UST GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PROV ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL MAT MARK LUKE YHN ACTs ROM 1 COR 2 COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1 TH 2 TH 1 TIM 2 TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1 PET 2 PET 1 YHN 2 YHN 3 YHN YUD REV

ISA C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31 C32 C33 C34 C35 C36 C37 C38 C39 C40 C41 C42 C43 C44 C45 C46 C47 C48 C49 C50 C51 C52 C53 C54 C55 C56 C57 C58 C59 C60 C61 C62 C63 C64 C65 C66

UST ISA Chapter 58

◄ ISA 58 ► ║ ═ ©

58 Yahweh told me, “Shout in a deep voice as loudly as you can!

Make a loud noise as people do with a ram’s horn!

Tell my people, the descendants of Jacob,

how they are sinning against me!

2 They worship me every day.

They say that they want to know what I want them to do.

They act as though they are people who do what is right

and who keep obeying my laws.

They ask me to judge justly,

and they enjoy coming to my temple.

3 They say, ‘We did something difficult by going without food.

So you should have done something for us in response.’

Tell them for me, ‘That is because on days when you go without food,

you still pursue your own interests,

and you treat your workers cruelly to make them work hard for you.

4 Indeed, you go without food as a religious practice,

but at the same time, you also quarrel and argue.

You even punch people wickedly.

When you fast like that, you can not expect me in heaven

to do what you ask me to do.

5 I do not want people to fast the way you do.

When you fast, you go without food.

You bow your heads like reeds.

You lie down on rough cloth and ashes.

But you should not call that fasting

or say that it pleases me, Yahweh.

6 No, this is the kind of fasting that I want:

I want you to stop treating people unjustly and to stop oppressing them.

I want you to restore those whose lives others have destroyed

and to stop everyone from oppressing others.

7 I want you to share your food with hungry people

and bring into your houses poor people who have nowhere else to live.

When you see people who lack clothing,

I want you to provide clothes for them.

Help these people; they are your own kinsmen!

8 If you do those things,

this difficult time will end,

just as night ends at sunrise.

You will rebuild your ruined cities,

just as young plants grow vigorously from the ground.

Your desire to do what is right will guide you,

and I, Yahweh, will protect you with my glorious presence.

9 Then, when you pray to me,

I will do what you ask me to do.

When you cry for help,

I will assure you, “I am here to help you.”

Stop oppressing people.

Stop accusing people falsely,

and stop saying wicked things about people.

10 Give generously to hungry people,

and provide poor people with what they need.

Then this time of difficulties will end.

It will feel like a bright, sunny day

instead of a dark, gloomy one.

11 Yahweh will always guide you.

He will provide what you need, wherever you are.

He will make you healthy,

like plants that have all the water they need.

You will be like a spring

whose waters always keep flowing.

12 Some of you will rebuild the cities that others destroyed long ago.

They will rebuild them on their original foundations.

Others will know you as people who repair their walls

and restore places for people to live in.

13 Treat the Sabbath as a special day.

I have made it holy, so do not do whatever you want on that day.

Be eager to respect the Sabbath.

Honor it because I, Yahweh, have made it holy.

Honor it by not pursuing your own interests,

by not just doing what you enjoy, and by not talking idly.

14 If you do those things,

you will be happy as you serve me, Yahweh.

I will make you very prosperous,

and I will bless you, as I promised to your ancestor Jacob.’ ”

These things will surely happen, because Yahweh has said that they will happen.