Bible Reading Plan – Day 233

“Here is my servant, whom I strengthen —

the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased.

I have filled him with my Spirit,

and he will bring justice to every nation.

₂He will not shout or raise his voice

or make loud speeches in the streets.

₃He will not break off a bent reed

or put out a flickering lamp.

He will bring lasting justice to all.

₄He will not lose hope or courage;

he will establish justice on the earth.

Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching.”

₅God created the heavens and stretched them out;

he fashioned the earth and all that lives there;

he gave life and breath to all its people.

And now the LORD God says to his servant,

₆“I, the LORD, have called you and given you power

to see that justice is done on earth.

Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples;

through you I will bring light to the nations.

₇You will open the eyes of the blind

and set free those who sit in dark prisons.

₈“I alone am the LORD your God.

No other god may share my glory;

I will not let idols share my praise.

₉The things I predicted have now come true.

Now I will tell you of new things

even before they begin to happen.”

₁₀Sing a new song to the LORD;

sing his praise, all the world!

Praise him, you that sail the sea;

praise him, all creatures of the sea!

Sing, distant lands and all who live there!

₁₁Let the desert and its towns praise God;

let the people of Kedar praise him!

Let those who live in the city of Sela

shout for joy from the tops of the mountains!

₁₂Let those who live in distant lands

give praise and glory to the LORD!

₁₃The LORD goes out to fight like a warrior;

he is ready and eager for battle.

He gives a war cry, a battle shout;

he shows his power against his enemies.

“For a long time I kept silent;

I did not answer my people.

But now the time to act has come;

I cry out like a woman in labour.

₁₅I will destroy the hills and mountains

and dry up the grass and trees.

I will turn the river valleys into deserts

and dry up the pools of water.

₁₆“I will lead my blind people

by roads they have never travelled.

I will turn their darkness into light

and make rough country smooth before them.

These are my promises,

and I will keep them without fail.

₁₇All who trust in idols,

who call images their gods,

will be humiliated and disgraced.”

“Listen, you deaf people!

Look closely, you that are blind!

₁₉Is anyone more blind than my servant,

more deaf than the messenger I send?

₂₀Israel, you have seen so much,

but what has it meant to you?

You have ears to hear with,

but what have you really heard?”

₂₁The LORD is a God who is eager to save,

so he exalted his laws and teachings,

and he wanted his people to honour them.

₂₂But now his people have been plundered;

they are locked up in dungeons

and hidden away in prisons.

They were robbed and plundered,

with no one to come to their rescue.

₂₃Will any of you listen to this?

From now on will you listen with care?

₂₄Who gave Israel up to the looters?

It was the LORD himself, against whom we sinned!

We would not live as he wanted us to live

or obey the teachings he gave us.

₂₅So he made us feel the force of his anger

and suffer the violence of war.

Like fire his anger burned throughout Israel,

but we never knew what was happening;

we learnt from it nothing at all.

“Do not be afraid — I will save you.

I have called you by name — you are mine.

₂When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you;

your troubles will not overwhelm you.

When you pass through fire, you will not be burnt;

the hard trials that come will not hurt you.

₃For I am the LORD your God,

the holy God of Israel, who saves you.

I will give up Egypt to set you free;

I will give up Ethiopia and Seba.

₄I will give up whole nations to save your life,

because you are precious to me

and because I love you and give you honour.

₅Do not be afraid — I am with you!

“From the distant east and the farthest west,

I will bring your people home.

₆I will tell the north to let them go

and the south not to hold them back.

Let my people return from distant lands,

from every part of the world.

₇They are my own people,

and I created them to bring me glory.”

“Summon my people to court.

They have eyes, but they are blind;

they have ears, but they are deaf!

₉Summon the nations to come to the trial.

Which of their gods can predict the future?

Which of them foretold what is happening now?

Let these gods bring in their witnesses

to prove that they are right,

to testify to the truth of their words.

₁₀“People of Israel, you are my witnesses;

I chose you to be my servant,

so that you would know me and believe in me

and understand that I am the only God.

Besides me there is no other god;

there never was and never will be.

₁₁“I alone am the LORD,

the only one who can save you.

₁₂I predicted what would happen,

and then I came to your aid.

No foreign god has ever done this;

you are my witnesses.

₁₃I am God and always will be.

No one can escape from my power;

no one can change what I do.”

“To save you, I will send an army against Babylon;

I will break down the city gates,

and the shouts of her people will turn into crying.

₁₅I am the LORD, your holy God.

I created you, Israel, and I am your king.”

₁₆Long ago the LORD made a road through the sea,

a path through the swirling waters.

₁₇He led a mighty army to destruction,

an army of chariots and horses.

Down they fell, never to rise,

snuffed out like the flame of a lamp!

“Do not cling to events of the past

or dwell on what happened long ago.

₁₉Watch for the new thing I am going to do.

It is happening already — you can see it now!

I will make a road through the wilderness

and give you streams of water there.

₂₀Even the wild animals will honour me;

jackals and ostriches will praise me

when I make rivers flow in the desert

to give water to my chosen people.

₂₁They are the people I made for myself,

and they will sing my praises!”

“But you were tired of me, Israel;

you did not worship me.

₂₃You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;

you did not honour me with your sacrifices.

I did not burden you by demanding offerings

or wear you out by asking for incense.

₂₄You didn't buy incense for me

or satisfy me with the fat of your animals.

Instead you burdened me with your sins;

you wore me out with the wrongs you committed.

₂₅And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,

and I do this because of who I am.

I will not hold your sins against you.

₂₆“Let us go to court; bring your accusation!

Present your case to prove you are in the right!

₂₇Your earliest ancestor sinned;

your leaders sinned against me,

₂₈and your rulers profaned my sanctuary.

So I brought destruction on Israel;

I let my own people be insulted.”