M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
31 The Passover Feast came to an end. The people of Israel who were in Jerusalem went out to the towns of Judah. They smashed the sacred stones. They cut down the poles used to worship the female god named Asherah. They destroyed the high places and the altars. They did those things all through Judah and Benjamin. They also did them in Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed all the objects used to worship other gods. Then the Israelites returned to their own towns and property.
The People Bring Gifts to the Lord
2 Hezekiah put the priests and Levites in groups based on their duties. The priests sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. The Levites served the Lord by giving thanks and singing praises at the gates of his house. 3 The king gave some of his own possessions to the temple. He gave them for the morning and evening burnt offerings. He gave them for the burnt offerings for every Sabbath day. He gave them for the burnt offerings for every New Moon feast. And he gave them for the burnt offerings for every yearly appointed feast. He did it in keeping with what is written in the Law of the Lord. 4 Hezekiah gave an order to the people who were living in Jerusalem. He commanded them to give to the priests and Levites the share they owed them. Then the priests and Levites could give their full attention to the Law of the Lord. 5 The order went out. Right away the people of Israel began to give freely. They gave the first share of the harvest of their grain, fresh wine, olive oil and honey. They also gave the first share of everything else their fields produced. They brought a large amount. It was a tenth of everything. 6 Here is what the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah brought. They brought a tenth of their herds and flocks. They also brought a tenth of the holy things they had set apart to the Lord their God. They put them in piles. 7 They began doing it in the third month. They finished in the seventh month. 8 Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the piles. When they did, they praised the Lord. And they blessed his people Israel.
9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles. 10 Azariah the chief priest answered him. He said, “The people have been bringing their gifts to the Lord’s temple. Ever since they began to bring them, we’ve had enough to eat. We have even had plenty to spare. That’s because the Lord has blessed his people. So we have a large amount left over.” Azariah was from the family line of Zadok.
11 Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the Lord’s temple. And it was done. 12 The people were faithful. They brought in their offerings and a tenth of everything they produced. They also brought the gifts they had set apart to the Lord. Konaniah the Levite was in charge of everything they brought. His brother Shimei was next in command after him. 13 Konaniah and his brother Shimei had helpers who worked with them. Their names were Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah. King Hezekiah and Azariah had appointed them. Azariah was the official in charge of God’s temple.
14 Kore the Levite guarded the East Gate. He was in charge of the offerings people chose to give to God. He handed out the offerings made to the Lord. He also handed out the gifts that had been set apart to the Lord. Kore was the son of Imnah. 15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah helped Kore. They were faithful in helping him in the towns of the priests. They handed out gifts to their brother priests, group by group. They gave the gifts to old men and young men alike.
16 In addition to that, they handed out gifts to the males who were three years old or more. The names of those males were listed in their family history. All of them would enter the Lord’s temple. They would carry out their duties each day. Each group did all the different things it was supposed to do. 17 Kore and his Levite companions also handed out gifts to the priests. The priests were listed by their families in their family history. Those Levites also handed out gifts to the Levites who were 20 years old or more. Each group did all the different things it was supposed to do. 18 Those groups included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community. All of them were listed in their family history. They were faithful in setting themselves apart to serve the Lord.
19 Some of the priests lived in other towns or on farms around their towns. They were from the family line of Aaron. Men were chosen by name to hand out shares to those priests. They gave a share to every male among them. They also gave a share to everyone whose name was written down in the family history of the Levites.
20 That’s what Hezekiah did all through Judah. He did what was good and right. He was faithful to the Lord his God. 21 He tried to obey his God. He worked for him with all his heart. That’s the way he worked in everything he did to serve God’s temple. He obeyed the law. He followed the Lord’s commands. So he had success.
Babylon the Great Prostitute Sits on the Beast
17 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came to me. He said, “Come. I will show you how the great prostitute will be punished. She is the one who sits by many waters. 2 The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways. The people living on earth were drunk with the wine of her terrible sins.”
3 Then in a vision the angel carried me away to a desert. There the Holy Spirit showed me a woman sitting on a bright red beast. It was covered with names that say evil things about God. It had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and bright red. She was gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls. In her hand she held a golden cup filled with things that God hates. It was filled with her terrible, dirty sins. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery. Here is what it said.
The Great City of Babylon
The Mother of Prostitutes
The Mother of Everything on Earth that God Hates
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people. They are the ones who are witnesses about Jesus.
When I saw her, I was very amazed. 7 Then the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman. And I will explain the mystery of the beast she rides on. The beast is the one who has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw used to exist and now does not. Yet it will come up out of the Abyss and be destroyed. Some people on the earth will be amazed when they see the beast. Their names have not been written in the book of life from the time the world was created. They will be amazed at the beast. That’s because it will come again even though it used to exist and now does not.
