of his mouth, for he is the angel of the Lord of hosts. (For a priest’s lips should guard my gift of knowledge, and my people should seek the Law from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.)
8 But ye went away from the way, and caused to stumble full many in the law; ye made void the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. (But then ye went away from the way, and have caused a great many to stumble in the Law; ye priests have made void my covenant with the Levites, saith the Lord of hosts.)
9 For the which thing and I gave you worthy to be contemptible, either worthy to be despised, and bowed to all peoples, as ye kept not my ways, and took a face [of a person] in the law. (For which thing I made you worthy to be contemptible, or worthy to be despised, and bowed low before all the people of Israel, for ye have not kept my ways, and ye took a face of a person in the law, that is, ye have shown partiality.)
10 Whether not one father is of all you? whether not one God made of nought you? Why therefore each of you despiseth his brother, and defouleth the covenant of your fathers? (Is there not one Father of us all? did not one God make all of us out of nothing? And so why do each of you despise his brother, or his kinsman, and why defileth your forefathers’ covenant?)
11 Judah trespassed, and abomination is done in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for Judah defouled the hallowing of the Lord, which he loved, and he had the daughter of an alien god. (The people of Judah trespassed, and abomination was done in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for the people of Judah defiled the holiness of the Lord/for the people of Judah defiled the Temple of the Lord, and they married the daughters of a foreign, or of a strange, god.)
12 The Lord destroy the man that shall do this thing, the master and disciple, from the tabernacle[s] of Jacob, and him that offereth a gift to the Lord of hosts. (May the Lord destroy any man who shall do this thing, a master or a disciple, yea, let him be thrown out of, or banished from, the tents of Jacob, even though he may offer a gift to the Lord of hosts.)
13 And again ye did this thing; ye covered with tears the altar of the Lord, with weeping, and wailing; so that I behold no more to (the) sacrifice, neither receive any thing (as) pleasant of your hand. (And ye also did this thing; ye covered the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and wailing; and so I shall no more look upon your sacrifice, nor receive anything as pleasing, or acceptable, from your hands.)
14 And ye said, For what cause? For the Lord witnessed betwixt thee and the wife of thy puberty, that is, (of the) time of (thy) marriage, whom thou despisedest, and this is thy fellow, and the wife of thy covenant of peace. (And ye said, For what reason? Because the Lord hath witnessed what is between thee and the wife of thy youth, she whom thou hast despised, even though she is thy partner, or thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant of peace, or to whom thou hast pledged thy troth, or hast promised to be faithful.)
15 Whether one (he) made not, and the residue of spirit is his? and what seeketh (the) one (God), no but the seed of God? Therefore keep ye your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth; (Did not God make two one, both flesh and spirit? and what seeketh he, but a godly seed? And so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth;)
16 when thou hatest her, leave thou her (not), saith the Lord God of Israel. Forsooth wickedness shall cover the cloth of him, saith the Lord of hosts; keep ye your spirit, and do not ye despise. (even if thou hatest her, leave thou her not, saith the Lord God of Israel. Yea, let his cloak cover his wickedness, saith the Lord of hosts; so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not ye despise her.)
17 Ye made the Lord for to travail in your words, and ye said, Wherein made we him for to travail? In that that ye say, Each that doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such men please him; either certainly, Where is God of doom? (Ye have travailed, or tired, the Lord with your words, and ye have said, How have we travailed, or tired, him? Because ye say, Everyone who doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such people please him; and certainly when ye say, Where is the God of judgement?)
19 Therefore Pilate took then Jesus, and scourged him. [Therefore then Pilate took Jesus, and scourged.]
2 And knights wreathed a crown of thorns, and set [put] on his head, and did about him a cloak of purple [a cloth of purple], and came to him,
3 and said, Hail, king of Jews. And they gave to him buffets.
4 Again Pilate went out, and said to them, Lo! I bring him out to you [Lo! I lead him to you withoutforth], that ye know, that I find no cause in him.
5 And so Jesus went out, bearing a crown of thorns, and a cloak of purple [and a cloth of purple]. And he saith to them, Lo! the man.
6 But when the bishops and ministers had seen him, they cried, and said [saying], Crucify, crucify him. Pilate saith to them, Take ye him, and crucify ye [him], for I find no cause in him.
7 The Jews answered to him, We have a law, and by the law he oweth to die, for he made him(self) God's Son [for he made him God's Son].
8 Therefore when Pilate had heard this word, he dreaded the more [he dreaded more].
9 And he went into the moot hall again, and said to Jesus, Of whence art thou? But Jesus gave none answer to him [Forsooth Jesus gave not answer to him].
