M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Hezekiah’s Illness
20 At that time Hezekiah became so sick he almost died. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, “This is what the Lord says: Make arrangements because you are not going to live, but die.”
2 Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Lord, please remember that I have always obeyed you. I have given myself completely to you and have done what you said was right.” Then Hezekiah cried loudly.
4 Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the Lord spoke his word to Isaiah: 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears, so I will heal you. Three days from now you will go up to the Temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria; I will protect the city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”
7 Then Isaiah said, “Make a paste from figs.” So they made it and put it on Hezekiah’s boil, and he got well.
8 Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the Temple of the Lord on the third day?”
9 Isaiah said, “The Lord will do what he says. This is the sign from the Lord to show you: Do you want the shadow to go forward ten steps or back ten steps?”
10 Hezekiah answered, “It’s easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps. Instead, let it go back ten steps.”
11 Then Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and the Lord brought the shadow ten steps back up the stairway of Ahaz that it had gone down.
Messengers from Babylon
12 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan was king of Babylon. He sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah was sick. 13 Hezekiah listened to the messengers, so he showed them what was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices, expensive perfumes, his swords and shields, and all his wealth. He showed them everything in his palace and his kingdom.
14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?”
Hezekiah said, “They came from a faraway country—from Babylon.”
15 So Isaiah asked him, “What did they see in your palace?”
Hezekiah said, “They saw everything in my palace. I showed them all my wealth.”
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the words of the Lord: 17 ‘In the future everything in your palace and everything your ancestors have stored up until this day will be taken away to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 18 ‘Some of your own children, those who will be born to you, will be taken away. And they will become servants in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”
19 Hezekiah told Isaiah, “These words from the Lord are good.” He said this because he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”
20 Everything else Hezekiah did—all his victories, his work on the pool, his work on the tunnel to bring water into the city—is written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. 21 Then Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh became king in his place.
Our Salvation Is Great
2 So we must be more careful to follow what we were taught. Then we will not stray away from the truth. 2 The teaching God spoke through angels was shown to be true, and anyone who did not follow it or obey it received the punishment that was earned. 3 So surely we also will be punished if we ignore this great salvation. The Lord himself first told about this salvation, and those who heard him testified it was true. 4 God also testified to the truth of the message by using wonders, great signs, many kinds of miracles, and by giving people gifts through the Holy Spirit, just as he wanted.
Christ Became like Humans
5 God did not choose angels to be the rulers of the new world that was coming, which is what we have been talking about. 6 It is written in the Scriptures,
“Why are people even important to you?
Why do you take care of human beings?
7 You made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.[a]
8 You put all things under their control.” Psalm 8:4–6
When God put everything under their control, there was nothing left that they did not rule. Still, we do not yet see them ruling over everything. 9 But we see Jesus, who for a short time was made lower than the angels. And now he is wearing a crown of glory and honor because he suffered and died. And by God’s grace, he died for everyone.
10 God is the One who made all things, and all things are for his glory. He wanted to have many children share his glory, so he made the One who leads people to salvation perfect through suffering.
11 Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 He says,
“Then, I will tell my brothers and sisters about you;
I will praise you in the public meeting.” Psalm 22:22
13 He also says,
“I will trust in God.” Isaiah 8:17
And he also says,
“I am here, and with me are the children God has given me.” Isaiah 8:18
14 Since these children are people with physical bodies, Jesus himself became like them. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil— 15 and free those who were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. 16 Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps, but the people who are from Abraham.[b] 17 For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way so he could be their merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Then Jesus could die in their place to take away their sins. 18 And now he can help those who are tempted, because he himself suffered and was tempted.
The Final Word Against Israel
13 People used to fear the tribe of Ephraim;
they were important people in Israel.
But they sinned by worshiping Baal,
so they must die.
2 But they still keep on sinning more and more.
They make idols of their silver,
idols that are cleverly made,
the work of a craftsman.
Yet the people of Israel say to each other,
“Kiss those calf idols and sacrifice to them.”
3 So those people will be like the morning mist;
they will disappear like the morning dew.
They will be like chaff blown from the threshing floor,
like smoke going out a window.
4 “I, the Lord, have been your God
since you were in the land of Egypt.
You should have known no other God except me.
I am the only one who saves.
5 I cared for them in the desert
where it was hot and dry.
6 I gave them food, and they became full and satisfied.
But then they became too proud and forgot me.
7 That is why I will be like a lion to them,
like a leopard waiting by the road.
8 I will attack like a bear robbed of her cubs,
ripping their bodies open.
I will devour them like a lion
and tear them apart like a wild animal.
9 “Israel, I will destroy you.
Who will be your helper then?
10 What good is your king?
Can he save you in any of your towns?
What good are your leaders?
You said, ‘Give us a king and leaders.’
11 So I gave you a king, but only in anger,
and I took him away in my great anger.
12 The sins of Israel are on record,
stored away, waiting for punishment.
13 The pain of birth will come for him,
but he is like a foolish baby
who won’t come out of its mother’s womb.
14 Will I save them from the place of the dead?
Will I rescue them from death?
Where is your sickness, death?
Where is your pain, place of death?
I will show them no mercy.
15 Israel is doing well among the nations,
but the Lord will send a wind from the east,
coming from the desert,
that will dry up his springs and wells of water.
He will destroy from their treasure houses everything of value.
16 The nation of Israel will be ruined,
because it fought against God.
The people of Israel will die in war;
their children will be torn to pieces,
and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”
Israelites in Captivity
137 By the rivers in Babylon we sat and cried
when we remembered Jerusalem.
2 On the poplar trees nearby
we hung our harps.
3 Those who captured us asked us to sing;
our enemies wanted happy songs.
They said, “Sing us a song about Jerusalem!”
4 But we cannot sing songs about the Lord
while we are in this foreign country!
5 Jerusalem, if I forget you,
let my right hand lose its skill.
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not think about Jerusalem
as my greatest joy.
7 Lord, remember what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
They said, “Tear it down!
Tear it down to its foundations!”
8 People of Babylon, you will be destroyed.
The people who pay you back for what you did to us will be happy.
9 They will grab your babies
and throw them against the rocks.
A Hymn of Thanksgiving
A psalm of David.
138 Lord, I will thank you with all my heart;
I will sing to you before the gods.
2 I will bow down facing your holy Temple,
and I will thank you for your love and loyalty.
You have made your name and your word
greater than anything.
3 On the day I called to you, you answered me.
You made me strong and brave.
4 Lord, let all the kings of the earth praise you
when they hear the words you speak.
5 They will sing about what the Lord has done,
because the Lord’s glory is great.
6 Though the Lord is supreme,
he takes care of those who are humble,
but he stays away from the proud.
7 Lord, even when I have trouble all around me,
you will keep me alive.
When my enemies are angry,
you will reach down and save me by your power.
8 Lord, you do everything for me.
Lord, your love continues forever.
Do not leave us, whom you made.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.