9 “Here is a problem that you have to be wise to understand. The seven heads are seven hills that the woman sits on. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is ruling, and the other has still not come. When he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who used to exist, and now does not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the other seven. He will be destroyed.
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings. They have not yet received a kingdom. But for one hour they will receive authority to rule together with the beast. 13 They have only one purpose. So they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will have victory over them. That’s because he is the most powerful Lord of all and the greatest King of all. His appointed, chosen and faithful followers will be with him.”
15 Then the angel spoke to me. “You saw the waters the prostitute sits on,” he said. “They stand for all the nations of the world, no matter what their race or language is. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will destroy her and leave her naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose. So they agreed to give the beast their royal authority. They will give him this authority until God’s words come true. 18 The woman you saw stands for the great city of Babylon. That city rules over the kings of the earth.”
2 “On that day I will remove the names of other gods from the land. They will not even be remembered anymore,” announces the Lord who rules over all. “I will drive the evil prophets out of the land. I will get rid of the spirit that put lies in their mouths. 3 Some people might still prophesy. But their own fathers and mothers will speak to them. They will tell them, ‘You must die. You have told lies in the Lord’s name.’ When they prophesy, their own parents will stab them.
4 “At that time every prophet will be ashamed of the vision they see. They will no longer pretend to be a true prophet. They will not put on clothes that are made out of hair in order to trick people. 5 In fact, each one will say, ‘I’m not really a prophet. I’m a farmer. I’ve farmed the land since I was young.’ 6 Suppose someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body?’ Then they will answer, ‘I was given these wounds at the house of my friends.’
The Good Shepherd Is Killed and the Sheep Are Scattered
7 “My sword, wake up! Attack my shepherd!
Attack the man who is close to me,”
announces the Lord who rules over all.
“Strike down the shepherd.
Then the sheep will be scattered.
And I will turn my hand against their little ones.
8 Here is what will happen in the whole land,”
announces the Lord.
“Two-thirds of the people will be struck down and die.
But one-third will be left.
9 I will put this third in the fire.
I will make them as pure as silver.
I will test them like gold.
They will call out to me.
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people.’
And they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”
16 “I have told you all this so that you will not turn away from the truth. 2 You will be thrown out of the synagogue. In fact, the time is coming when someone may kill you. And they will think they are doing God a favor. 3 They will do things like that because they do not know the Father or me. 4 Why have I told you this? So that when their time comes, you will remember that I warned you about them. I didn’t tell you this from the beginning because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to the one who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Instead, you are filled with sadness because I have said these things. 7 But what I’m about to tell you is true. It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove that the world’s people are guilty. He will prove their guilt concerning sin and godliness and judgment. 9 The world is guilty as far as sin is concerned. That’s because people do not believe in me. 10 The world is guilty as far as godliness is concerned. That’s because I am going to the Father, where you can’t see me anymore. 11 The world is guilty as far as judgment is concerned. That’s because the devil, the prince of this world, has already been judged.
12 “I have much more to say to you. It is more than you can handle right now. 13 But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears. And he will tell you what is still going to happen. 14 He will bring me glory. That’s because what he receives from me he will show to you. 15 Everything that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said what the Holy Spirit receives from me he will show to you.”
The Disciples’ Sadness Will Turn Into Joy
16 Jesus continued, “In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me.”
17 After they heard this, some of his disciples spoke to one another. They said, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me’? And what does he mean by saying, ‘I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about these things. So he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant? Didn’t you understand when I said, ‘In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me’? 20 What I’m about to tell you is true. You will weep and mourn while the world is full of joy. You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a baby has pain. That’s because her time to give birth has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a baby has been born into the world. 22 That’s the way it is with you. Now it’s your time to be sad. But I will see you again. Then you will be full of joy. And no one will take away your joy. 23 When that day comes, you will no longer ask me for anything. What I’m about to tell you is true. My Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive what you ask for. Then your joy will be complete.
25 “I have not been speaking to you plainly. But a time is coming when I will speak clearly. Then I will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 When that day comes, you will ask for things in my name. I am not saying I will ask the Father instead of you asking him. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. He also loves you because you have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking plainly. You are using examples that are clear. 30 Now we can see that you know everything. You don’t even need anyone to ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you believe now?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming when you will be scattered and go to your own homes. In fact, that time is already here. You will leave me all alone. But I am not really alone. My Father is with me.
33 “I have told you these things, so that you can have peace because of me. In this world you will have trouble. But be encouraged! I have won the battle over the world.”
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