M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Reign of Jotham

27 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah daughter of Zadok.^{(A) 2} He did what was right in the sight of the Lord just as his father Uzziah had done—only he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people still followed corrupt practices.^{(B) 3} He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord and did extensive building on the wall of Ophel.^{(C) 4} Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah and forts and towers on the wooded hills. ⁵ He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. The Ammonites gave him that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites paid him the same amount in the second and the third years. ⁶ So Jotham strengthened himself because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God.^{(D) 7} Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all his wars and his ways are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.^{(E) 8} He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.^{(F) 9} Jotham slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Ahaz succeeded him.

Reign of Ahaz

28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his ancestor David had done,^{(G) 2} but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made cast images for the Baals,^{(H) 3} and he made offerings in the valley of the son of Hinnom and made his sons pass through fire, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the people of Israel.^{(I) 4} He sacrificed and made offerings on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.^(J)

Aram and Israel Defeat Judah

⁵ Therefore the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Aram, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with great slaughter.^{(K) 6} Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all of them valiant warriors, because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors.^{(L) 7} And Zichri, a mighty warrior of Ephraim, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam the commander of the palace, and Elkanah the next in authority to the king.

Intervention of Oded

⁸ The people of Israel took captive two hundred thousand of their kin: women, sons, and daughters; they also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.^{(M) 9} But a prophet of the Lord was there whose name was Oded; he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven.^{(N) 10} Now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. But what have you except sins against the Lord your God?^{(O) 11} Now hear me, and send back the captives whom you have taken from your kindred, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.”^{(P) 12} Moreover, certain chiefs of the Ephraimites, Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai, stood up against those who were coming from the war ¹³ and said to them, “You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring on us guilt against the Lord in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.” ¹⁴ So the warriors left the captives and the plunder before the officials and all the assembly. ¹⁵ Then those who were mentioned by name got up and took the captives, and with the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them; they clothed them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed them; and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought them to their kindred at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.^(Q)

Assyria Refuses to Help Judah

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz sent to the king^[a] of Assyria for help.^{(R) 17} For the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives. ¹⁸ And the Philistines had made raids on the cities in the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled there.^{(S) 19} For the Lord brought Judah low because of King Ahaz of Israel, for he had behaved without restraint in Judah and had been faithless to the Lord.^{(T) 20} So King Tiglath-pileser^[b] of Assyria came against him and oppressed him instead of strengthening him.^{(U) 21} For Ahaz plundered the house of the Lord and the houses of the king and of the officials and gave tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.

Apostasy and Death of Ahaz

²² In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz. ²³ For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.^{(V) 24} Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God and cut in pieces the utensils of the house of God. He shut up the doors of the house of the Lord and made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.^{(W) 25} In every city of Judah he made high places to make offerings to other gods, provoking to anger the Lord, the God of his ancestors. ²⁶ Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.^{(X) 27} Ahaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah succeeded him.^(Y)

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! And with him were one hundred forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.^{(A) 2} And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,^{(B) 3} and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who have been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from humankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb,^{(C) 5} and in their mouth no lie was found; they are blameless.^(D)

The Messages of the Three Angels

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live^[a] on the earth—to every nation and tribe and language and people.^{(E) 7} He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”^(F)

⁸ Then another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her prostitution.”^(G)

⁹ Then another angel, a third, followed them, crying with a loud voice, “Those who worship the beast and its image and receive the brand on their foreheads or on their hands,^{(H) 10} they will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and they will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.^{(I) 11} And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image and for anyone who receives the brand of its name.”^(J)

¹² Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of^[b] Jesus.^(K)

¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,”^[c] says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”^(L)

Reaping the Earth’s Harvest

¹⁴ Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand!^{(M) 15} Another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to the one who sat on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”^{(N) 16} So the one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he, too, had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Then another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.”^{(O) 19} So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the vintage of the earth, and he threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. ²⁰ And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for a distance of about one thousand six hundred stadia.^(P)

Restoration of Judah and Israel

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

13 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.^{(A) 2} The devil had already decided^[a] that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper^{(B) 3} Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God,^{(C) 4} got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.^{(D) 5} Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”^{(E) 9} Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet,^[b] but is entirely clean. And you^[c] are clean, though not all of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”^(F)

¹² After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am.^{(G) 14} So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.^{(H) 15} For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.^{(I) 16} Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers^[d] greater than the one who sent them.^{(J) 17} If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. ¹⁸ I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread^[e] has lifted his heel against me.’^{(K) 19} I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe that I am he.^{[f](L) 20} Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”^(M)

Jesus Foretells His Betrayal

²¹ After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.”^{(N) 22} The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. ²³ One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close to his heart;^{[g](O) 24} Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵ So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”^{(P) 26} Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”^[h] So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.^{[i](Q) 27} After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.”^{(R) 28} Now no one knew why he said this to him. ²⁹ Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰ So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

The New Commandment

³¹ When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.^{(S) 32} If God has been glorified in him,^[j] God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³ Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’^{(T) 34} I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.^{(U) 35} By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”^(V)

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

³⁶ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”^{(W) 37} Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”^{(X) 38} Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.