M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Passover Observed Again
35 Then Josiah (A)celebrated the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and (B)they slaughtered the Passover animals on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He set the priests in their offices and (C)encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord. 3 He also said to (D)the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; (E)it will be a burden on your shoulders no longer. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel. 4 (F)Prepare yourselves by your fathers’ households in your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel and (G)according to the writing of his son Solomon. 5 Moreover, (H)stand in the holy place according to the sections of the fathers’ households of your brethren the [a]lay people, and according to the Levites, by division of a father’s household. 6 Now (I)slaughter the Passover animals, (J)sanctify yourselves and prepare for your brethren to do according to the word of the Lord by Moses.”
7 Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats, all for the Passover offerings, numbering 30,000 plus 3,000 bulls; these were from the king’s possessions. 8 His officers also contributed a freewill offering to the people, the priests and the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, (K)the officials of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 from the flocks and 300 bulls. 9 (L)Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the officers of the Levites, contributed to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 from the flocks and 500 bulls.
10 So the service was prepared, and (M)the priests stood at their stations and the Levites by their divisions according to the king’s command. 11 [b](N)They slaughtered the Passover animals, and while (O)the priests sprinkled [c]the blood received from their hand, (P)the Levites skinned them. 12 Then they removed the burnt offerings that they might give them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to present to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did this also with the bulls. 13 So (Q)they roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the ordinance, and they boiled (R)the holy things in pots, in kettles, in pans, and carried them speedily to all the lay people. 14 Afterwards they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were also at their stations (S)according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and (T)the gatekeepers at each gate did not have to depart from their service, because the Levites their brethren prepared for them.
16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared on that day to celebrate the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord according to the command of King Josiah. 17 Thus (U)the sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 (V)There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign this Passover was celebrated.
Josiah Dies in Battle
20 (W)After all this, when Josiah had set the [d]temple in order, Neco king of Egypt came up to make war at (X)Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him. 21 But [e]Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “(Y)What have we to do with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.” 22 However, Josiah would not turn [f]away from him, but (Z)disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco (AA)from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of (AB)Megiddo. 23 The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem [g]where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. (AC)All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Then (AD)Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations to this day. And they made them an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are also written in the Lamentations. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of devotion as written in the law of the Lord, 27 and his acts, first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
The New Heaven and Earth
21 Then I saw (A)a new heaven and a new earth; for (B)the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw (C)the holy city, (D)new Jerusalem, (E)coming down out of heaven from God, (F)made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, (G)the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will [a](H)dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them[b], 4 and He will (I)wipe away every tear from their eyes; and (J)there will no longer be any death; (K)there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; (L)the first things have passed away.”
5 And (M)He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am (N)making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for (O)these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “[c](P)It is done. I am the (Q)Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (R)I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the (S)water of life without cost. 7 (T)He who overcomes will inherit these things, and (U)I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 (V)But for the cowardly and [d]unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in (W)the lake that burns with fire and [e]brimstone, which is the (X)second death.”
9 (Y)Then one of the seven angels who had the (Z)seven bowls [f]full of the (AA)seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “(AB)Come here, I will show you the (AC)bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
The New Jerusalem
10 And (AD)he carried me away [g](AE)in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me (AF)the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having (AG)the glory of God. Her [h]brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a (AH)stone of (AI)crystal-clear jasper. 12 [i]It had a great and high wall, [j](AJ)with twelve (AK)gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had (AL)twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the (AM)twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The one who spoke with me had a [k]gold measuring (AN)rod to measure the city, and its (AO)gates and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the [l]rod, [m]fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, [n]seventy-two yards, according to (AP)human [o]measurements, which are also (AQ)angelic measurements. 18 The material of the wall was (AR)jasper; and the city was (AS)pure gold, like [p]clear (AT)glass. 19 (AU)The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was (AV)jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, (AW)emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, (AX)sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve (AY)gates were twelve (AZ)pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was (BA)pure gold, like transparent (BB)glass.
22 I saw (BC)no [q]temple in it, for the (BD)Lord God the Almighty and the (BE)Lamb are its [r]temple. 23 And the city (BF)has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for (BG)the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the (BH)Lamb. 24 (BI)The nations will walk by its light, and the (BJ)kings of the earth [s]will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for (BK)there will be no night there) (BL)its gates (BM)will never be closed; 26 and (BN)they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and (BO)nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those [t]whose names are (BP)written in the Lamb’s book of life.
The Purifier
3 “(A)Behold, I am going to send (B)My [a]messenger, and he will [b](C)clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; [c]and the [d](D)messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. 2 “But who can (E)endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a (F)refiner’s fire and like [e]fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will (G)purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may (H)present to the Lord [f]offerings in righteousness. 4 Then the [g]offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be (I)pleasing to the Lord as in the (J)days of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the (K)sorcerers and against the (L)adulterers and against those who (M)swear falsely, and against those who oppress the (N)wage earner in his wages, the (O)widow and the [h]orphan, and those who turn aside the [i](P)alien and do not [j]fear Me,” says the Lord of hosts. 6 “For [k]I, the Lord, (Q)do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, [l]are not consumed.
7 “From the (R)days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. (S)Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’
You Have Robbed God
8 “Will a man [m]rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In (T)tithes and [n]offerings. 9 You are (U)cursed with a curse, for you are [o]robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10 (V)Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be [p]food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not (W)open for you the windows of heaven and (X)pour out for you a blessing until [q](Y)it overflows. 11 Then I will rebuke the (Z)devourer for you, so that it will not [r]destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “(AA)All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a (AB)delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.
13 “Your words have been [s]arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is (AC)vain to serve God; and what (AD)profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 So now we (AE)call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and (AF)escape.’”
The Book of Remembrance
16 Then those who [t]feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord (AG)gave attention and heard it, and a (AH)book of remembrance was written before Him for those who [u]fear the Lord and who esteem His name. 17 “They will be (AI)Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the (AJ)day that I [v]prepare My [w](AK)own possession, and I will [x]spare them as a man [y](AL)spares his own son who serves him.” 18 So you will again (AM)distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
The Empty Tomb
20 (A)Now on the first day of the week (B)Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw (C)the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other (D)disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “(E)They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 (F)So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and (G)stooping and looking in, he *saw the (H)linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and (I)the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the (J)linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who (K)had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet (L)they did not understand the Scripture, (M)that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again (N)to their own homes.
11 (O)But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she (P)stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she *saw (Q)two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they *said to her, “(R)Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because (S)they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and *(T)saw Jesus standing there, and (U)did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus *said to her, “(V)Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him (W)in [a]Hebrew, “(X)Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to (Y)My brethren and say to them, ‘I (Z)ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 (AA)Mary Magdalene *came, (AB)announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
Jesus among His Disciples
19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for (AC)fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “[b](AD)Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, (AE)He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then (AF)rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “(AG)Peace be with you; (AH)as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 (AI)If you forgive the sins of any, their sins [c]have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
24 But (AJ)Thomas, one of (AK)the twelve, called [d](AL)Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in (AM)His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, (AN)I will not believe.”
26 [e]After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been [f]shut, and stood in their midst and said, “(AO)Peace be with you.” 27 Then He *said to Thomas, “(AP)Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? (AQ)Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
Why This Gospel Was Written
30 (AR)Therefore many other [g](AS)signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written (AT)so that you may believe that Jesus is [h]the Christ, (AU)the Son of God; and that (AV)believing you may have life in His name.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.