Bible Reading Plan

⁵ This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,^(p) who stretches them out,
     who spreads out the earth^(q) with all that springs from it,^(r)
     who gives breath^(s) to its people,
     and life to those who walk on it:
⁶ "I, the Lord , have called^(t) you in righteousness;^(u)
     I will take hold of your hand.^(v)
I will keep^(w) you and will make you
     to be a covenant^(x) for the people
     and a light^(y) for the Gentiles,^(z)
7 to open eyes that are blind,^(aa)
     to free^(ab) captives from prison^(ac)
     and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.^(ad)

⁸ "I am the Lord ;^(ae) that is my name!^(af)
     I will not yield my glory to another^(ag)
     or my praise to idols.^(ah)
9 See, the former things^(ai) have taken place,
     and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
     I announce^(aj) them to you."

¹⁴ "For a long time I have kept silent,^(bc)
     I have been quiet and held myself back.^(bd)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
     I cry out, I gasp and pant.^(be)
15 I will lay waste^(bf) the mountains^(bg) and hills
     and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
     and dry up^(bh) the pools.
¹⁶ I will lead^(bi) the blind^(bj) by ways they have not known,
     along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light^(bk) before them
     and make the rough places smooth.^(bl)
These are the things I will do;
     I will not forsake^(bm) them.
¹⁷ But those who trust in idols,
     who say to images, ‘You are our gods,'^(bn)
     will be turned back in utter shame.^(bo)

²³ Which of you will listen to this
     or pay close attention^(cb) in time to come?
²⁴ Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
     and Israel to the plunderers?^(cc)
Was it not the Lord ,^(cd)
     against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow^(ce) his ways;
     they did not obey his law.^(cf)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,^(cg)
     the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,^(ch) yet they did not understand;^(ci)
     it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.^(cj)

⁸ Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,^(af)
     who have ears but are deaf.^(ag)
9 All the nations gather together^(ah)
     and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold^(ai) this
     and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
     so that others may hear and say, "It is true."
¹⁰ "You are my witnesses,^(aj)" declares the Lord ,
     "and my servant^(ak) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know^(al) and believe me
     and understand that I am he.
Before me no god^(am) was formed,
     nor will there be one after me.^(an)
11 I, even I, am the Lord ,^(ao)
     and apart from me there is no savior.^(ap)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
     I, and not some foreign god^(aq) among you.
You are my witnesses,^(ar)" declares the Lord , "that I am God.
¹³       Yes, and from ancient days^(as) I am he.^(at)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
     When I act, who can reverse it?"^(au)

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says—
     he who made a way through the sea,
     a path through the mighty waters,^(bc)
17 who drew out^(bd) the chariots and horses,^(be)
     the army and reinforcements together,^(bf)
and they lay^(bg) there, never to rise again,
     extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:^(bh)
18 "Forget the former things;^(bi)
     do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!^(bj)
     Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness^(bk)
     and streams in the wasteland.^(bl)
20 The wild animals^(bm) honor me,
     the jackals^(bn) and the owls,
because I provide water^(bo) in the wilderness
     and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
²¹       the people I formed^(bp) for myself^(bq)
     that they may proclaim my praise.^(br)

²² "Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
     you have not wearied^(bs) yourselves for^[c] me, Israel.^(bt)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,^(bu)
     nor honored^(bv) me with your sacrifices.^(bw)
I have not burdened^(bx) you with grain offerings
     nor wearied you with demands^(by) for incense.^(bz)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus^(ca) for me,
     or lavished on me the fat^(cb) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
     and wearied^(cc) me with your offenses.^(cd)

²⁵ "I, even I, am he who blots out
     your transgressions,^(ce) for my own sake,^(cf)
     and remembers your sins^(cg) no more.^(ch)
26 Review the past for me,
     let us argue the matter together;^(ci)
     state the case^(cj) for your innocence.
²⁷ Your first father^(ck) sinned;
     those I sent to teach^(cl) you rebelled^(cm) against me.
²⁸ So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
     I consigned Jacob to destruction^[d](cn)
     and Israel to scorn.^(co)

⁹ All who make idols^(ac) are nothing,
     and the things they treasure are worthless.^(ad)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;^(ae)
     they are ignorant, to their own shame.^(af)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,^(ag)
     which can profit nothing?^(ah)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;^(ai)
     such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
     they will be brought down to terror and shame.^(aj)

¹² The blacksmith^(ak) takes a tool
     and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
     he forges it with the might of his arm.^(al)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
     he drinks no water and grows faint.^(am)
13 The carpenter^(an) measures with a line
     and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
     and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,^(ao)
     human form in all its glory,
     that it may dwell in a shrine.^(ap)
14 He cut down cedars,
     or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
     or planted a pine,^(aq) and the rain made it grow.
¹⁵ It is used as fuel^(ar) for burning;
     some of it he takes and warms himself,
     he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships^(as) it;
     he makes an idol and bows^(at) down to it.
¹⁶ Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
     over it he prepares his meal,
     he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
     "Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.^(au)"
¹⁷ From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
     he bows down to it and worships.^(av)
He prays^(aw) to it and says,
     "Save^(ax) me! You are my god!"
¹⁸ They know nothing, they understand^(ay) nothing;
     their eyes^(az) are plastered over so they cannot see,
     and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
¹⁹ No one stops to think,
     no one has the knowledge or understanding^(ba) to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;^(bb)
     I even baked bread over its coals,
     I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable^(bc) thing from what is left?
     Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"^(bd)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;^(be) a deluded^(bf) heart misleads him;
     he cannot save himself, or say,
     "Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?^(bg)"

²¹ "Remember^(bh) these things, Jacob,
     for you, Israel, are my servant.^(bi)
I have made you, you are my servant;^(bj)
     Israel, I will not forget you.^(bk)
22 I have swept away^(bl) your offenses like a cloud,
     your sins like the morning mist.
Return^(bm) to me,
     for I have redeemed^(bn) you."

²³ Sing for joy,^(bo) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
     shout aloud, you earth^(bp) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,^(bq)
     you forests and all your trees,^(br)
for the Lord has redeemed^(bs) Jacob,
     he displays his glory^(bt) in Israel.

I am the Lord ,
     the Maker of all things,
     who stretches out the heavens,^(bx)
     who spreads out the earth^(by) by myself,
²⁵ who foils^(bz) the signs of false prophets
     and makes fools of diviners,^(ca)
who overthrows the learning of the wise^(cb)
     and turns it into nonsense,^(cc)
26 who carries out the words^(cd) of his servants
     and fulfills^(ce) the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,^(cf) ‘It shall be inhabited,'
     of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,'
     and of their ruins,^(cg) ‘I will restore them,'^(ch)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
     and I will dry up^(ci) your streams,'
²⁸ who says of Cyrus,^(cj) ‘He is my shepherd
     and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,^(ck) "Let it be rebuilt,"
     and of the temple,^(cl) "Let its foundations^(cm) be laid."'