M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

16 And the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

² Because I exalted you [Baasha] out of the dust and made you leader over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made My people Israel sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins,

³ Behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and will make your house like [that] of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

⁴ Any of Baasha’s family who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and any who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.

⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

⁶ Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. Elah his son reigned in his stead.

⁷ Also the word of the Lord against Baasha and his house came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani for all the evil that Baasha did in the sight of the Lord in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands [idols], in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it [the family of Jeroboam, of his own accord].

⁸ In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha began his reign of two years over Israel in Tirzah.

⁹ Elah’s servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against Elah. He was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah.

¹⁰ Zimri came in and smote and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

¹¹ When he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he killed all the household of Baasha; he left not one male of his kinsmen or his friends.

¹² Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet,^(A)

¹³ For all the sins of Baasha and of Elah his son by which they sinned and made Israel sin, in provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with their idols.

¹⁴ The rest of the acts of Elah, and all he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned for seven days in Tirzah. The troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines,

¹⁶ And they heard the rumor, Zimri has conspired and slain the king! So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.

¹⁷ So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.

¹⁸ And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the stronghold of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire and died,

¹⁹ Because of his sins committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and his sin in causing Israel to sin.

²⁰ The rest of the acts of Zimri, and his deeds of treason, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

²¹ Then the people of Israel were divided into two factions. Half of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.

²² But the people who followed Omri prevailed against those who followed Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri reigned.

²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began his reign of twelve years over Israel. He reigned six years in Tirzah.

²⁴ Omri bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He built a city on the hill and fortified it, and called it Samaria (Shomeron), after the owner of the hill, Shemer.

²⁵ But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord, even worse than all who were before him.

²⁶ He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, by which he made Israel sin, to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with their idols.

²⁷ The rest of the acts of Omri, and his might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

²⁸ So Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri began his reign of twenty-two years over Israel in Samaria.

³⁰ And Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all before him.

³¹ As if it had been a light thing for Ahab to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took for a wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and served Baal and worshiped him.

³² He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.

³³ And Ahab made an Asherah [idolatrous symbol of the goddess Asherah]. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.

³⁴ In his days, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of the life of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Joshua son of Nun.^(B)

3 If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.^(A)

² And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.

³ For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

⁴ When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory.

⁵ So kill (deaden, ^[a]deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

⁶ It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are obstinately opposed to the divine will),

⁷ Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices].

⁸ But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips!

⁹ Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices,

¹⁰ And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect ^[b]knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.^(B)

¹¹ [In this new creation all distinctions vanish.] There ^[c]is no room for and there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, [nor difference between nations whether alien] barbarians or Scythians [^[d]who are the most savage of all], nor slave or free man; but Christ is all and in all [^[e]everything and everywhere, to all men, without distinction of person].

¹² Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].

¹³ Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].

¹⁴ And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].

¹⁵ And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].

¹⁶ Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts.

¹⁷ And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.

¹⁸ Wives, be subject to your husbands [subordinate and adapt yourselves to them], as is right and fitting and your proper duty in the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives [be affectionate and sympathetic with them] and do not be harsh or bitter or resentful toward them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

²¹ Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.]

²² Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you as pleasers of men, but in simplicity of purpose [with all your heart] because of your reverence for the Lord and as a sincere expression of your devotion to Him.

²³ Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,

²⁴ Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah).

²⁵ For he who deals wrongfully will [reap the fruit of his folly and] be punished for his wrongdoing. And [with God] there is no partiality [no matter what a person’s position may be, whether he is the slave or the master].

46 Thus says the Lord God: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut during the six working days, but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and also on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened.

² And the prince shall enter by the porch or vestibule of the gate from without and shall stand by the sidepost of the gate. The priests shall prepare and offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening.

³ The people of the land shall worship at the entrance of that gate before the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons.

⁴ And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish.

⁵ And the bloodless or meal offering with the ram shall be an ephah, and the meal offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able and willing to give, and a hin of oil with each ephah.

⁶ And on the day of the New Moon the offering shall be a young bull without blemish and six lambs and a ram without blemish.

⁷ And the prince shall provide and make a meal or bloodless offering, an ephah for the bullock and an ephah for the ram, and for the lambs as he is able and willing according to what has been made available to his hand, and a hin of oil to each ephah.

⁸ And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the porch or vestibule of that gate and he shall go out by way of it.

⁹ But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord at the appointed solemn feasts, he who enters the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate; he shall not return by the gate by which he came in but shall go out by the opposite gate [straight ahead].^(A)

¹⁰ And the prince, when they go in, shall go in with them, and when they go out, he shall go out.

