M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah(A)
26 All the people of Judah made Uzziah king in place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old at the time. 2 He rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah[a] had been laid to rest[b] with his ancestors. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah. She was from Jerusalem. 4 He practiced what the Lord considered to be right, following the example set by his father Amaziah’s accomplishments. 5 Uzziah[c] kept on seeking God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him how to fear God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosperous.
Uzziah’s Initial Successes
6 One time Uzziah[d] went out and battled the Philistines. He tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod, and built cities in the Ashdod area among the Philistines. 7 God helped Uzziah[e] defeat the Philistines, the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his reputation extended as far as the border with Egypt as he became stronger and stronger. 9 Uzziah also built towers in Jerusalem, at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Angle[f] and fortified them. 10 He also built watchtowers in the wilderness and had many cisterns hewed out, since he also possessed large herds, both in the Shephelah[g] and in the midland plains. He had many farmers and vinedressers throughout the hills and fertile lands because he loved farming.[h]
11 Uzziah kept a standing army, equipped for battle, garrisoned in divisions according to an organizational structure devised by his royal secretary Jeiel and his officer Maaseiah, who reported to Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders. 12 The number of senior leaders of the ancestral houses of his elite forces numbered 2,600. 13 Uzziah[i] commanded an army of 307,500 who could fight formidably on behalf of the king against any enemy. 14 In addition, Uzziah equipped the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and stones for use in slings. 15 He also had various siege engines built by skilled designers and placed them on the towers and on the corner ramparts that could fire arrows and very large stones. His reputation spread far and wide, and he was marvelously assisted until he grew very strong.
Uzziah’s Arrogance and Apostasy(B)
16 But after he had become strong, in his arrogance he acted corruptly and became unfaithful to the Lord his God, and he dared to enter the Lord’s Temple to burn incense on the incense altar. 17 Azariah the priest ran after him, along with 80 of the Lord’s valiant priests, 18 and they opposed King Uzziah. “Uzziah, it’s not for you to burn incense to the Lord,” they told him, “but for the priests to do, Aaron’s descendants who are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary now, because you have been unfaithful and won’t receive any honor from the Lord God.”
19 Uzziah flew into a rage while he held in his hand a censer to burn incense. As he got angry at the priests, leprosy broke out all over his forehead right in front of the priests beside the incense altar in the Lord’s Temple. 20 So Azariah the chief priest and all the priests stared at Uzziah, who was infected with leprosy in his forehead! They all rushed at him and hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziah[j] was in a hurry to get out anyway, because the Lord had struck him.
21 King Uzziah remained a leper until the day he died. Because he was a leper, he lived in a separate residence and remained disqualified to enter the Lord’s Temple. His son Jotham served in the royal palace, judging the people of the land. 22 Now the rest of Uzziah’s accomplishments, from first to last, have been recorded by Amoz’s son Isaiah the prophet. 23 Uzziah died, as had his ancestors, and they buried him alongside his ancestors in a grave in a field that belonged to the kings, because they said, “He was a leper.” Uzziah’s[k] son Jotham became king to replace him.
The Vision of the Beast from the Sea
13 I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten royal crowns on its horns. On its heads were blasphemous names. 2 The beast that I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like bear’s feet, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave it his power, his throne, and complete authority.
3 One of the beast’s[a] heads looked like it had sustained a mortal wound, but its fatal wound was healed. Rapt with amazement, the whole world followed the beast. 4 They worshipped the dragon because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight a war with it?” 5 The beast was allowed[b] to speak arrogant and blasphemous things, and it was given authority for 42 months. 6 It uttered[c] blasphemies against God, against his name, and against his residence,[d] that is, against those who are living in heaven. 7 It was allowed to wage war against the saints and to conquer them.[e] It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 All those who had become settled down and at home, living on the earth, will worship it, everyone whose name had not been written in the Book of Life belonging to the lamb that had been slaughtered since the foundation of the world.
9 Let everyone listen:[f]
10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with a sword,
with a sword he will be killed.
The Vision of the Beast from the Earth
Here is a call for endurance and faith of the saints:
11 I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it talked like a dragon. 12 It uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf,[g] and it makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs spectacular signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people. 14 It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do on behalf of[h] the first[i] beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast[j] was allowed to impart life to the image of the first[k] beast so that the image of the beast could talk and order the execution of those who would not worship the image of the beast. 16 The second beast[l] forces all people—important and unimportant, rich and poor, free and slaves—to be marked on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name.
18 In this case wisdom is needed: Let the person who has understanding[m] calculate[n] the total[o] of the beast, since it is a human multitude,[p] and the sum of the multitude[q] is 600, 60, and six.[r]
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
9 A declaration: this message from the Lord in the land of Hadrach,[a]
with Damascus its confederate,[b]
because the eyes of humanity[c] will look to[d] the Lord,
along with those of[e] all the tribes of Israel.
2 Also Hamath, which borders on it—
along with Tyre and Sidon—
indeed they are very wise.
