M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Hezekiah King of Judah
18 Hezekiah began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the third year that Hoshea was king of Israel. He was the son of Elah. Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz. 2 Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother’s name was Abijah. She was the daughter of Zechariah. 3 Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as King David had done. 4 Hezekiah removed the high places. He smashed the sacred stones. He cut down the poles used to worship the female god named Asherah. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made. Up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. They called it Nehushtan.
5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like Hezekiah among all the kings of Judah. There was no king like him either before him or after him. 6 Hezekiah remained faithful to the Lord. He didn’t stop serving him. He obeyed the commands the Lord had given Moses. 7 The Lord was with Hezekiah. Because of that, Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He refused to remain under the control of the king of Assyria. He didn’t serve him. 8 He won the war against the Philistines. He won battles at their lookout towers. He won battles at their cities that had high walls around them. He won battles against the Philistines all the way to Gaza and its territory.
9 Shalmaneser marched to Samaria and surrounded it. It was in the fourth year of King Hezekiah. That was the seventh year of Hoshea, the king of Israel. Hoshea was the son of Elah. Shalmaneser was king of Assyria. 10 At the end of three years the army of Assyria captured Samaria. That happened in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s rule. It was the ninth year of the rule of Hoshea, the king of Israel. 11 The king of Assyria took the people of Israel away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. He made some of them live in Halah. He made others live in Gozan on the Habor River. And he made others live in the towns of the Medes. 12 These things happened because the Israelites hadn’t obeyed the Lord their God. They had broken the covenant he had made with them. They had refused to do everything Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. They hadn’t paid any attention to those commands. They hadn’t obeyed them.
13 Sennacherib attacked and captured all the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. It was in the 14th year of the rule of Hezekiah. Sennacherib was king of Assyria. 14 Hezekiah, the king of Judah, sent a message to the king of Assyria at Lachish. Hezekiah said, “I have done what is wrong. Pull your troops back from me. Then I’ll pay you anything you ask me to.” The king of Assyria forced Hezekiah, the king of Judah, to give him 11 tons of silver. Hezekiah also had to give him one ton of gold. 15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver in the Lord’s temple. He also gave him all the silver among the treasures in the royal palace.
16 Hezekiah, the king of Judah, had covered the doors and doorposts of the Lord’s temple with gold. But now he had to strip it off. He had to give it to the king of Assyria.
Sennacherib Warns Jerusalem
17 The king of Assyria sent his highest commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He also sent his chief officer and his field commander along with a large army. All of them came up to Jerusalem. They stopped at the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. The channel was on the road to the Washerman’s Field. 18 The Assyrians called for King Hezekiah. Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to them. Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was in charge of the palace. Shebna was the secretary. Joah, the son of Asaph, kept the records.
19 The field commander said to them, “Give Hezekiah this message. Tell him,
“ ‘Sennacherib is the great king of Assyria. He says, “Why are you putting your faith in what your king says? 20 You say you have a military plan. You say you have a strong army. But your words don’t mean anything. Who are you depending on? Why don’t you want to stay under my control? 21 Look, I know you are depending on Egypt. Why are you doing that? Egypt is nothing but a broken papyrus stem. Try leaning on it. It will only cut your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is just like that to everyone who depends on him. 22 But suppose you say to me, ‘We are depending on the Lord our God.’ Didn’t Hezekiah remove your god’s high places and altars? Didn’t Hezekiah say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at the altar in Jerusalem’?
23 “ ‘ “Go ahead and make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I’ll give you 2,000 horses. But only if you can put riders on them! 24 You are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen. You can’t drive away even the least important officer among my master’s officials. 25 Besides, do you think I’ve come without receiving a message from the Lord? Have I come to attack and destroy this place without a message from him? The Lord himself told me to march out against your country. He told me to destroy it.” ’ ”
26 Then Shebna, Joah and Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, spoke to the field commander. They said, “Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew. If you do, the people sitting on the city wall will be able to understand you.”
27 But the commander replied, “My master sent me to say these things. Are these words only for your master and you to hear? Aren’t they also for the people sitting on the wall? They are going to suffer just like you. They’ll have to eat their own waste. They’ll have to drink their own urine.”
28 Then the commander stood up and spoke in the Hebrew language. He called out, “Pay attention to what the great king of Assyria is telling you. 29 He says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah trick you. He can’t save you from my power. 30 Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord. Don’t believe him when he says, “You can be sure that the Lord will save us. This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” ’
31 “Don’t listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, ‘Make a peace treaty with me. Come over to my side. Then each one of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree. Each one of you will drink water from your own well. 32 You will do that until I come back. Then I’ll take you to a land just like yours. It’s a land that has a lot of grain and fresh wine. It has plenty of bread and vineyards. It has olive trees and honey. So choose life! Don’t choose death!’
“Don’t pay any attention to Hezekiah. He’s telling you a lie when he says, ‘The Lord will save us.’ 33 Has the god of any nation ever saved his land from the power of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they saved Samaria from my power? 35 Which one of all the gods of those countries has been able to save his land from me? So how can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power?”
36 But the people remained silent. They didn’t say anything. That’s because King Hezekiah had commanded, “Don’t answer him.”
37 Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, went to Hezekiah. Eliakim was in charge of the palace. Shebna the secretary went with him. So did Joah, the son of Asaph. Joah kept the records. All of them went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. They told him what the field commander had said.
1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. Our brother Timothy joins me in writing.
Philemon, we are sending you this letter. You are our dear friend. You work together with us. 2 We are also sending it to our sister Apphia and to Archippus. He is a soldier of Christ together with us. And we are sending it to the church that meets in your home.
