M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
King Josiah of Judah(A)
22 Josiah was 8 years old when he began to rule, and he was king for 31 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath. 2 Josiah did what Yahweh considered right. He lived in the ways of his ancestor David and never stopped.
The Book of the Lord’s Teachings Found in the Temple(B)
3 In Josiah’s eighteenth year as king of Judah, he sent the scribe Shaphan, son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, to Yahweh’s temple with these instructions: 4 “Go to the chief priest Hilkiah. Have him count the money that has been brought into Yahweh’s temple, the money that the doorkeepers have collected from the people. 5 Give some of it to the foremen who are in charge of Yahweh’s temple. They should give it to the workmen who are making repairs on Yahweh’s temple. 6 (These workers include the carpenters, builders, and masons.) Also, use the rest of the money to buy lumber and quarried stones to repair the temple. 7 Since the workmen are honest, don’t require them to account for the money you give them.”
8 The chief priest Hilkiah told the scribe Shaphan, “I have found the Book of Moses’ Teachings in Yahweh’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who then read it.
9 The scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported, “We have taken the money donated in the temple and have given it to the workmen who are in charge of Yahweh’s temple.” 10 Then the scribe Shaphan told the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it to the king.
11 When the king heard what the book of the Teachings said, he tore his clothes in distress. 12 Then the king gave an order to the priest Hilkiah, to Ahikam (son of Shaphan), Achbor (son of Micaiah), the scribe Shaphan, and the royal official Asaiah. He said, 13 “On behalf of the people, all of Judah, and me, ask Yahweh about the words in this book that has been found. Yahweh’s fierce anger is directed towards us because our ancestors did not obey the things in this book or do everything written in it.”[a]
14 So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to talk to the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum, son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas. Shallum was in charge of the royal wardrobe. Huldah was living in the Second Part of Jerusalem.
15 She told them, “This is what Yahweh Elohim of Israel says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 ‘This is what Yahweh says: I’m going to bring disaster on this place and on the people living here according to everything written in the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 I will do this because they have abandoned me and sacrificed to other gods in order to make me furious. Therefore, my burning anger directed at this place will never be extinguished.’”
18 Huldah added, “But tell Judah’s king who sent you to me to ask Yahweh a question, ‘This is what Yahweh Elohim of Israel says about the words you heard: 19 You had a change of heart and humbled yourself in front of Yahweh when you heard my words against this place and those who live here. I had said that those who live here will be destroyed and cursed. You also tore your clothes in distress and cried in front of me. So I will listen to you, declares Yahweh. 20 That is why I’m going to bring you to your ancestors. I’m going to bring you to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see any of the disaster I’m going to bring on this place.’”
So they reported this to the king.
We Will Enter God’s Place of Rest
4 God’s promise that we may enter his place of rest still stands. We are afraid that some of you think you won’t enter his place of rest. 2 We have heard the same Good News that your ancestors heard. But the message didn’t help those who heard it in the past because they didn’t believe.
3 We who believe are entering that place of rest. As God said, “So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of rest.” God said this even though he had finished his work when he created the world. 4 Somewhere in Scripture God has said this about the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.”
5 God also said in the same passage, “They will never enter my place of rest.” 6 However, some people enter that place of rest. Those who heard the Good News in the past did not enter God’s place of rest because they did not obey God. 7 So God set another day. That day is today. Many years after your ancestors failed to enter that place of rest God spoke about it through David in the passage already quoted: “If you hear God speak today, don’t be stubborn.” 8 If Joshua had given the people rest, God would not have spoken about another day. 9 Therefore, a time of rest and worship exists for God’s people. 10 Those who entered his place of rest also rested from their work as God did from his.
11 So we must make every effort to enter that place of rest. Then no one will be lost by following the example of those who refused to obey.
12 God’s word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God’s word judges a person’s thoughts and intentions. 13 No creature can hide from God. Everything is uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him.
Christ Is Superior to Other Chief Priests
14 We need to hold on to our declaration of faith: We have a superior chief priest who has gone through the heavens. That person is Yeshua, the Son of God. 15 We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn’t sin. 16 So we can go confidently to the throne of God’s kindness[a] to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time.
The Prophet Joel
1 This is what Yahweh said to Joel, son of Pethuel.
Judah Is Plagued with Locusts and Famine
2 Listen to this, you leaders!
Open your ears, all inhabitants of this land!
Nothing like this has ever happened in your lifetime
or in your ancestors’ lifetime.
