July 16, 2004. Tuesday of the fifth week in ordinary time.

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham,

son of Uzziah, reason, king of Aram, and Pekha, king of Israel, son of Ramalaya, went up to attack Jerusalem,

but they were not able to conquer it.

When word came to the house of David that Aram was encamped in Ephraim, the heart of the king

and the heart of the people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son, Shir, Jasub, at the end of the

conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the Fuller's field, and say to him,

Take care, you remain tranquil and do not fear. Let not your courage fail before these two

stumps of smoldering brands, the blazing anger of reason and the Aramaans, and of the son,

Ramalia, because of the mischief that Aram, Ephraim,

and the son of Ramalia plots against you, saying, let us go up and tear Judah asunder,

make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabil, king there.

Thus says the Lord, this shall not stand.

It shall not be.

Damascus is a capital of Aram, and Reason is the head of Damascus.

Samaria is the capital of Ephraim, and Ramalaya's son, the head of Samaria.

But within 60 years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.

Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm.

The word of the Lord.

The Responsorial Psalm. The Responsorial Psalm.

The response is,

...