Wednesday of the third week of Advent

That they may know who are from the rising of the sun, and they who are from the west, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is none else: ⁷I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord that do all these things. ⁸Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour: and let justice spring up together: I the Lord have created him. ¹⁸For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God himself that formed the earth, and made it, the very maker thereof: he did not create it in vain: he formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is no other. ²¹Tell ye, and come, and consult together: who hath declared this from the beginning, who hath foretold this from that time? Have not I the Lord, and there is no God else besides me? A just God and a saviour, there is none besides me. ²²Be converted to me, and you shall be saved, all ye ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is no other. ²³I have sworn by myself, the word of justice shall go out of my mouth, and shall not return: ²⁴For every knee shall be bowed to me, and every tongue shall swear. ²⁵Therefore shall he say: In the Lord are my justices and empire: they shall come to him, and all that resist him shall be confounded.

⁹I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me: for he will speak peace unto his people: And unto his saints: and unto them that are converted to the heart. ¹⁰Surely his salvation is near to them that fear him: that glory may dwell in our land. ¹¹Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and peace have kissed. ¹²Truth is sprung out of the earth: and justice hath looked down from heaven. ¹³For the Lord will give goodness: and our earth shall yield her fruit. ¹⁴Justice shall walk before him: and shall set his steps in the way.

℟ Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just.

And John’s disciples told him of all these things. ¹⁹And John called to him two of his disciples, and sent them to Jesus, saying: Art thou he that art to come; or look we for another? ²⁰And when the men were come unto him, they said: John the Baptist hath sent us to thee, saying: Art thou he that art to come; or look we for another? ²¹(And in that same hour, he cured many of their diseases, and hurts, and evil spirits: and to many that were blind he gave sight.) ²²And answering, he said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, to the poor the gospel is preached: ²³And blessed is he whosoever shall not be scandalized in me.