3 “Tyre built itself a fortification,
hoarding silver like dust
and pure gold like mud in a street.
4 Look! The Lord will evict her,
striking at her power in the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it happen and will be terrified;
Gaza will tremble greatly.
Ekron will be ashamed of her expectations,
Gaza’s king will perish,
and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.
6 A strange people[f] will inhabit Ashdod,
and I will eliminate the arrogance of Philistia.
7 I will remove the blood from its mouth,
along with its abominations from between its teeth.
Its survivors will be dedicated to our God;
It will be like a clan of Judah,
and Ekron will be as a Jebusite.[g]
8 I will set a garrison around my Temple,
to hinder those who might come and go,
and to guard against oppressors who intend to invade;
for I have taken note of this with my eyes.”
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion;
cry out, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you.
He is righteous,
and he is able to save.
He is humble,
and is riding on a colt,
the foal of a donkey.
10 I will banish[h] chariots from Ephraim
and horses from Jerusalem.
War weapons[i] will be banished,
and your king[j] will speak peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
and from the River to the farthest portion of the earth.
11 Now concerning you and my blood covenant with you,
I have liberated your prisoners
from a waterless pit.
12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners who have hope.
Even today I am telling you:
In return I will repay you double.
13 For I have bent Judah as if it were my bow,
loading it with Ephraim.
I raised up your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,
wielding you like a mighty warrior’s sword.”
Israel’s Lord Appears
14 The Lord will appear over them—
his arrow will shoot like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
and go out with the southern windstorm.
15 The Lord of the Heavenly Armies will defend them;
they will devour and conquer those who sling stones.
They will drink and be boisterous like those who are drunk.
They will be filled to the brim with blood,[k]
like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save them at that time[l]
as his very own flock of people,
because they are his crown jewels,
exalted throughout his land.
17 For how great is his goodness,
and how great is his beauty!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the virgins.
Mary Anoints Jesus(A)
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus lived,[a] the man whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a litron[b] of very expensive perfume made of pure nard and anointed Jesus’ feet. She wiped his feet with her hair, and the house became filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who was going to betray him, asked, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for 300 denarii[c] and the money[d] given to the destitute?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the destitute, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal what was put into it.
7 Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone so she can observe the day of my burial, 8 because you will always have the destitute with you, but you won’t always have me.”
The Plot against Lazarus
9 When the large crowd of Jews realized that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus, too, 11 since he was the reason why so many of the Jews were leaving to believe in Jesus.
The King Enters Jerusalem(B)
12 The next day, the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming into Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,
14 Then Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written:
15 “Stop being afraid, people[g] of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
sitting upon a donkey’s colt!”[h]
16 At first, his disciples didn’t understand these things. However, when Jesus had been glorified, they remembered that these things had been written about him and that people[i] had done these things to him. 17 So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify to what they had seen.[j] 18 The crowd was going out to meet Jesus[k] because they had heard that he had performed this sign. 19 Then the Pharisees told one another, “You see, there is nothing you can do. Look, the world has gone after him!”
Some Greeks Ask to See Jesus
20 Now some Greeks were among those who had come up to worship at the festival. 21 They went to Philip (who was from Bethsaida in Galilee) and told him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went and told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus told them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, I tell all of you[l] emphatically, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces a lot of grain. 25 The one who loves his life will destroy it, and the one who hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”
Jesus Speaks about His Death
27 “Now my soul is in turmoil, and what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No! It was for this very reason that I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!” 29 The crowd standing there heard this and said that it was thunder.
Others were saying, “An angel has spoken to him.”
30 Jesus replied, “This voice is for your benefit, not for mine. 31 Now is the time for the judgment of this world to begin.[m] Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. 32 As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was about to die.
34 Then the crowd answered him, “We have learned[n] from the Law that the Messiah[o] remains forever. So how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Jesus replied to the crowd,[p] “The light is among you only for a short time. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The person who walks in the darkness is in the darkness and does not know where he is going. 36 As long as you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” After Jesus had said this, he went away and hid from them.
The Unbelief of the Jews
37 Although he had performed numerous signs in their presence, they did not believe in him, 38 so that what the prophet Isaiah spoke might be fulfilled when he said:
39 This is why they could not believe: Isaiah also said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
so that they might not perceive with their eyes,
and understand with their mind[u] and turn,
and I would heal them.”[v]
41 Isaiah said this when[w] he saw his glory and spoke about him. 42 Yet many people, even some of the authorities, believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not admit it so they would not be thrown out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved the praise of human beings more than the praise of God.
Judgment by Jesus’ Word
44 Then Jesus said loudly, “The one who believes in me does not believe in me only, but also[x] in the one who sent me. 45 The one who sees me sees the one who sent me. 46 I’ve come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me won’t remain in the darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I don’t condemn him, because I didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it.[y] 48 The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my words has something to judge him: The word that I’ve spoken will judge him on the last day, 49 because I haven’t spoken on my own authority. Instead, the Father who sent me has himself commanded me what to say and how to speak. 50 And I know that what he commands brings eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.”
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