M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
20 Around this time, Hizkiyahu became ill to the point of death. Yesha‘yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz, came and said to him, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not live.’” 2 Hizkiyahu turned his face toward the wall and prayed to Adonai: 3 “I plead with you, Adonai, remember now how I have lived before you truly and wholeheartedly, and how I have done what you see as good.” And he cried bitter tears.
4 Before Yesha‘yahu had left the city’s middle courtyard, the word of Adonai came to him: 5 “Go back, and tell Hizkiyahu the prince of my people, that this is what Adonai, the God of David your ancestor, says: ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears, and I will heal you. On the third day, you are to go up to the house of Adonai. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. Also I will rescue you and this city from the power of the king of Ashur; I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.’” 7 Then Yesha‘yahu said, “Prepare a fig-plaster.” They brought it and laid it on the inflammation, so that he would recover.
8 Hizkiyahu said to Yesha‘yahu, “What sign will there be that Adonai will heal me and that I will be able to go up to the house of Adonai on the third day?” 9 Yesha‘yahu said, “Here is the sign for you from Adonai that Adonai will do what he said: do you want the shadow [of the sundial] to go forward ten intervals or backward ten intervals? 10 Hizkiyahu answered, “It’s easy for the shadow to go down ten intervals. No, let the shadow return backward ten intervals.” 11 Yesha‘yahu called out to Adonai, and he brought the shadow on the sundial of Achaz ten intervals backward after it had gone down that far.
12 B’rodakh-Bal’adan the son of Bal’adan, king of Bavel, heard that Hizkiyahu had been ill, so he sent a letter and a gift to him. 13 Hizkiyahu listened to [the messengers] and showed them the building where he kept his treasures, including the silver, gold, spices and precious oils; also the building where he kept his armor; and everything in his treasury — there was nothing in his palace or in his entire domain that Hizkiyahu did not show them. 14 Then Yesha‘yahu the prophet came to King Hizkiyahu and asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?” Hizkiyahu answered, “They came from a distant country, Bavel.” 15 Yesha‘yahu asked, “What have they seen in your palace?” “They have seen everything in my palace,” said Hizkiyahu. “There isn’t a thing among my treasures that I haven’t shown them.” 16 Yesha‘yahu said to Hizkiyahu, “Hear what Adonai says: 17 ‘The day will come when everything in your palace, along with everything your ancestors stored up until today, will be carried off to Bavel. Nothing will be left,’ says Adonai. 18 ‘They will carry off some of your descendants, your own offspring; and they will be made eunuchs serving in the palace of the king of Bavel.’” 19 Hizkiyahu said to Yesha‘yahu, “The word of Adonai which you have just told me is good.” He thought, “Isn’t it, though, if peace and truth continue at least through my lifetime?”
20 Other activities of Hizkiyahu, his power and how he built the pool and aqueduct to bring water into the city are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah. 21 Then Hizkiyahu slept with his ancestors, and M’nasheh his son took his place as king.
2 Therefore, we must pay much more careful heed to the things we have heard, so that we will not drift away. 2 For if the word God spoke through angels became binding, so that every violation and act of disobedience received its just deserts in full measure, 3 then how will we escape if we ignore such a great deliverance? This deliverance, which was first declared by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him; 4 while God also bore witness to it with various signs, wonders and miracles, and with gifts of the Ruach HaKodesh which he distributed as he chose.
5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the ‘olam haba — which is what we are talking about. 6 And there is a place where someone has given this solemn testimony:
“What is mere man, that you concern yourself with him?
or the son of man, that you watch over him with such care?
7 You made him a little lower than the angels,
you crowned him with glory and honor,
8 you put everything in subjection under his feet.”[a]
In subjecting everything to him, he left nothing unsubjected to him. However, at present, we don’t see everything subjected to him — at least, not yet. 9 But we do see Yeshua — who indeed was made for a little while lower than the angels — now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he might taste death for all humanity. 10 For in bringing many sons to glory, it was only fitting that God, the Creator and Preserver of everything, should bring the Initiator of their deliverance to the goal through sufferings. 11 For both Yeshua, who sets people apart for God, and the ones being set apart have a common origin — this is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers 12 when he says,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”[b]
13 Also,
“I will put my trust in him, . . .”[c]
and then it goes on,
“Here I am, along with the children God has given me.”[d]
14 Therefore, since the children share a common physical nature as human beings, he became like them and shared that same human nature; so that by his death he might render ineffective the one who had power over death (that is, the Adversary) 15 and thus set free those who had been in bondage all their lives because of their fear of death.
