Isaiah 58

1 "Cry aloud, do not spare, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and declare to my people their disobedience, and to the house of Jacob their sins.

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 seek me daily, and delight to know my ways: as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.

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 'Why have we fasted,' say they, 'and you do not see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and you take no knowledge?' "Look, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exact all your labors.

“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 Look, you fast for strife and contention, and to strike with the fist of wickedness: you do not fast this day so as to make your voice to be heard on high.

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 such the fast that I have chosen? the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and 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 "Isn't this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every 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 Isn't it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own 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 your light shall break forth as the morning, and your healing shall spring forth speedily; and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

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 you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly;

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 and if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then your light shall rise in darkness, and your obscurity be as the noonday;

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 will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make strong your bones; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

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 Those who shall be of you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths 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 you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy of the LORD honorable; and shall honor it, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words:

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 you shall delight yourself in the LORD; and I will make you to ride on the high places of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father:" for the mouth of the LORD has 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.