The grass withers, the flower fades but the Word of our God will stand forever! –Isaiah 40:8
Raise your voice and tell The Good News;
Behold the Lord GOD comes with power! –Cf. Isaiah 40:9-10
I am the Lord and there is no other;
besides Me there is no god.
I arm you, though you do not know Me,
so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is no one besides Me;
I am the Lord and there is no other.
I form light and create darkness;
I make weal and create woe;
I the Lord do all these things.
Shower, O heavens from above
and let the skies rain down righteousness;
Let the earth open, that salvation may spring up
and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also;
I the Lord have created it.
Woe to you who strive with your Maker,
earthen vessels with the potter!
Does the clay say to the one who fashions it,
“What are you making?” or, “Your work has no handles?”
Woe to anyone who says to a father, “What are you begetting?”
Or to a woman, “With what are you in labor?”
Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and its Maker:
Will you question Me about My children or command me concerning the work of My hands?
I made the earth and created humankind upon it;
It was My hands that stretched out the heavens
and I commanded all their host.
I have aroused Cyrus (Note: 200 yrs before Cyrus was born,
Isaiah predicted the king’s reign, mentioning him by name) in righteousness
and I will make his paths straight;
he shall build My city
and set My exiles free,
not for price or reward,
says the Lord of hosts.
Thus says the Lord:
The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia
and the Sabeans, tall of stature
shall come over to you and be yours,
they shall follow you;
They shall come over in chains and bow down to you.
They will make supplication to you saying,
“God is with you alone and there is no other;
there is no god besides Him.”
Truly, You are a God who hides Himself,
O God of Israel, the Savior!
All of them are put to shame and confounded,
the makers of idols go in confusion together
but Israel is saved by the Lord
with everlasting salvation!
You shall not be put to shame or confounded
to all eternity.
For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
He is God,
who formed the earth and made it
(He established it; He did not create chaos,
He formed it to be inhabited!)
I am the Lord and there is no other.
I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
“Seek Me in chaos.”
I the Lord speak the Truth,
I declare what is right.
Idols Cannot Save Babylon
Assemble yourselves and come together,
draw near, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge —
those who carry about their wooden idols
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
Declare and present your case;
Let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
There is no other god besides Me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
There is no one besides Me!
Turn to Me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God and there is no other.
By Myself I have sworn,
from My mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
“To me every knee shall bow
and every tongue shall swear.” (See: Philippians 2:10-11)
Only in the Lord, it shall be said of Me,
are righteousness and strength;
All who were incensed against Him
shall come to Him and be ashamed.
In the Lord all of the offspring of Israel
shall triumph in glory. –Isaiah 45:5-25
Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB
Tweet