M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Josiah Succeeds Amon
22 (A)Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of (B)Bozkath. 2 He did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he (C)turn aside to the right or to the left.
3 Now (D)in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the Lord saying, 4 “(E)Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may [a]count the money brought in to the house of the Lord which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. 5 (F)Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of the Lord to repair the [b]damages of the house, 6 to the carpenters and the builders and the masons and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7 Only (G)no accounting shall be made with them for the money delivered into their hands, for they deal faithfully.”
The Lost Book
8 Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “(H)I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. 9 Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king and said, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.
11 When the king heard the words of the book of the law, (I)he tore his clothes. 12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, (J)Ahikam the son of Shaphan, [c](K)Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for (L)great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
Huldah Predicts
14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of [d](M)Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the (N)Second Quarter); and they spoke to her. 15 She said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 thus says the Lord, “Behold, I (O)bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17 (P)Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”’ 18 But to (Q)the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord thus shall you say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, 19 (R)because your heart was tender and (S)you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become (T)a desolation and a (U)curse, and you have (V)torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the Lord. 20 “Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and (W)you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.”’” So they brought back word to the king.
The Believer’s Rest
4 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have (A)come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but (B)the word [a]they heard did not profit them, because [b]it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,
“(C)As I swore in My wrath,
They shall not enter My rest,”
although His works were finished (D)from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said (E)somewhere concerning the seventh day: “(F)And God (G)rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this passage, “(H)They shall not enter My rest.” 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of (I)disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying [c]through David after so long a time just (J)as has been said before,
“(K)Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
8 For (L)if [d]Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also (M)rested from his works, as (N)God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same (O)example of (P)disobedience. 12 For (Q)the word of God is (R)living and (S)active and sharper than any two-edged (T)sword, and piercing as far as the division of (U)soul and (V)spirit, of both joints and marrow, and (W)able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And (X)there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are (Y)open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
14 Therefore, since we have a great (Z)high priest who has (AA)passed through the heavens, Jesus (AB)the Son of God, let us hold fast our (AC)confession. 15 For we do not have (AD)a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been (AE)tempted in all things as we are, yet (AF)without sin. 16 Therefore let us (AG)draw near with (AH)confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The Devastation of Locusts
1 The (A)word of the Lord that came to (B)Joel, the son of Pethuel:
2 (C)Hear this, O (D)elders,
And listen, all inhabitants of the land.
(E)Has anything like this happened in your days
Or in your fathers’ days?
3 (F)Tell your sons about it,
And let your sons tell their sons,
And their sons the next generation.
4 What the (G)gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten;
And what the (H)swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten;
And what the creeping locust has left, the (I)stripping locust has eaten.
5 Awake, (J)drunkards, and weep;
And wail, all you wine drinkers,
On account of the sweet wine
That is (K)cut off from your mouth.
6 For a (L)nation has [a]invaded my land,
Mighty and without number;
(M)Its teeth are the teeth of a lion,
And it has the fangs of a lioness.
7 It has (N)made my vine a waste
And my fig tree [b]splinters.
It has stripped them bare and cast them away;
Their branches have become white.
8 (O)Wail like a virgin (P)girded with sackcloth
For the bridegroom of her youth.
9 The (Q)grain offering and the drink offering are cut off
From the house of the Lord.
The (R)priests mourn,
The ministers of the Lord.
10 The field is (S)ruined,
(T)The land mourns;
For the grain is ruined,
The new wine dries up,
Fresh oil [c]fails.
11 [d](U)Be ashamed, O farmers,
Wail, O vinedressers,
For the wheat and the barley;
Because the (V)harvest of the field is destroyed.
12 The (W)vine dries up
And the fig tree [e]fails;
The (X)pomegranate, the (Y)palm also, and the [f](Z)apple tree,
All the trees of the field dry up.
Indeed, (AA)rejoicing dries up
From the sons of men.
13 (AB)Gird yourselves with sackcloth
And lament, O priests;
(AC)Wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, (AD)spend the night in sackcloth
O ministers of my God,
For the grain offering and the drink offering
Are withheld from the house of your God.
Starvation and Drought
14 (AE)Consecrate a fast,
Proclaim a (AF)solemn assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
To the house of the Lord your God,
And (AG)cry out to the Lord.
15 (AH)Alas for the day!
For the (AI)day of the Lord is near,
And it will come as (AJ)destruction from the [g]Almighty.
16 Has not (AK)food been cut off before our eyes,
Gladness and (AL)joy from the house of our God?
17 The [h](AM)seeds shrivel under their [i]clods;
The storehouses are desolate,
The barns are torn down,
For the grain is dried up.
18 How (AN)the beasts groan!
The herds of cattle wander aimlessly
Because there is no pasture for them;
Even the flocks of sheep [j]suffer.
19 (AO)To You, O Lord, I cry;
For (AP)fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness
And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.
20 Even the beasts of the field [k](AQ)pant for You;
For the (AR)water brooks are dried up
And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
140 (A)Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from (B)violent men
2 Who (C)devise evil things in their hearts;
They (D)continually stir up wars.
3 They (E)sharpen their tongues as a serpent;
(F)Poison of a viper is under their lips. [a]Selah.
4 (G)Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
(H)Preserve me from violent men
Who have [b]purposed to [c](I)trip up my feet.
5 The proud have (J)hidden a trap for me, and cords;
They have spread a (K)net by the [d]wayside;
They have set (L)snares for me. Selah.
6 I (M)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
(N)Give ear, O Lord, to the (O)voice of my supplications.
7 “O [e]God the Lord, (P)the strength of my salvation,
You have (Q)covered my head in the day of [f]battle.
8 “Do not grant, O Lord, the (R)desires of the wicked;
Do not promote (S)his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.
9 “As for the head of those who surround me,
May the (T)mischief of their lips cover them.
10 “May (U)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be (V)cast into the fire,
Into [g]deep pits from which they (W)cannot rise.
11 “May a [h]slanderer not be established in the earth;
(X)May evil hunt the violent man [i]speedily.”
12 I know that the Lord will (Y)maintain the cause of the afflicted
And (Z)justice for the poor.
13 Surely the (AA)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The (AB)upright will dwell in Your presence.
An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.
A Psalm of David.
141 O Lord, I call upon You; (AC)hasten to me!
(AD)Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
2 May my prayer be [j]counted as (AE)incense before You;
The (AF)lifting up of my hands as the (AG)evening offering.
3 Set a (AH)guard, O Lord, [k]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (AI)door of my lips.
4 (AJ)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds [l]of wickedness
With men who (AK)do iniquity;
And (AL)do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the (AM)righteous smite me [m]in kindness and reprove me;
It is (AN)oil upon the head;
Do not let my head refuse it,
[n]For still my prayer (AO)is [o]against their wicked deeds.
6 Their judges are (AP)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one (AQ)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our (AR)bones have been scattered at the (AS)mouth of [p]Sheol.
8 For my (AT)eyes are toward You, O [q]God, the Lord;
In You I (AU)take refuge; (AV)do not [r]leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the [s](AW)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (AX)snares of those who do iniquity.
10 Let the wicked (AY)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by [t](AZ)safely.
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