A reading from the Book of Isaiah the Prophet,
may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
(43:16-44:1-6)
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the
sea And a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and
horse, The army and the power.
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished,
they are quenched like a wick): "Do not remember the former things, Nor
consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall
spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the
wilderness And rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And
rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I
have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. "But you have not
called upon Me, O Jacob; And you have been weary of Me, O Israel. You have
not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not caused you to serve
with grain offerings, Nor wearied you with incense. You have bought Me no
sweet cane with money, Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your
sacrifices; But you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me
with your iniquities. "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions
for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.
Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you
may be acquitted. Your first father sinned, And your mediators have
transgressed against Me. Therefore I will profane the princes of the
sanctuary; I will give Jacob to the curse, And Israel to reproaches. "Yet
hear now, O Jacob My servant, And Israel whom I have chosen.
Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help
you: 'Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I
will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;
They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.'
One will say, 'I am the Lord's'; Another will call himself by the name of
Jacob; Another will write with his hand, 'The Lord's,' And name himself by
the name of Israel. "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.
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God
forever and ever. Amen. |
من سفر أشعياء النبي بركته تكون مع جميعنا أمين.
هكَذَا يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الْجَاعِلُ فِي
الْبَحْرِ طَرِيقًا وَفِي الْمِيَاهِ الْقَوِيَّةِ مَسْلَكًا. الْمُخْرِجُ
الْمَرْكَبَةَ وَالْفَرَسَ، الْجَيْشَ وَالْعِزَّ.
يَضْطَجِعُونَ مَعًا لاَ يَقُومُونَ. قَدْ خَمِدُوا. كَفَتِيلَةٍ انْطَفَأُوا.
«لاَ تَذْكُرُوا الأَوَّلِيَّاتِ، وَالْقَدِيمَاتُ لاَ تَتَأَمَّلُوا بِهَا.
هأَنَذَا صَانِعٌ أَمْرًا جَدِيدًا. الآنَ يَنْبُتُ. أَلاَ تَعْرِفُونَهُ؟
أَجْعَلُ فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ طَرِيقًا، فِي الْقَفْرِ أَنْهَارًا. يُمَجِّدُنِي
حَيَوَانُ الصَّحْرَاءِ،
الذِّئَابُ وَبَنَاتُ النَّعَامِ، لأَنِّي جَعَلْتُ فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ مَاءً،
أَنْهَارًا فِي الْقَفْرِ، لأَسْقِيَ شَعْبِي مُخْتَارِي. هذَا الشَّعْبُ
جَبَلْتُهُ لِنَفْسِي. يُحَدِّثُ بِتَسْبِيحِي. «وَأَنْتَ لَمْ تَدْعُنِي يَا
يَعْقُوبُ، حَتَّى تَتْعَبَ مِنْ أَجْلِي يَا إِسْرَائِيلُ. لَمْ تُحْضِرْ لِي
شَاةَ مُحْرَقَتِكَ،
وَبِذَبَائِحِكَ لَمْ تُكْرِمْنِي. لَمْ أَسْتَخْدِمْكَ بِتَقْدِمَةٍ وَلاَ
أَتْعَبْتُكَ بِلُبَانٍ. لَمْ تَشْتَرِ لِي بِفِضَّةٍ قَصَبًا، وَبِشَحْمِ
ذَبَائِحِكَ لَمْ تُرْوِنِي. لكِنِ اسْتَخْدَمْتَنِي بِخَطَايَاكَ
وَأَتْعَبْتَنِي بِآثَامِكَ. أَنَا أَنَا هُوَ الْمَاحِي ذُنُوبَكَ لأَجْلِ
نَفْسِي، وَخَطَايَاكَ لاَ أَذْكُرُهَا».
«ذَكِّرْنِي فَنَتَحَاكَمَ مَعًا. حَدِّثْ لِكَيْ تَتَبَرَّرَ. أَبُوكَ
الأَوَّلُ أَخْطَأَ، وَوُسَطَاؤُكَ عَصَوْا عَلَيَّ. فَدَنَّسْتُ رُؤَسَاءَ
الْقُدْسِ، وَدَفَعْتُ يَعْقُوبَ إِلَى اللَّعْنِ، وَإِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَى
الشَّتَائِمِ. «وَالآنَ اسْمَعْ يَا يَعْقُوبُ عَبْدِي، وَإِسْرَائِيلُ الَّذِي
اخْتَرْتُهُ.
هكَذَا يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ صَانِعُكَ وَجَابِلُكَ مِنَ الرَّحِمِ، مُعِينُكَ: لاَ
تَخَفْ يَا عَبْدِي يَعْقُوبُ، وَيَا يَشُورُونُ الَّذِي اخْتَرْتُهُ. لأَنِّي
أَسْكُبُ مَاءً عَلَى الْعَطْشَانِ، وَسُيُولاً عَلَى الْيَابِسَةِ. أَسْكُبُ
رُوحِي عَلَى نَسْلِكَ وَبَرَكَتِي عَلَى ذُرِّيَّتِكَ. فَيَنْبُتُونَ بَيْنَ
الْعُشْبِ مِثْلَ الصَّفْصَافِ عَلَى مَجَارِي الْمِيَاهِ.
هذَا يَقُولُ: أَنَا لِلرَّبِّ، وَهذَا يُكَنِّي بِاسْمِ يَعْقُوبَ، وَهذَا
يَكْتُبُ بِيَدِهِ: لِلرَّبِّ، وَبِاسْمِ إِسْرَائِيلَ يُلَقِّبُ». هكَذَا
يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَفَادِيهِ، رَبُّ الْجُنُودِ: «أَنَا
الأَوَّلُ وَأَنَا الآخِرُ، وَلاَ إِلهَ غَيْرِي.
مجداً للثالوث الأقدس إلهنا إلي الأبد. |
