M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem

25 ^(A)Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^(B)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and ^(C)built a siege wall all around ^[a]it. ² So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. ³ On the ninth day of the fourth month ^(D)the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. ^4 (E)Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside ^(F)the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And ^[b]they went by way of the Arabah. ⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. ⁶ Then ^(G)they captured the king and ^(H)brought him to the king of Babylon at ^(I)Riblah, and ^[c]he passed sentence on him. ^7 (J)They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then ^(K)put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

Jerusalem Burned and Plundered

^8 (L)Now on the seventh day of the ^(M)fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ^9 (N)He burned the house of the Lord, ^(O)the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. ¹⁰ So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard ^(P)broke down the walls around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Then ^(Q)the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile. ¹² But the captain of the guard left some of ^(R)the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

^13 (S)Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the Lord, and the stands and ^(T)the bronze sea which were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the ^[d]bronze to Babylon. ^14 (U)They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service. ¹⁵ The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. ¹⁶ The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord—^(V)the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. ^17 (W)The height of the one pillar was eighteen ^[e]cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three ^[f]cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.

¹⁸ Then the captain of the guard took ^(X)Seraiah the chief priest and ^(Y)Zephaniah the second priest, with the three ^[g]officers of the temple. ¹⁹ From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and ^(Z)five ^[h]of the king’s advisers who were found in the city; and the ^[i]scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at ^(AA)Riblah. ²¹ Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. ^(AB)So Judah was led away into exile from its land.

Gedaliah Made Governor

²² Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed ^(AC)Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them. ^23 (AD)When all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to ^(AE)Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. ²⁴ Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

^25 (AF)But it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal ^[j]family, came ^[k]with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. ^26 (AG)Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

^27 (AH)Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of ^(AI)the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, ^[l](AJ)released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; ²⁸ and he ^(AK)spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. ^29 [m]Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and ^[n](AL)had his meals in ^[o]the king’s presence regularly all the days of his life; ³⁰ and for his ^(AM)allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

Melchizedek’s Priesthood Like Christ’s

7 For this ^(A)Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the ^(B)Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. ³ Without father, without mother, ^(C)without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like ^(D)the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

⁴ Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the ^(E)patriarch, ^(F)gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. ⁵ And those indeed of ^(G)the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment ^[a]in the Law to collect ^[b]a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these ^[c]are descended from Abraham. ⁶ But the one ^(H)whose genealogy is not traced from them ^(I)collected ^[d]a tenth from Abraham and ^[e](J)blessed the one who ^(K)had the promises. ⁷ But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, ^(L)of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. ⁹ And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

^11 (M)Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it ^(N)the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise ^(O)according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. ¹³ For ^(P)the one concerning whom ^(Q)these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord ^[f]was ^(R)descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. ¹⁵ And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become such not on the basis of a law of ^[g](S)physical requirement, but according to the power of ^(T)an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is attested of Him,

¹⁸ For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment ^(V)because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for ^(W)the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better ^(X)hope, through which we ^(Y)draw near to God. ²⁰ And inasmuch as it was not without an oath ²¹ (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

²² so much the more also Jesus has become the ^(AC)guarantee of ^(AD)a better covenant.

^23 [h]The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, ²⁴ but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues ^(AE)forever, holds His priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore He is able also to ^(AF)save ^[i]forever those who ^(AG)draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to ^(AH)make intercession for them.

²⁶ For it was fitting for us to have such a ^(AI)high priest, ^(AJ)holy, ^(AK)innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and ^(AL)exalted above the heavens; ²⁷ who does not need daily, like those high priests, to ^(AM)offer up sacrifices, ^(AN)first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did ^(AO)once for all when He ^(AP)offered up Himself. ²⁸ For the Law appoints men as high priests ^(AQ)who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints ^(AR)a Son, ^(AS)made perfect forever.

Judgment on Neighbor Nations

1 The words of Amos, who was among the ^(A)sheepherders from ^(B)Tekoa, which he ^[a]envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of ^(C)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of ^(D)Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the ^(E)earthquake.

Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.

A Psalm of David.