16 Indeed, it is obvious that he does not take hold of angels to help them; on the contrary,
“He takes hold of the seed of Avraham.”[e]
17 This is why he had to become like his brothers in every respect — so that he might become a merciful and faithful cohen gadol in the service of God, making a kapparah for the sins of the people. 18 For since he himself suffered death when he was put to the test, he is able to help those who are being tested now.
13 “When Efrayim spoke, there was trembling;
he was a power in Isra’el.
But when he incurred guilt through Ba‘al,
he died.
2 So now they keep adding sin to sin,
casting images from their silver;
idols they invent for themselves,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
‘Sacrifice to them,’ they say.
Men give kisses to calves!
3 Therefore they will be like a morning cloud,
like the dew that disappears early,
like chaff blown by wind from the threshing-floor,
or like smoke that goes out the window.
4 Still, I am Adonai your God,
from the land of Egypt;
and you don’t know any God but me
or, other than me, any Savior.
5 I knew you in the desert,
in a land of terrible drought.
6 When they were fed, they were satisfied;
when satisfied, they became proud.
Therefore they forgot me.
7 So now I have become like a lion to them;
like a leopard I will lurk by the road;
8 I will meet them like a bear
whose cubs have been taken away.
I will tear their hearts from their bodies.
I will devour them there like a lion,
like a wild animal ripping them up.
9 It is your destruction, Isra’el,
although your help is in me.
10 So now, where is your king,
to save you in all your cities?
Where are your judges, of whom you said,
‘Give me a king and leaders’?
11 I gave you a king in my anger;
and in my fury I took him away.
12 “Efrayim’s guilt has been wrapped up,
his sin is stored away.
13 The pain of being born will come to him;
but he is an unwise son.
The time has come; and he shouldn’t delay,
there at the mouth of the womb.
14 Should I ransom them from the power of Sh’ol?
Should I redeem them from death?
Where are your plagues, death;
where is your destruction, Sh’ol?
My eyes are closed to compassion.
15 For though he flourishes among the reeds,
an east wind will come, a wind from Adonai,
blowing up from the desert.
Then his water source will dry up,
then his spring will fail —
it will plunder his treasury,
removing every precious thing.”
137 By the rivers of Bavel we sat down and wept
as we remembered Tziyon.
2 We had hung up our lyres
on the willows that were there,
3 when those who had taken us captive
asked us to sing them a song;
our tormentors demanded joy from us —
“Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!”
4 How can we sing a song about Adonai
here on foreign soil?
5 If I forget you, Yerushalayim,
may my right hand wither away!
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I fail to count Yerushalayim
the greatest of all my joys.
7 Remember, Adonai, against the people of Edom
the day of Yerushalayim’s fall,
how they cried, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
Raze it to the ground!”
8 Daughter of Bavel, you will be destroyed!
A blessing on anyone who pays you back
for the way you treated us!
9 A blessing on anyone who seizes your babies
and smashes them against a rock!
138 (0) By David:
(1) I give you thanks with all my heart.
Not to idols, but to you I sing praise.
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your grace and truth;
for you have made your word [even] greater
than the whole of your reputation.
3 When I called, you answered me,
you made me bold and strong.
4 All the kings of the earth will thank you, Adonai,
when they hear the words you have spoken.
5 They will sing about Adonai’s ways,
“Great is the glory of Adonai!”
6 For though Adonai is high, he cares for the lowly;
while the proud he perceives from afar.
7 You keep me alive when surrounded by danger;
you put out your hand when my enemies rage;
with your right hand you save me.
8 Adonai will fulfill his purpose for me.
Your grace, Adonai, continues forever.
Don’t abandon the work of your hands!
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.