Day 219: Separation from God (2026)

**Fr. Mike Schmitz** (0:04)
Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to The Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 219 We are reading from Isaiah chapter 59 and 60, Ezekiel chapter 19, and Proverbs chapter 13, verses 9 through 12
Including today, we only have five days left with Isaiah. We're coming to the end of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. It's been such an incredible opportunity to be able to journey through the Book of Woes and the Book of Constellation. So good. But the Bible translation I'm reading from is the revised, segue here, the revised standard version, Second Catholic Vision. I'm using The Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on Subscribe and you will receive daily episodes and not have to track down those pesky episodes that aren't in your queue because you neglected to subscribe. As I said, today is Day 219 and we are reading Isaiah 59 and 60, Ezekiel 19 without the two in front of it and Proverbs 3, 13, Chapter 13, Verses 9 through 12
The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 59, Injustice and Oppression to be Punished.
Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness. No one enters suit justly, no one goes to law honestly. They rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. They hatch adder's eggs, they weave the spider's web. He who eats their eggs dies, and from one which is crushed a viper is hatched. Their webs will not serve as clothing, men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they know not, and there is no justice in their paths. They have made their roads crooked. No one who goes in them knows peace. Therefore, justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us. We look for light and behold darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
We grope for the wall like the blind. We grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at noon as in the twilight. Among those in full vigor, we are like dead men.
We all growl like bears. We moan and moan like doves. We look for justice, but there is none. For salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities. Transgressing and denying the Lord, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off. For truth has fallen in the public swears, and uprightness cannot enter.
Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intervene.
Then his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head. He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in fury as a mantle. According to their deeds, so will he repay. Wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies. To the islands he will render repayment. So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. For he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives.
And he will come to Zion as redeemer, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, says the Lord. And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. My spirit which is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your children, or out of the mouth of your children's children, says the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore.