ISAIAH 44

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Israel the Lord’s Chosen44:1

“But now hear, O Jacob my servant,

Israel whom I have chosen! 2

Thus says the Lord who made you,

who formed you from the womb and will help you:

Fear not, O Jacob my servant,

Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 3

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,

and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,

and my blessing on your descendants. 4

They shall spring up among the grass

like willows by flowing streams. 5

This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’

another will call on the name of Jacob,

and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’

and name himself by the name of Israel.” Besides Me There Is No God6

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel

and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:

“I am the first and I am the last;

besides me there is no god. 7

Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.

Let him declare and set it before me,

since I appointed an ancient people.

Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. 8

Fear not, nor be afraid;

have I not told you from of old and declared it?

And you are my witnesses!

Is there a God besides me?

There is no Rock; I know not any.” The Folly of Idolatry9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.
    12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
    18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” The Lord Redeems Israel21

Remember these things, O Jacob,

and Israel, for you are my servant;

I formed you; you are my servant;

O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. 22

I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud

and your sins like mist;

return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23

Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;

shout, O depths of the earth;

break forth into singing, O mountains,

O forest, and every tree in it!

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,

and will be glorified in Israel.
24

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,

who formed you from the womb:

“I am the Lord, who made all things,

who alone stretched out the heavens,

who spread out the earth by myself, 25

who frustrates the signs of liars

and makes fools of diviners,

who turns wise men back

and makes their knowledge foolish, 26

who confirms the word of his servant

and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’

and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,

and I will raise up their ruins’; 27

who says to the deep, ‘Be dry;

I will dry up your rivers’; 28

who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,

and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;

saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’

and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’”

PSALM 71

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Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent71:1

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame! 2

In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;

incline your ear to me, and save me! 3

Be to me a rock of refuge,

to which I may continually come;

you have given the command to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.
4

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,

from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. 5

For you, O Lord, are my hope,

my trust, O Lord, from my youth. 6

Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;

you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.

My praise is continually of you.
7

I have been as a portent to many,

but you are my strong refuge. 8

My mouth is filled with your praise,

and with your glory all the day. 9

Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

forsake me not when my strength is spent. 10

For my enemies speak concerning me;

those who watch for my life consult together 11

and say, “God has forsaken him;

pursue and seize him,

for there is none to deliver him.”
12

O God, be not far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me! 13

May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;

with scorn and disgrace may they be covered

who seek my hurt. 14

But I will hope continually

and will praise you yet more and more. 15

My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

of your deeds of salvation all the day,

for their number is past my knowledge. 16

With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;

I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.
17

O God, from my youth you have taught me,

and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. 18

So even to old age and gray hairs,

O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might to another generation,

your power to all those to come. 19

Your righteousness, O God,

reaches the high heavens.

You who have done great things,

O God, who is like you? 20

You who have made me see many troubles and calamities

will revive me again;

from the depths of the earth

you will bring me up again. 21

You will increase my greatness

and comfort me again.
22

I will also praise you with the harp

for your faithfulness, O my God;

I will sing praises to you with the lyre,

O Holy One of Israel. 23

My lips will shout for joy,

when I sing praises to you;

my soul also, which you have redeemed. 24

And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,

for they have been put to shame and disappointed

who sought to do me hurt.

PROVERBS 18

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18:1

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;

he breaks out against all sound judgment. 2

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only in expressing his opinion. 3

When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,

and with dishonor comes disgrace. 4

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 5

It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the righteous of justice. 6

A fool’s lips walk into a fight,

and his mouth invites a beating. 7

A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body. 9

Whoever is slack in his work

is a brother to him who destroys. 10

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous man runs into it and is safe. 11

A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

and like a high wall in his imagination. 12

Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,

but humility comes before honor. 13

If one gives an answer before he hears,

it is his folly and shame. 14

A man’s spirit will endure sickness,

but a crushed spirit who can bear? 15

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,

and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16

A man’s gift makes room for him

and brings him before the great. 17

The one who states his case first seems right,

until the other comes and examines him. 18

The lot puts an end to quarrels

and decides between powerful contenders. 19

A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,

and quarreling is like the bars of a castle. 20

From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;

he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. 21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits. 22

He who finds a wife finds a good thing

and obtains favor from the Lord. 23

The poor use entreaties,

but the rich answer roughly. 24

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.