The Robert Murray M‘Cheyne
Bible Reading Plan
December 26
Family Reading
2 Chronicles 31
Idols Are Destroyed
1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the
cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled
down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as
well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then
all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.
2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their
divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for
burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to
praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.
Reforms Continued
3 He also appointed the king’s portion of his goods for the burnt offerings,
namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings
for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the fixed festivals, as it is
written in the law of the Lord.
4 Also he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due
to the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the law
of the Lord.
5 As soon as the order spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first
fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and
they brought in abundantly the tithe of all.
6 The sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought
in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of sacred gifts which were consecrated
to the Lord their God, and placed them in heaps.
7 In the third month they began to make the heaps, and finished them by the seventh
month.
8 When Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord
and His people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10 Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok said to him, “Since the
contributions began to be brought into the house of the Lord, we have had enough
to eat with plenty left over, for the Lord has blessed His people, and this great
quantity is left over.”
11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the Lord, and
they prepared them.
12 They faithfully brought in the contributions and the tithes and the consecrated
things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them and his brother
Shimei was second.
13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath
and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and Shimei his brother
by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and Azariah was the chief officer of the
house of God.
14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was over
the freewill offerings of God, to apportion the contributions for the Lord and
the most holy things.
15 Under his authority were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah
in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully their portions to their
brothers by divisions, whether great or small,
16 without regard to their genealogical enrollment, to the males from thirty
years old and upward—everyone who entered the house of the Lord for his
daily obligations—for their work in their duties according to their divisions;
17 as well as the priests who were enrolled genealogically according to their
fathers’ households, and the Levites from twenty years old and upwards,
by their duties and their divisions.
18 The genealogical enrollment included all their little children, their wives,
their sons and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they consecrated
themselves faithfully in holiness.
19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests who were in the pasture lands of their
cities, or in each and every city, there were men who were designated by name
to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically
enrolled among the Levites.
20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right and
true before the Lord his God.
21 Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in
commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered.
Revelation 17
The Doom of Babylon
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with
me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great
harlot who sits on many waters,
2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those
who
dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting
on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious
stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of
the unclean things of her immorality,
5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood
of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
7 And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery
of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and
the ten horns.
8 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out
of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name
has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will
wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains
on which the woman sits,
10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet
come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.
11 “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one
of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received
a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
13 “These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to
the beast.
Victory for the Lamb
14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them,
because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are
the called and chosen and faithful.”
15 And he *?said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits,
are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
16 “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the
harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will
burn her up with fire.
17 “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having
a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of
God will be fulfilled.
18 “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings
of the earth.”
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)