< Isaiah 58 >
1 Crye aloude, spare not: lift vp thy voyce like a trumpet, and shewe my people their transgression, and to the house of Iaakob, their sinnes.
Cry with a full throat, spare not, like the cornet lift up thy voice, and declare unto my people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seeke me dayly, and will knowe my wayes, euen as a nation that did righteously, and had not forsaken the statutes of their God: they aske of me the ordinances of iustice: they wil drawe neere vnto God, saying,
Yet me do they ever seek day by day, and to know my ways do they always desire; as a nation that hath done righteousness, and hath not forsaken the ordinance of their God: continually do they ask of me the ordinances of justice—do they desire to draw nigh unto God.
3 Wherefore haue we fasted, and thou seest it not? we haue punished our selues, and thou regardest it not. Beholde, in the day of your fast you will seeke your will, and require all your dettes.
“Wherefore have we fasted, and thou seest it not? have we afflicted our soul, and thou regardest it not?” Behold, on the day of your fasting ye follow your business, and all your acquired gains do ye exact.
4 Beholde, ye fast to strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickednesse: ye shall not fast as ye doe to day, to make your voyce to be heard aboue.
Behold, for contention and strife do ye fast, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye fast not so at this day, to cause your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I haue chosen, that a man should afflict his soule for a day, and to bowe downe his head, as a bull rush, and to lie downe in sackecloth and ashes? wilt thou call this a fasting, or an acceptable day to the Lord?
Is such then the fast which I can choose? a day that a man afflicteth his soul? to bend his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes for his couch? wilt thou call this a fast, and a day of acceptability unto the Lord?
6 Is not this the fasting, that I haue chosen, to loose the bandes of wickednes, to take off the heauie burdens, and to let the oppressed goe free, and that ye breake euery yoke?
Is not this [rather] the fast that I will choose? to open the snares of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye should break asunder every yoke?
7 Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poore that wander, vnto thine house? when thou seest the naked, that thou couer him, and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh?
Is it not to distribute thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the afflicted poor into thy house! when thou seest the naked, that thou clothe him; and that thou hide not thyself from thy own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light breake foorth as the morning, and thine health shall grow speedily: thy righteousnes shall goe before thee, and the glorie of the Lord shall embrace thee.
Then shall break forth as the morning-dawn thy light, and thy healing shall speedily spring forth; and before thee shall go thy righteousness, the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answere: thou shalt cry and hee shall say, Here I am: if thou take away from the mids of thee the yoke, the putting foorth of the finger, and wicked speaking:
Then shalt thou call, and the Lord will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here am I. If thou remove from the midst of thee the yoke, the stretching out of the finger, and speaking wickedly;
10 If thou powre out thy soule to the hungrie, and refresh the troubled soule: then shall thy light spring out in the darkenes, and thy darkenes shalbe as the noone day.
And if thou pour out to the hungry thy soul, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall shine forth in the darkness thy light, and thy obscurity be as the noonday;
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfie thy soule in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watred garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters faile not.
And the Lord will guide thee continually, and will satisfy thy soul in times of famine, and will strengthen thy bones; and thou shalt be like a well-watered garden, and like a spring of water, the waters of which will never deceive.
12 And they shalbe of thee, that shall builde the olde waste places: thou shalt rayse vp the foundations for many generations, and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach and the restorer of the pathes to dwell in.
And they that spring from thee shall build up the ancient ruins; the foundations of many generations shalt thou raise up again: and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breaches, The restorer of paths to the dwelling-place.
13 If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath, from doing thy will on mine holy day, and call the Sabbath a delite, to consecrate it, as glorious to the Lord, and shalt honour him, not doing thine owne wayes, nor seeking thine owne will, nor speaking a vaine word,
If thou restrain thy foot for the sake of the sabbath, not doing thy business on my holy day; and if thou call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord, honorable; and honor it by not doing thy usual pursuits, by not following thy own business, and speaking [vain] words:
14 Then shalt thou delite in the Lord, and I wil cause thee to mount vpon the hie places of the earth, and feede thee with the heritage of Iaakob thy father: for the mouth of ye Lord hath spoken it.
Then shalt thou find delight in the Lord; and I will cause thee to tread upon the high places of the earth, and I will cause thee to enjoy the inheritance of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.