3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Paul Prays and Gives Thanks
4 I always thank my God when I remember you in my prayers. 5 That’s because I hear about your love for all God’s people. I also hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that what we share by believing will help you understand even more. Then you will completely understand every good thing we share by believing in Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy. It has encouraged me. My brother, you have renewed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Paul Makes an Appeal for Onesimus
8 Because of the authority Christ has given me, I could be bold. I could order you to do what you should do anyway. 9 But we love each other. And I would rather appeal to you on the basis of that love. I, Paul, am an old man. I am now also a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. 10 I am an old man, and I’m in prison. This is how I make my appeal to you for my son Onesimus. He became a son to me while I was being held in chains. 11 Before that, he was useless to you. But now he has become useful to you and to me.
12 I’m sending Onesimus back to you. All my love for him goes with him. 13 I’m being held in chains because of the good news. So I would have liked to keep Onesimus with me. And he could take your place in helping me. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything unless you agreed. Any favor you do must be done because you want to do it, not because you have to. 15 Onesimus was separated from you for a little while. Maybe that was so you could have him back forever. 16 You could have him back not as a slave. Instead, he would be better than a slave. He would be a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even more dear to you. He is dear to you not only as another human being. He is also dear to you as a brother in the Lord.
17 Do you think of me as a believer who works together with you? Then welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. 18 Has he done anything wrong to you? Does he owe you anything? Then charge it to me. 19 I’ll pay it back. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I won’t even mention that you owe me your life. 20 My brother, we both belong to the Lord. So I wish I could receive some benefit from you. Renew my heart. We know that Christ is the one who really renews it. 21 I’m sure you will obey. So I’m writing to you. I know you will do even more than I ask.
22 There is one more thing. Have a guest room ready for me. I hope I can return to all of you in answer to your prayers.
23 Epaphras sends you greetings. Together with me, he is a prisoner because of Christ Jesus.
24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke work together with me. They also send you greetings.
25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
God Loves Israel
11 The Lord continues,
“When Israel was a young nation, I loved them.
I chose to bring my son out of Egypt.
2 But the more I called out to Israel,
the more they went away from me.
They brought sacrifices to the statues of the gods
that were named Baal.
And they burned incense to them.
3 I taught Ephraim to walk.
I took them up in my arms.
But they did not realize
I was the one who took care of them.
4 I led them with kindness and love.
I was to them like a person who lifts
a little child to their cheek.
I bent down and fed them.
5 “But they refuse to turn away from their sins.
So they will return to Egypt.
And Assyria will rule over them.
6 A sword will flash in their cities.
It will destroy the prophets who teach lies.
It will bring an end to their plans.
7 My people have made up their minds
to turn away from me.
Even if they call me the Most High God,
I will certainly not honor them.”
8 The Lord continues,
“People of Ephraim, how can I give you up?
Israel, how can I hand you over to your enemies?
Can I destroy you as I did the town of Admah?
Can I treat you like Zeboyim?
My heart is stirred inside me.
It is filled with pity for you.
9 I will not be so angry with you anymore.
I will not completely destroy you again.
After all, I am God.
I am not a mere man.
I am the Holy One among you.
I will not direct my anger against their cities.
10 I will roar like a lion against my enemies.
Then the Lord’s people will follow him.
When he roars, his children will come home trembling with fear.
They will return from the west.
11 They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows.
They will return from Assyria, flying in like doves.
I will settle you again in your homes,”
announces the Lord.
Israel Has Sinned
12 The people of Ephraim tell me nothing but lies.
Israel has not been honest with me.
And Judah continues to wander away from God.
They have deserted the faithful Holy One.
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.
132 Lord, remember David
and all the times he didn’t do what he wanted.
2 Lord, he made a promise.
Mighty One of Jacob, he made a promise to you.
3 He said, “I won’t enter my house
or go to bed.
4 I won’t let my eyes sleep.
I won’t close my eyelids
5 until I find a place for the Lord.
I want to build a house for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Here are the words we heard in Ephrathah.
We heard them again in the fields of Kiriath Jearim.
7 “Let us go to the Lord’s house.
Let us worship at his feet. Let us say,
8 ‘Lord, rise up and come to your resting place.
Come in together with the ark. It’s the sign of your power.
9 May your priests put on godliness as if it were their clothes.
May your faithful people sing for joy.’ ”
10 In honor of your servant David,
don’t turn your back on your anointed king.
11 The Lord made a promise to David.
It is a firm promise that he will never break.
He said, “After you die,
I will place one of your own sons on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and the laws I teach them,
then their sons will sit
on your throne for ever and ever.”
13 The Lord has chosen Zion.
That’s the place where he wants to live.
14 He has said, “This will be my resting place for ever and ever.
Here I will sit on my throne, because that’s what I want.
15 I will greatly bless Zion with everything it needs.
I will give plenty of food to the poor people living there.
16 I will put salvation on its priests as if it were their clothes.
God’s faithful people will always sing for joy.
17 “Here in Jerusalem I will raise up a mighty king from the family of David.
I will set up the lamp of David’s kingdom for my anointed king.
Its flame will burn brightly forever.
18 I will put shame on his enemies as if it were their clothes.
But he will wear on his head a shining crown.”
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of David.
133 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in peace!
2 It’s like the special olive oil
that was poured on Aaron’s head.
It ran down on his beard
and on the collar of his robe.
3 It’s as if the dew of Mount Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
There the Lord gives his blessing.
He gives life that never ends.
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.
134 All you who serve the Lord, praise the Lord.
All you who serve at night in the house of the Lord, praise him.
2 Lift up your hands in the temple
and praise the Lord.
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth.
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