Isaiah 58
58
True Fasts and Sabbaths
1“Call with the throat; you must not keep back!
lift up your voice like a trumpet,
and declare#Or “announce” to my people their rebellion,
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2Yet#Or “And” they seek me day by day,
and they desire the knowledge of my ways
like a nation that practiced#Literally “did” righteousness,
and had not forsaken the judgment of its God;
they ask me for righteous judgments,#Literally “judgments of righteousness”
they desire the closeness of God.
3‘Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
We humiliate our soul, and you do not notice it?’
Look! You find delight on the day of your fast,
and you oppress all your workers!
4Look! You fast to quarrel and strife,
and to strike with a wicked fist.#Literally “fist of wickedness”
You shall not fast as you do today,#Literally “the day”
to make your voice heard#Literally “cause to hear your voice” on the height.
5Is the fast I choose like this,
a day for humankind to humiliate himself#Literally “his soul”?
To bow his head like a reed,
and make#Literally “he makes” his bed on sackcloth and ashes;
you call this a fast
and a day of pleasure to Yahweh?
6Is this not the fast I choose: to release the bonds of injustice,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
and to let the oppressed go free,
and tear#Literally “you must tear” every yoke to pieces?
7Is it not to break your bread for the hungry?
You must bring home#Literally “a house” the poor, the homeless.
When you see the naked, you must cover him,
and you must not hide yourself from your relatives.#Literally “flesh”
8Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall grow quickly.
And your salvation shall go before you;
the glory of Yahweh will be your rear guard.
9Then you shall call, and Yahweh himself will answer.
You shall cry for help, and he will say, ‘Here I am!’
If you remove from among you the yoke,
the finger-pointing#Literally “stretching out of the finger” and evil speech,#Literally “the speaking of evil”
10if#Or “and” you offer your soul to the hungry,
and you satisfy the appetite of the afflicted,
then#Or “and” your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your darkness will be like noon.
11And Yahweh will lead you continually, and satisfy your soul in a barren land,
and he will strengthen your bones,
and you shall be like a well-watered garden,
and like a spring of water whose water does not fail.
12And they shall rebuild ancient ruins from you;
you shall erect the foundations of many generations,#Literally “generation and generation”
and you shall be called#Literally “shall be called to you” the bricklayer of the breach,
the restorer of paths to live in.
13If you hold your foot back from the Sabbath,
from doing your affairs on my holy day,#Literally “the day of my holiness”
if#Or “and” you call the Sabbath a pleasure,
the holy day of Yahweh honorable,
if#Literally “and” you honor him more than#Literally “from” doing your ways,
than finding your affairs#Hebrew “affair” and speaking a word,
14then you shall take your pleasure in#Or “on” Yahweh,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth,
and I will feed you the heritage of Jacob your ancestor,#Or “father”
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”
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Isaiah 58: LEB
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Isaiah 58
58
True Fasting
1The LORD says, “Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins! 2They worship me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshipping me.”
3The people ask, “Why should we fast if the LORD never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attention?”
The LORD says to them, “The truth is that at the same time as you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. 4Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? 5When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass, and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that?
6“The kind of fasting I want is this: remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. 7#Mt 25.35Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.
8“Then my favour will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. 9When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.
“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; 10if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. 11And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never runs dry. 12Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”
The Reward for Keeping the Sabbath
13The LORD says, “If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honour it by not travelling, working, or talking idly on that day, 14then you will find the joy that comes from serving me. I will make you honoured all over the world, and you will enjoy the land I gave to your ancestor, Jacob. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.