3 Tell your children about it.
Have your children tell their children.
Have your grandchildren tell their children.
4 What young locusts leave, mature locusts will eat.
What mature locusts leave, adult locusts will eat.
What adult locusts leave, grasshoppers will eat.
5 Wake up and cry, you drunks!
Cry loudly, you wine drinkers!
New wine has been taken away from you.
6 A strong nation attacked my land.
It has too many soldiers to count.
They have teeth like lions.
They have fangs like grown lions.
7 They destroyed my grapevines.
They ruined my fig trees.
They stripped off what they could eat,
threw the rest away,
and left the branches bare.
8 Cry loudly like a young woman who is dressed in sackcloth,
mourning for the man she was going to marry.
9 Grain offerings and wine offerings
are no longer brought to Yahweh’s temple.
The priests, Yahweh’s servants, mourn.
10 Israel’s fields are ruined, and the ground is dried up.
The grain has been destroyed.
The new wine has dried up.
The olive oil has run out.
11 Be sad, you farmers!
Cry loudly, you grape growers!
Mourn for the wheat and the barley.
The harvest is destroyed in the field.
12 The grapevines are dried up.
The fig trees are withered.
The pomegranate, palm, and apricot trees,
as well as all the trees in the orchards, have died.
Yes, the joy of these people has died too.
13 Put on your sackcloth and mourn, you priests.
Cry loudly, you servants of the altar.
Spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my Elohim.
Grain offerings and wine offerings
are withheld from your Elohim’s temple.
14 Schedule a time to fast!
Call for an assembly!
Gather the leaders and everyone who lives in the land.
Bring them to the temple of Yahweh your Elohim,
and cry to Yahweh for help.
15 This will be a terrible day!
The day of Yahweh is near,
and it will come like destruction from Shadday.
16 Food disappears right before our eyes.
Happiness and rejoicing disappear from our Elohim’s temple.
17 Seeds shrivel up in their shells.[a]
Storehouses are destroyed.
Barns are ruined.
The grain has dried up.
18 The animals groan.
Herds of cattle wander around confused.
There’s no pasture for them.
Even flocks of sheep are suffering.
19 O Yahweh, I cry to you for help!
Fire has burned up the open pastures.
Flames have burned up all the trees in the orchards.
20 Even wild animals long for you.
Streams run dry.
Fire has burned up the open pastures.
Psalm 140
For the choir leader; a psalm by David.
1 Rescue me from evil people, O Yahweh.
Keep me safe from violent people.
2 They plan evil things in their hearts.
They start fights every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as a snake’s fang.
Their lips hide the venom of poisonous snakes. Selah
4 Protect me from the hands of wicked people, O Yahweh.
Keep me safe from violent people.
They try to trip me.
5 Arrogant people have laid a trap for me.
They have spread out a net with ropes.
They have set traps for me along the road. Selah
6 I said to Yahweh, “You are my El.”
O Yahweh, open your ears to hear my plea for pity.
7 O Yahweh Adonay, the strong one who saves me,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 O Yahweh, do not give wicked people what they want.
Do not let their evil plans succeed,
or they will become arrogant. Selah
9 Let the heads of those who surround me
be covered with their own threats.
10 Let burning coals fall on them.
Let them be thrown into a pit, never to rise again.
11 Do not let slanderers prosper on earth.
Let evil hunt down violent people with one blow after another.
12 I know that Yahweh will defend the rights of those who are oppressed
and the cause of those who are needy.
13 Indeed, righteous people will give thanks to your name.
Decent people will live in your presence.
Psalm 141
A psalm by David.
1 O Yahweh, I cry out to you, “Come quickly.”
Open your ears to me when I cry out to you.
2 Let my prayer be accepted
as sweet-smelling incense in your presence.
Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted
as an evening sacrifice.
3 O Yahweh, set a guard at my mouth.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let me be persuaded to do anything evil
or to become involved with wickedness,
with people who are troublemakers.
Do not let me taste their delicacies.
5 A righteous person may strike me or correct me out of kindness.
It is like lotion for my head.
My head will not refuse it,
because my prayer is directed against evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown off a cliff,
they will listen to what I have to say.
It will sound pleasant to them.
7 As someone plows and breaks up the ground,
so our bones will be planted at the mouth of the grave.[a]
8 My eyes look to you, Yahweh Adonay.
I have taken refuge in you.
Do not leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me away from the trap they set for me
and from the traps set by troublemakers.
10 Let wicked people fall into their own nets,
while I escape unharmed.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.