Day 223: Responding Well (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 223 We are reading from Isaiah 66, the final chapter in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. We're also reading Ezekiel 25 and 26, Proverbs 14, verses 1-4. As always, the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. 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 and you can receive daily episodes and updates just like that. It's a piece of cake and it works like clockwork. As I said, it's the final, the conclusion of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah in chapter 66, as well as we're launching into yesterday. Gosh, Ezekiel's wife died, marking the moment of the destruction of this final siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple. Now, in Ezekiel chapter 25 and 26, we're going into some words of prophecy against some of the nations, right? So the nations, not necessarily the people of Jerusalem, we're shifting Ezekiel's gaze, or the Lord's gaze, to prophecies against the Ammonites, against the Moabites, against the Philistines and Edomites and Tyre and Sidon, those kinds of folks. But before that, we are going to jump into the conclusion of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, chapter 66, The Judgment of God.
Thus says the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What is the house which you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the Lord.
But this is the man to whom I look, he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
He who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man, he who sacrifices a lamb like him who breaks a dog's neck. He who presents a cereal offering like him who offers swine's blood. He who makes a memorial offering of frankincense like him who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations. I also will choose affliction for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered. When I spoke, they did not listen. But they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight. Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word, your brethren who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake, have said, Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy. But it is they who shall be put to shame. Listen, and uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, the voice of the Lord rendering recompense to his enemies. Before she was in labor, she gave birth, before her pain came upon her, she was delivered of a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her sons. Shall I bring to birth, and not cause to bring forth, says the Lord? Shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb, says your God?
Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her. Rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her, that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts, that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory.
For thus says the Lord, Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream. And you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip and fondled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you. You shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, your bones shall flourish like the grass. And it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies. For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the storm wind to render his anger and fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord execute judgment, and by his sword upon all flesh. And those slain by the Lord shall be many.