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When you beg the Lord for help,
    he will answer, “Here I am!”

Don't mistreat others
or falsely accuse them
    or say something cruel.
10 Give your food to the hungry
    and care for the homeless.
Then your light will shine
    in the dark;
your darkest hour will be
    like the noonday sun.

11 The Lord will always guide you
and provide good things to eat
    when you are in the desert.
He will make you healthy.
You will be like a garden
    that has plenty of water
or like a stream
    that never runs dry.
12 You will rebuild those houses
    left in ruins for years;
you will be known
as a builder and repairer
    of city walls and streets.

13 But first, you must start
respecting the Sabbath
    as a joyful day of worship.
You must stop doing and saying
whatever you please
    on this special day.
14 Then you will truly enjoy
    knowing the Lord.
He will let you rule
    from the highest mountains
and bless you with the land
of your ancestor Jacob.
    The Lord has spoken!

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Then you will call,(A) and the Lord will answer;(B)
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger(C) and malicious talk,(D)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(E)
then your light(F) will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.(G)
11 The Lord will guide(H) you always;
    he will satisfy your needs(I) in a sun-scorched land(J)
    and will strengthen(K) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(L)
    like a spring(M) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(N)
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;(O)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(P)
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath(Q)
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight(R)
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,(S)
14 then you will find your joy(T) in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights(U) of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance(V) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(W)

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