10 Pilate saith to him, Speakest thou not to me? Knowest thou not, that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to deliver thee?
11 Jesus answered, Thou shouldest not have any power against me, but it were given to thee from above; therefore he that betook me to thee, hath the more sin.
12 From that time Pilate sought to deliver him; but the Jews cried, and said, If thou deliverest this man, thou art not the emperor's friend; for each man that maketh himself king, gainsaith the emperor.[a]
13 And Pilate [Therefore Pilate], when he had heard these words, led Jesus forth, and sat for doomsman in a place, that is said Lycostratos, but in Hebrew Golgotha (but in Hebrew, Gabbatha).
14 And it was pask eve [Forsooth it was the making ready, or even, of pask], as it were the sixth hour. And he saith to the Jews, Lo! your king.
15 But they cried, and said, Take away, take away; crucify him [Forsooth they cried, saying, Do away, do away; crucify him]. Pilate saith to them, Shall I crucify your king? The bishops answered, We have no king but the emperor [We have no king no but Caesar].
16 And then Pilate betook him to them [Therefore then Pilate betook him to them], that he should be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him out.
17 And he bare to himself a cross, and went out into that place, that is said Calvary, in Hebrew Golgotha; [And he bearing to himself a cross went out into the place, that is said of Calvary, in Hebrew Golgatha;]
18 where they crucified him, and others twain with him [and others two with him], one on this side and one on that side, and Jesus in the middle.
19 And Pilate wrote a title, and set on the cross [and put on the cross]; and it was written, Jesus of Nazareth, king of Jews.
20 Therefore many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified, was nigh the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
21 Therefore the bishops of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not thou write king of Jews, but that he said, I am king of Jews.
22 Pilate answered, That that I have written, I have written.
23 Therefore the knights when they had crucified him, took his clothes, and made four parts, to each knight a part, and a coat. And the coat was without seam, and woven all about [Forsooth the coat was without seam, and above woven by all].
24 Therefore they said together, Cut we not it, but cast we lot [but lay we lots], whose it is; that the scripture be fulfilled, saying, They parted my clothes to them, and on my cloak they cast lot [and into my cloth thy sent lots]. And the knights did these things.
25 But beside the cross of Jesus stood his mother, and the sister of his mother, Mary Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 Therefore when Jesus had seen his mother, and the disciple standing, whom he loved, he saith to his mother, Woman, lo! thy son.
27 Afterward he saith to the disciple, Lo! thy mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his mother [And from that hour the disciple took her into his things].
28 Afterward Jesus witting, that now all things be ended, that the scripture were fulfilled [that the scripture should be fulfilled], he saith, I thirst.
29 And a vessel was set full of vinegar. And they laid in hyssop about the sponge full of vinegar, and put it to his mouth.
30 Therefore when Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said, It is ended. And when his head was bowed down, he gave up the ghost/And he bowed down the head, and sent out the spirit.
31 Therefore for it was pask eve, that the bodies should not abide on the cross in the sabbath, for that was a great sabbath day [Therefore for it was the making ready of pask, that the bodies should not dwell in the cross in the sabbath, for that day of sabbath was great], the Jews prayed Pilate, that the hips of them should be broken, and they [should be] taken away.
32 Therefore knights came, and they brake the thighs of the first, and of the other, that was crucified with him.
33 But when they were come to Jesus [Forsooth when they had come to Jesus], as they saw him dead then, they brake not his thighs;
34 but one of the knights opened his side with a spear, and at once [and anon] blood and water went out.
35 And he that saw, bare witnessing [thereof], and his witnessing is true; and he knoweth that he saith true things, that ye believe.
36 And these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, Ye shall not break a bone of him.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall see in whom they pierced through.
38 But after these things Joseph of Arimathaea prayed Pilate, that he should take away the body of Jesus, for that he was a disciple of Jesus, but privily for dread of the Jews. And Pilate suffered. And so he came [Therefore he came], and took away the body of Jesus.
39 And Nicodemus came also, that had come to him first by night, and brought a medley of myrrh and aloes, as it were an hundred pound. [Soothly and Nicodemus came, that had come first to Jesus by night, bearing a medley of myrrh and aloes, as an hundred pound.]
40 And they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen clothes with sweet smelling ointments [and bound it in linen clothes with sweet ointments, or spices], as it is [the] custom to Jews for to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 Therefore there they put Jesus, for the vigil of Jews' feast [for the making ready of Jews], for the sepulchre was nigh.
2001 by Terence P. Noble