M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Ahaziah King of Judah

22 The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah king in place of Jehoram. Ahaziah was Jehoram’s youngest son. Robbers had come with the Arabs into Jehoram’s camp. The robbers had killed all his older sons. So Ahaziah, the king of Judah, began to rule. He was the son of Jehoram.

² Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah. She was a granddaughter of Omri.

³ Ahaziah also followed the ways of the royal family of Ahab. That’s because Ahaziah’s mother gave him bad advice. She told him to do what was wrong. ⁴ So he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did what the family of Ahab had done. After Ahaziah’s father died, the members of Ahab’s family became his advisers. That’s what destroyed him. ⁵ He also followed their advice when he joined forces with Joram, the king of Israel. They went to war against Hazael at Ramoth Gilead. Joram was the son of Ahab. Hazael was king of Aram. The soldiers of Aram wounded Joram. ⁶ So he returned to Jezreel to give his wounds time to heal. His enemies had wounded him at Ramoth in his battle against Hazael, the king of Aram.

Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, went down to Jezreel. He went there to see Joram. That’s because Joram had been wounded. Ahaziah was king of Judah. Joram was the son of Ahab.

⁷ Through Ahaziah’s visit to Joram, God caused Ahaziah to fall from power. When Ahaziah arrived, he rode out with Joram to meet Jehu, the son of Nimshi. The Lord had anointed Jehu to destroy the royal family of Ahab. ⁸ So Jehu punished Ahab’s family, just as the Lord had told him to. While he was doing it, he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives. They had been serving Ahaziah. So Jehu killed them. ⁹ Then he went to look for Ahaziah. Jehu’s men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. Ahaziah was brought to Jehu and put to death. People buried him, because they said, “He was a grandson of Jehoshaphat, who followed the Lord with all his heart.” So no one in the royal family of Ahaziah was powerful enough to keep the kingdom.

Athaliah and Joash

¹⁰ Athaliah was Ahaziah’s mother. She saw that her son was dead. So she began to wipe out the whole royal family of Judah. ¹¹ But Jehosheba went and got Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Jehosheba was the daughter of King Jehoram. She stole Joash away from among the royal princes. All of them were about to be murdered. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, was the wife of Jehoiada the priest. She was also Ahaziah’s sister. So Jehosheba hid the child from Athaliah. That’s why Athaliah couldn’t kill him. ¹² The child remained hidden with the priest and his wife at God’s temple for six years. Athaliah ruled over the land during that time.

23 When Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada showed how strong he was. He made a covenant with the commanders of groups of 100 men. The commanders were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. ² They went all through Judah. They gathered together the Levites and the leaders of Israelite families from all the towns. They came to Jerusalem. ³ The whole community made a covenant with the new king at God’s temple.

Jehoiada said to them, “Ahaziah’s son will rule over Judah. That’s what the Lord promised concerning the family line of David. ⁴ Here’s what I want you to do. A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath day must guard the doors. ⁵ A third of you must guard the royal palace. And a third of you must guard the Foundation Gate. All the other men must guard the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. ⁶ Don’t let anyone enter the temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They can enter because they are set apart to the Lord. But all the other men must obey the Lord’s command not to enter. ⁷ The Levites must station themselves around the new king. Each man must have his weapon in his hand. Anyone else who enters the temple must be put to death. Stay close to the king no matter where he goes.”

⁸ The Levites did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. So did all the men of Judah. Each commander got his men. Some of the men were going on duty on the Sabbath day. Others were going off duty. Jehoiada didn’t let any of the groups go. ⁹ Then he gave weapons to the commanders of the groups. He gave them spears, large shields and small shields. The weapons had belonged to King David. They had been in God’s temple. ¹⁰ Jehoiada stationed all the men around the new king. Each man had his weapon in his hand. They were standing near the altar and the temple. They stood from the south side of the temple to its north side.

¹¹ Jehoiada and his sons brought Ahaziah’s son out. They put the crown on him. They gave him a copy of the covenant. And they announced that he was king. They anointed him. Then they shouted, “May the king live a long time!”

¹² Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the new king. So she went to them at the Lord’s temple. ¹³ She looked, and there was the king! He was standing next to his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpet players were standing beside the king. All the people of the land were filled with joy. They were blowing trumpets. Musicians with their musical instruments were leading the songs of praise. Then Athaliah tore her royal robes. She shouted, “Treason! It’s treason!”

¹⁴ Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of the groups of 100 men. They were in charge of the troops. He said to them, “Bring her away from the temple between the line of guards. Use your swords to kill anyone who follows her.” The priest had said, “Don’t put her to death at the Lord’s temple.” ¹⁵ So they grabbed her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds. There they put her to death.

¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant. He promised that he, the people and the king would be the Lord’s people. ¹⁷ All the people went to Baal’s temple. They tore it down. They smashed the altars and the statues of gods. They killed Mattan in front of the altars. He was the priest of Baal.

¹⁸ Then Jehoiada put the priests, who were Levites, in charge of the Lord’s temple. David had given them their duties in the temple. He had appointed them to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord. He wanted them to do it in keeping with what was written in the Law of Moses. David wanted them to sing and be full of joy. ¹⁹ Jehoiada stationed guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple. No one who was “unclean” in any way could enter.

²⁰ Jehoiada took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land. He brought the new king down from the Lord’s temple. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate. Then they seated the king on the royal throne. ²¹ All the people of the land were filled with joy. And the city was calm. That’s because Athaliah had been killed by a sword.

