M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Kings of Israel: Jehoahaz and Jehoash
13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel at Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (A)with which he made Israel sin; he did not turn from them. 3 (B)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He gave them continually into the hand of (C)Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of (D)Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. 4 Then (E)Jehoahaz entreated the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for (F)He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. 5 The Lord gave Israel a [a](G)deliverer, so that they [b]escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as formerly. 6 Nevertheless they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, (H)with which he made Israel sin, but walked in [c]them; and (I)the Asherah also remained standing in Samaria. 7 For he left to Jehoahaz of the [d]army not more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and 10,000 footmen, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and (J)made them like the dust at threshing. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son became king in his place.
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin, but he walked in [e]them. 12 (K)Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Death of Elisha
14 When Elisha [f]became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over [g]him and said, “(L)My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he [h]took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put his hand on it, then Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. 17 He said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will [i]defeat the Arameans at (M)Aphek until you have [j]destroyed them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and [k]stopped. 19 So (N)the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have [l]destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram (O)only three times.”
20 Elisha died, and they buried him. Now (P)the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man [m]touched the bones of Elisha he (Q)revived and stood up on his feet.
22 Now (R)Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the (S)Lord was gracious to them and (T)had compassion on them and turned to them because of (U)His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them or cast them from His presence until now.
24 When Hazael king of Aram died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place. 25 Then (V)Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of Jehoahaz his father. (W)Three times Joash [n]defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.
“Difficult Times Will Come”
3 But realize this, that (A)in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be (B)lovers of self, (C)lovers of money, (D)boastful, (E)arrogant, (F)revilers, (G)disobedient to parents, (H)ungrateful, (I)unholy, 3 (J)unloving, irreconcilable, (K)malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [a](L)haters of good, 4 (M)treacherous, (N)reckless, (O)conceited, (P)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [b](Q)godliness, although they have (R)denied its power; (S)Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who [c](T)enter into households and captivate [d](U)weak women weighed down with sins, led on by (V)various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to (W)come to the [e]knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as (X)Jannes and Jambres (Y)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, (Z)men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress; for their (AA)folly will be obvious to all, just (AB)as [f]Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.
10 Now you (AC)followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, (AD)love, [g]perseverance, 11 (AE)persecutions, and (AF)sufferings, such as happened to me at (AG)Antioch, at (AH)Iconium and at (AI)Lystra; what (AJ)persecutions I endured, and out of them all (AK)the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus (AL)will be persecuted. 13 But evil men and impostors (AM)will proceed from bad to worse, (AN)deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, (AO)continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that (AP)from childhood you have known (AQ)the sacred writings which are able to (AR)give you the wisdom that leads to (AS)salvation through faith which is in (AT)Christ Jesus. 16 (AU)All Scripture is [h]inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for [i]training in righteousness; 17 so that (AV)the man of God may be adequate, (AW)equipped for every good work.
The People’s Apostasy Rebuked
5 Hear this, O priests!
Give heed, O house of Israel!
Listen, O house of the king!
For the judgment applies to you,
For you have been a (A)snare at Mizpah
And a net spread out on Tabor.
2 The (B)revolters have [a](C)gone deep in depravity,
But I will chastise all of them.
3 I (D)know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot,
Israel has defiled itself.
4 Their deeds will not allow them
To return to their God.
For a (E)spirit of harlotry is within them,
And they (F)do not know the Lord.
5 Moreover, the (G)pride of Israel testifies against him,
And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
(H)Judah also has stumbled with them.
6 They will (I)go with their flocks and herds
To seek the Lord, but they will (J)not find Him;
He has (K)withdrawn from them.
7 They have (L)dealt treacherously against the Lord,
For they have borne [b](M)illegitimate children.
Now the (N)new moon will devour them with their [c]land.
8 (O)Blow the horn in (P)Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah.
Sound an alarm at Beth-aven:
“(Q)Behind you, Benjamin!”
9 Ephraim will become a (R)desolation in the (S)day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I (T)declare what is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become like those who (U)move a boundary;
On them I will (V)pour out My wrath (W)like water.
11 Ephraim is (X)oppressed, crushed in judgment,
(Y)Because he was determined to [d]follow man’s command.
12 Therefore I am like a (Z)moth to Ephraim
And like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his [e]wound,
Then Ephraim went to (AA)Assyria
And sent to [f](AB)King Jareb.
