Daily Meditation
23 Sing, O ye
heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break
forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the
Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
Today’s Reading
Isaiah
Chapter 44
Thus saith the Lord
that made thee
1 Yet now hear, O
Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 2 thus saith the Lord that
made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O
Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour
water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my
spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: 4 and they shall
spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. 5 One shall say,
I am the Lord’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and
another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the
name of Israel.
6 Thus saith the
Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first,
and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. 7 And who, as I, shall call,
and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient
people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto
them. 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time,
and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea,
there is no God; I know not any.
9 They that make a
graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not
profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may
be ashamed. 10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is
profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the
workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up;
yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12 The smith with
the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and
worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength
faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretcheth out
his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he
marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according
to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down
cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself
among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish
it. 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm
himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and
worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He
burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he
roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am
warm, I have seen the fire: 17 and the residue thereof he maketh a god, even
his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto
it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. 18 They have not known nor
understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their
hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither
is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the
fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted
flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall
I fall down to the stock of a tree? 20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart
hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a
lie in my right hand?
21 Remember these, O
Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my
servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. 22 I have blotted out, as
a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me;
for I have redeemed thee.
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