Daily Reading for Tuesday, August 20th, 2024

Reading 1, Ezekiel 28:1-10

¹ The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

² 'Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, "The Lord Yahweh says this: Because your heart has grown proud, you thought: I am a god; I am divinely enthroned far out to sea. Though you are human, not divine, you have allowed yourself to think like God.

³ So, you are wiser than Danel; no sage as wise as you!

⁴ By your wisdom and your intelligence you have made yourself a fortune, you have put gold and silver into your treasuries.

⁵ Such is your skill in trading, your fortune has continued to increase, and your fortune has made your heart grow prouder.

⁶ "And so, the Lord Yahweh says this: Since you have allowed yourself to think like God,

⁷ very well, I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most barbarous of the nations. They will draw sword against your fine wisdom, they will desecrate your splendour,

⁸ they will throw you down into the grave and you will die a violent death far out to sea.

⁹ Will you still think: I am a god, when your slaughterers confront you? But you will be human, not divine, in the clutches of the ones who strike you down!

¹⁰ You will die like the uncircumcised at the hand of foreigners. "For I have spoken -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '

Responsorial Psalm, Deuteronomy 32:26-27, 27-28, 30, 35-36

²⁶ I should crush them to dust, I said, I should wipe out all memory of them,

²⁷ did I not fear the boasting of the enemy.' But do not let their foes be mistaken! Do not let them say, 'We have got the upper hand and Yahweh plays no part in this.'

²⁸ What a short-sighted nation this is, how thoroughly imperceptive!

³⁰ How else could one man rout a thousand, how could two put ten thousand to flight, were it not that their Rock has sold them, that Yahweh has delivered them up?

³⁵ Vengeance is mine, I will pay them back, for the time when they make a false step. For the day of their ruin is close, doom is rushing towards them, for he will see to it that their power fails. that neither serf nor free man remains.

³⁶ (For Yahweh will see his people righted, he will take pity on his servants.)

Light Your Virtual Prayer Candle For a Loved One