But he is (AC)unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your [g]wound.
14 For I will be (AD)like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(AE)I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away,
I will carry away, and there will be (AF)none to deliver.
15 I will go away and return to My place
Until they [h](AG)acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly (AH)seek Me.
The Response to God’s Rebuke
6 “(AI)Come, let us return to the Lord.
For (AJ)He has torn us, but (AK)He will heal us;
He has [i]wounded us, but He will (AL)bandage us.
2 “He will (AM)revive us after two days;
He will (AN)raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
3 “So let us (AO)know, let us press on to know the Lord.
His (AP)going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the (AQ)rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth.”
4 What shall I do with you, O (AR)Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
For your [j]loyalty is like a (AS)morning cloud
And like the dew which goes away early.
5 Therefore I have (AT)hewn them in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them by the (AU)words of My mouth;
And the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth.
6 For (AV)I delight in loyalty (AW)rather than sacrifice,
And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
7 But (AX)like [k]Adam they have (AY)transgressed the covenant;
There they have (AZ)dealt treacherously against Me.
8 (BA)Gilead is a city of wrongdoers,
Tracked with (BB)bloody footprints.
9 And as (BC)raiders wait for a man,
So a band of priests (BD)murder on the way to Shechem;
Surely they have committed [l](BE)crime.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a (BF)horrible thing;
Ephraim’s (BG)harlotry is there, Israel has defiled itself.
11 Also, O Judah, there is a (BH)harvest appointed for you,
When I (BI)restore the fortunes of My people.
Qoph.
145 I cried (A)with all my heart; answer me, O Lord!
I will (B)observe Your statutes.
146 I cried to You; (C)save me
And I shall keep Your testimonies.
147 I [a](D)rise before dawn and cry for help;
I [b]wait for Your words.
148 My eyes anticipate the (E)night watches,
That I may (F)meditate on Your [c]word.
149 Hear my voice (G)according to Your lovingkindness;
(H)Revive me, O Lord, according to Your ordinances.
150 Those who follow after wickedness draw near;
They are far from Your law.
151 You are (I)near, O Lord,
And all Your commandments are (J)truth.
152 Of old I have (K)known from Your testimonies
That You have founded them (L)forever.
Resh.
153 (M)Look upon my (N)affliction and rescue me,
For I do not (O)forget Your law.
154 (P)Plead my cause and (Q)redeem me;
Revive me according to Your [d]word.
155 Salvation is (R)far from the wicked,
For they (S)do not seek Your statutes.
156 [e](T)Great are Your mercies, O Lord;
Revive me according to Your ordinances.
157 Many are my (U)persecutors and my adversaries,
Yet I do not (V)turn aside from Your testimonies.
158 I behold the (W)treacherous and (X)loathe them,
Because they do not keep Your [f]word.
159 Consider how I (Y)love Your precepts;
(Z)Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.
160 The (AA)sum of Your word is (AB)truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances (AC)is everlasting.
Shin.
161 (AD)Princes persecute me without cause,
But my heart (AE)stands in awe of Your words.
162 I (AF)rejoice at Your [g]word,
As one who (AG)finds great spoil.
163 I (AH)hate and despise falsehood,
But I (AI)love Your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your (AJ)righteous ordinances.
165 Those who love Your law have (AK)great peace,
And [h](AL)nothing causes them to stumble.
166 I (AM)hope for Your salvation, O Lord,
And do Your commandments.
167 My (AN)soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I (AO)love them exceedingly.
168 I (AP)keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my (AQ)ways are before You.
Tav.
169 Let my (AR)cry [i]come before You, O Lord;
(AS)Give me understanding (AT)according to Your word.
170 Let my (AU)supplication come before You;
(AV)Deliver me according to Your [j]word.
171 Let my (AW)lips utter praise,
For You (AX)teach me Your statutes.
172 Let my (AY)tongue sing of Your [k]word,
For all Your (AZ)commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Your (BA)hand be [l]ready to help me,
For I have (BB)chosen Your precepts.
174 I (BC)long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my (BD)delight.
175 Let my (BE)soul live that it may praise You,
And let Your ordinances help me.
176 I have (BF)gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant,
For I do (BG)not forget Your commandments.
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