TODAY’S BIBLE READING (ISAIAH 38:1-6, 21-22)

I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRAYER AND SEEN YOUR TEARS.

Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “The Lord says this, ‘Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you will not live.'” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to the Lord, “Ah, Lord, remember, I beg you, how I have behaved faithfully and with sincerity of heart in your presence and done what is right in your eyes.” And Hezekiah shed many tears.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days’ time you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you from the hands of the king of Assyria, I will protect this city.'”

“Bring a fig poultice,” Isaiah said. “Apply it to the ulcer and he will recover.” Hezekiah said, “What is the sign to tell me that I shall be going up to the Temple of the Lord?” “Here” Isaiah replied “is the sign from the Lord that he will do what he has said. Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun go back ten steps on the steps of Ahaz.” And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined.

V. The word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE READING (ISAIAH 7:1-9)

IF YOU DO NOT STAND BY ME, YOU WILL NOT STAND AT ALL.

In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Razon the king of Afam went up against Jerusalem with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to lay siege to it; but he was unable to capture it.

The news was brought to the House of David. “Aram,” they said, “has reached Ephraim.” Then the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees of the forest shudder in front of the wind. The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go with your son Shear-jashub, and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the Fuller’s Field road, and say to him:

‘Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear,
do not let your heart sink
because of these two smouldering stumps of firebrands,
or because Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah
have plotted to ruin you, and have said:
Let us invade Judah and terrorise it
and seize it for ourselves,
and set up a king there,
the son of Tabeel.
The Lord says this:
It shall not come true; it shall not be.
The capital of Aram is Damascus,
the head of Damascus, Razon;
the capital of Ephraim, Samaria,
the head of Samaria, the son of Remaliah.
Six or five years more
and shattered Ephraim shall no longer be a people.
But if you do not stand by me,
you will not stand at all.'”

V. The word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.