Formation Journal Reading Plan

22:1 The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place; for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

22:2 Forty-two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.

22:3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.

22:4 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

22:5 He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram.

22:6 He returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

22:7 Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went to Joram: for when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

22:8 It happened, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and killed them.

22:9 He sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria), and they brought him to Jehu, and killed him; and they buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart.” The house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.

22:10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah.

22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she didn’t kill him.

22:12 He was with them hidden in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

23:1 In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.

23:2 They went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

23:3 All the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. He said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the sons of David.

23:4 This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you, who come in on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds.

23:5 A third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of Yahweh’s house.

23:6 But let no one come into the house of Yahweh, except the priests, and those who minister of the Levites. They shall come in, for they are holy, but all the people shall follow Yahweh’s instructions.

23:7 The Levites shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. Whoever comes into the house, let him be slain. Be with the king when he comes in, and when he goes out.”

23:8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those who were to come in on the Sabbath; with those who were to go out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest didn’t dismiss the shift.

23:9 Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David’s, which were in the house of God.

23:10 He set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, around the king.

23:11 Then they brought out the king’s son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him; and they said, “Long live the king!”

23:12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of Yahweh:

23:13 and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets; the singers also played musical instruments, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and said, “Treason! treason!”

23:14 Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her, let him be slain with the sword.” For the priest said, “Don’t kill her in the Yahweh’s house.”

23:15 So they made way for her. She went to the entrance of the horse gate to the king’s house; and they killed her there.

23:16 Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be Yahweh’s people.

23:17 All the people went to the house of Baal, and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

23:18 Jehoiada appointed the officers of the house of Yahweh under the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of Yahweh, to offer the burnt offerings of Yahweh, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David.

23:19 He set the porters at the gates of the house of Yahweh, that no one who was unclean in anything should enter in.

23:20 He took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of Yahweh: and they came through the upper gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.

23:21 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. Athaliah they had slain with the sword.

22:1 For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

22:2 My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent.

22:3 But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel.

22:4 Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them.

22:5 They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.

22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.

22:7 All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,

22:8 “He trusts in Yahweh; let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”

22:9 But you brought me out of the womb. You made me trust at my mother’s breasts.

22:10 I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me.

22:11 Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is none to help.

22:12 Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

22:13 They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.

22:14 I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.

22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.

22:16 For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.

22:17 I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me.

22:18 They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.

23:1 Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.”

23:2 The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?”

23:4 Those who stood by said, “Do you malign God’s high priest?”

23:5 Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

23:7 When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.

23:9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”

23:10 When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

23:11 The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome.”

23:12 When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

23:13 There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.

23:14 They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

23:15 Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

23:16 But Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.

23:17 Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him.”

23:18 So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you.”

23:19 The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”

23:20 He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.

23:21 Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.”

23:22 So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”