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was wearing a cloud like a robe. There was a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun. His legs were like pillars of fire. ² He was holding a little scroll. It was lying open in his hand. The angel put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. ³ Then he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. ⁴ When they had spoken, I was getting ready to write. But I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said. Do not write it down.”

⁵ I had seen an angel standing on the sea and on the land. This angel raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ He made a promise in the name of the God who lives for ever and ever. This is the God who created the sky, earth and sea and all that is in them. The angel said, “There will be no more waiting! ⁷ God’s plan will be carried out. This will happen when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet. God told all this to the prophets who served him long ago.”

⁸ Then the voice I had heard from heaven spoke to me again. It said, “The angel is standing on the sea and on the land. Go and take the scroll from him. It is lying open in his hand.”

⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will become sour in your stomach. But ‘in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.’ ” (Ezekiel 3:3) ¹⁰ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. In my mouth it tasted as sweet as honey. But when I had eaten it, it became sour in my stomach. ¹¹ Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

A Vision of Four Chariots

6 I looked up again and saw four chariots. They were coming out from between two mountains. The mountains were made out of bronze. ² The first chariot was pulled by red horses. The second one had black horses. ³ The third had white horses. And the fourth had spotted horses. All the horses were powerful. ⁴ I asked the angel who was talking with me, “Sir, what are these?”

⁵ The angel answered, “The four spirits of heaven. They are going out to serve the Lord of the whole world. ⁶ The chariot pulled by the black horses is going toward the north country. The one with the white horses is going toward the west. And the one with the spotted horses is going toward the south.”

⁷ The powerful horses went out. They were in a hurry to go all over the earth. The angel said, “Go all through the earth!” So they did.

⁸ Then the Lord called out to me, “Look! The horses going toward the north have given my Spirit rest in the north country.”

A Crown Is Given to Joshua

⁹ A message from the Lord came to me. His angel said, ¹⁰ “Get some silver and gold from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah. They have just come back from Babylon. On that same day go to Josiah’s house. He is the son of Zephaniah. ¹¹ Use the silver and gold to make a crown. Set it on the head of Joshua the high priest. He is the son of Jozadak. ¹² Give Joshua a message from the Lord who rules over all. He says, ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch. He will branch out and build my temple. ¹³ That is what he will do. He will be dressed in majesty as if it were his royal robe. He will sit as king on his throne. He will also be a priest there. So he will combine the positions of king and priest in himself.’ ¹⁴ The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Zephaniah’s son Hen. The crown will be kept in the Lord’s temple. It will remind everyone that the Lord’s promises will come true. ¹⁵ Those who are far away will come to Jerusalem. They will help build the Lord’s temple. Then his people will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to them. It will happen if they are careful to obey the Lord their God.”

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was blind. He had been blind since he was born. ² Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned? Was this man born blind because he sinned? Or did his parents sin?”

³ “It isn’t because this man sinned,” said Jesus. “It isn’t because his parents sinned. He was born blind so that God’s power could be shown by what’s going to happen. ⁴ While it is still day, we must do the works of the one who sent me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After he said this, he spit on the ground. He made some mud with the spit. Then he put the mud on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him. “Wash in the Pool of Siloam.” Siloam means Sent. So the man went and washed. And he came home able to see.

⁸ His neighbors and people who had seen him earlier begging asked questions. “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” they asked. ⁹ Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No. He only looks like him.”

But the man who had been blind kept saying, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “Then how were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed. Then I could see.”

¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Want to Know How the Blind Man Was Healed

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ The day Jesus made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath day. ¹⁵ So the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied. “Then I washed. And now I can see.”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “Jesus has not come from God. He does not keep the Sabbath day.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner do such signs?” So the Pharisees did not agree with one another.

¹⁷ Then they turned again to the blind man. “What do you have to say about him?” they asked. “It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ They still did not believe that the man had been blind and now could see. So they sent for his parents. ¹⁹ “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

²⁰ “We know he is our son,” the parents answered. “And we know he was born blind. ²¹ But we don’t know how he can now see. And we don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is an adult. He can speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already made this decision about Jesus. Anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ That was why the man’s parents said, “He is an adult. Ask him.”

²⁴ Again the Pharisees called the man who had been blind to come to them. “Give glory to God by telling the truth!” they said. “We know that the man who healed you is a sinner.”

²⁵ He replied, “I don’t know if he is a sinner or not. I do know one thing. I was blind, but now I can see!”

²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered, “I have already told you. But you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

²⁸ Then they began to attack him with their words. “You are this fellow’s disciple!” they said. “We are disciples of Moses! ²⁹ We know that God spoke to Moses. But we don’t even know where this fellow comes from.”

³⁰ The man answered, “That is really surprising! You don’t know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does what he wants them to do. ³² Nobody has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes of a person born blind. ³³ If this man had not come from God, he could do nothing.”

³⁴ Then the Pharisees replied, “When you were born, you were already deep in sin. How dare you talk like that to us!” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

People Who Can’t See the Truth

³⁵ Jesus heard that the Pharisees had thrown the man out of the synagogue. When Jesus found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me, so I can believe in him.”

³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him. In fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him.

³⁹ Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge it. I have come so that people who are blind will see. I have come so that people who can see will become blind.”

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this. They asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, you remain guilty.