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“The Sovereign Lord has given me this words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to His will. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away. ” (vv. 4-5, NLT)

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like stone, determined to do His will. And I know that I will not be put to shame. He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to bring charges against me now? Where are my accusers? Let them appear! See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that been eaten by moths!

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys His servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment.” (vv. 7-11, NLT)

“He (God) said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.’

I replied ‘But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and for no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust in God for my reward.’

And now the Lord speaks – the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be His servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to Him. The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength. He says,’You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’

The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: ‘Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the Lord, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.'” (vv. 3-7, NLT)

“‘I have said it: I am calling Cyrus! From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.’

And now the Sovereign Lord and His Spirit have sent me with this message. This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to My commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore – too many to count! There would have been no need for your destruction, or for cutting off your family name.'” (vv. 15-19, NLT)

“For the Lord is God, and He created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the whole world to be lived in, not be a place of empty chaos. ‘I am the Lord,’ He says, ‘and there is no other. I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak what is true and declare only what is right.

Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save! Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but Me. Let all the world look for Me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by My own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on My word: Every knee will bend to Me and every tongue will confess allegiance to Me.’

The people will declare, ‘The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength.’ And all who were angry with Him will come to Him and be ashamed. In the Lord all the generations of Israel will be justified, and in Him they will boast.” (vv. 18-25, NLT)

“I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know Me, so all the world from east to west will know there is not other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord am the one who does these things.

Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I the Lord created them.” (vv. 5-8, NLT)

“Pay attention, O Jacob, for you are My servant, O Israel. I, the Lord made you, and I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to Me, for I have paid the price to set you free.

Sing, O heavens, for the Lord had done this wondrous thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the earth! Break into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel.

This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer and Creator: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. Who was with Me when I made the earth? I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of the fortune- tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools. But I carry out the predictions of My prophets! By them I say to Jerusalem, ‘People will live here again, and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt; I will restore all your ruins! When I speak to the rivers an say,’Dry up!” they will be dry. When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ;Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say,’Restore the Temple.'” (vv. 21-28, NLT)

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the One who formed you says,’Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, You will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.'” (vv. 1-3, NLT)

“‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather your children from east and west. I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel for the distant corners of the earth. Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for My glory. It was I who created them.’ ‘ ” (vv. 5-7, NLT)

“‘I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witness that I am the only God,’ says the Lord.

‘From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch you out of My hand. No one can undo what I have done.'” (vv. 11-13, NLT)

“I have called you back from the ends of the earth saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (vv. 9-10, NLT)

“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (vv. 26-31, NLT)

Hezekiah’s Poem of Praise

“I waited patiently all night, but I was torn apart as though by lions. Suddenly, my life was over. Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane, and then I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help. I am in trouble Lord. Help me!

But what could I say? For He Himself sent this sickness. No I will walk humbly throughout my years because of this anguish I have felt. Lord, Your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live! Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins. For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise. Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in Your faithfulness. Only the living can praise You as I do today. Each generation tells of Your faithfulness to the next. Think of it-the Lord is ready to heal me! I will sing His praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the Lord.” (vv. 13-20, NLT)