¹¹ And in the appointed and solemn feasts the meal or bloodless offering shall be with a bullock an ephah, and with a ram an ephah, and with the lambs as much as the prince is willing and able to give [from what has been made available to him], and a hin of oil with each ephah.

¹² When the prince shall prepare and make a freewill burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily to the Lord, the gate that faces east shall be opened for him, and he shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate shall be shut.

¹³ And a lamb a year old without blemish shall you [the priests, for the congregation] offer daily to the Lord; you shall prepare and offer it every morning.

¹⁴ And you [the priests] shall prepare a meal offering to go with it every morning, one-sixth of an ephah with one-third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour. This is a perpetual ordinance for a continual meal offering to the Lord.

¹⁵ Thus shall they prepare and offer the lamb and the meal offering and the oil every morning for a continual burnt offering.

¹⁶ Thus says the Lord God: If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons out of his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their property by inheritance.

¹⁷ But if he gives a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his until the year of liberty [the Year of Jubilee]; after that it shall be returned to the prince; only his sons may keep a gift from his inheritance [permanently].

¹⁸ Moreover, the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, thrusting them out of their property; what he gives to his sons he shall take out of his own possession, so that none of My people shall be separated from his [inherited] possession.

¹⁹ Then he [my guide] led me through the entrance which was at the side of the gate into the holy chambers for the priests, which faced the north; and behold, there was a place at the extreme western end of them.

²⁰ And he said to me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the [bloodless] meal offering, to prevent their having to bring them into the outer court, lest they should thereby wrongfully sanctify (separate and consecrate for holy service) the people who are there.

²¹ And he brought me out into the outer court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court, and behold, in every corner of the court there was a court.

²² In the four corners of the court there were courts joined on and enclosed, forty cubits long and thirty broad; these four in the corners were the same size.

²³ And there was a row of masonry inside them, round about [each of] the four courts, and it was made with hearths for boiling at the bottom of the rows round about.

²⁴ Then said he to me, These are the kitchens of those who do the boiling, where the ministers [the Levites] of the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people.

Psalm 102

A Prayer of the afflicted; when he is overwhelmed and faint and pours out his complaint to God.

¹ Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to You.

² Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in distress! Incline Your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily.

³ For my days consume away like smoke, and my bones burn like a firebrand or like a hearth.

⁴ My heart is smitten like grass and withered, so that [in absorption] I forget to eat my food.

⁵ By reason of my loud groaning [from suffering and trouble] my flesh cleaves to my bones.

⁶ I am like a melancholy pelican or vulture of the wilderness; I am like a [desolate] owl of the waste places.

⁷ I am sleepless and lie awake [mourning], like a bereaved sparrow alone on the housetop.

⁸ My adversaries taunt and reproach me all the day; and they who are angry with me use my name as a curse.

⁹ For I have eaten the ashes [in which I sat] as if they were bread and have mingled my drink with weeping

¹⁰ Because of Your indignation and Your wrath, for You have taken me up and cast me away.

¹¹ My days are like an evening shadow that stretches out and declines [with the sun]; and I am withered like grass.

¹² But You, O Lord, are enthroned forever; and the fame of Your name endures to all generations.

¹³ You will arise and have mercy and loving-kindness for Zion, for it is time to have pity and compassion for her; yes, the set time has come [the moment designated].^(A)

¹⁴ For Your servants take [melancholy] pleasure in the stones [of her ruins] and show pity for her dust.

¹⁵ So the nations shall fear and worshipfully revere the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.^(B)

¹⁶ When the Lord builds up Zion, He will appear in His glory;

¹⁷ He will regard the plea of the destitute and will not despise their prayer.

¹⁸ Let this be recorded for the generation yet unborn, that a people yet to be created shall praise the Lord.

¹⁹ For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary, from heaven did the Lord behold the earth,

²⁰ To hear the sighing and groaning of the prisoner, to loose those who are appointed to death,

²¹ So that men may declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem

²² When peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to worship and serve the Lord.

²³ He has afflicted and weakened my strength, humbling and bringing me low [with sorrow] in the way; He has shortened my days [aging me prematurely].

²⁴ I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days, You Whose years continue throughout all generations.

²⁵ At the beginning You existed and laid the foundations of the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands.

²⁶ They shall perish, but You shall remain and endure; yes, all of them shall wear out and become old like a garment. Like clothing You shall change them, and they shall be changed and pass away.

²⁷ But You remain the same, and Your years shall have no end.^(C)

²⁸ The children of Your servants shall dwell safely and continue, and their descendants shall be established before You.