Isaiah 58
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
False and True Worship
58 Shout out; do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.(A)
2 Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
they want God on their side.[a](B)
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day
and oppress all your workers.(C)
4 You fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.(D)
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?(E)
6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?(F)
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?(G)
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator[b] shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.(H)
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,(I)
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.(J)
11 The Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your needs in parched places
and make your bones strong,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water
whose waters never fail.(K)
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.(L)
13 If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath,
from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
serving your own interests or pursuing your own affairs;(M)
14 then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(N)
Isaiah 58
International Standard Version
False and True Worship
58 “Shout aloud!
Don’t hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Declare to my people their rebellions,[a]
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 They[b] seek me day after day,[c]
and are eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practices righteousness
and has not forsaken the justice of their God.
“They ask me to reveal just decisions;
they are eager to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they ask,[d]
‘but you do not see?
‘Why have we humbled ourselves,’[e] they ask,[f]
‘but you take no notice?’”
Fasting that God Approves
“Look! On your fast day you serve your own interest
and oppress all your workers.
4 “Look! You fast only for quarreling, and for[g] fighting,
and for hitting with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and have your voice heard on high.
5 “Is this the kind of fast that I have chosen,
merely a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it merely for bowing down one’s head like a bulrush,
for lying[h] on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this what you[i] call a fast,
an[j] acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Isn’t this the[k] fast that[l] I have been choosing:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
and[m] to untie the cords of the yoke,
and[n] to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry,
and to bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked,
to cover him with clothing,[o]
and not to raise yourself up[p] from your own flesh and blood?”
God’s Reward
8 “Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will spring up quickly;
and your vindication will go before you,
and[q] the glory of the Lord will guard your back.
9 Then you’ll call,
and the Lord will answer;
you’ll cry for help,
and he’ll respond, ‘Here I am.’
“If you do away with the yoke among you,
and[r] pointing fingers and malicious talk;
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the needs of afflicted souls,
then your light will rise in darkness,
and your night will be like noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your soul in parched places,[s]
and they[t] will strengthen your bones;
and you’ll be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
12 And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You’ll raise up the age-old foundations,[u]
and people will call you[v] ‘Repairer of Broken Walls,’
‘Restorer of Streets to Live In.’
13 “If you keep your feet from trampling the Sabbath,
from[w] pursuing your own interests on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and[x] the Lord’s holy day honorable;
and if you honor it by not going your own ways[y]
and[z] seeking your own pleasure or speaking merely idle[aa] words,
14 then you will take delight in the Lord,
and he[ab] will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
and he[ac] will make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob, your father.
“Yes! The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 58:1 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read rebellion
- Isaiah 58:2 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX; MT reads And they
- Isaiah 58:2 Lit. me day and day; so 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsad MT read me day, day
- Isaiah 58:3 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX MT lack they ask
- Isaiah 58:3 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab LXX; MT reads ourself
- Isaiah 58:3 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX MT lack they ask
- Isaiah 58:4 So 1QIsab 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack for
- Isaiah 58:5 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT LXX read and for lying
- Isaiah 58:5 So 1QIsaa 4QIsad LXX (pl.); 1QIsab MT (sing.)
- Isaiah 58:5 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT reads and an
- Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack the
- Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack that
- Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack and
- Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa MT; 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX lack and
- Isaiah 58:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack with clothing
- Isaiah 58:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read to hide yourself; LXX reads to disregard
- Isaiah 58:8 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab LXX; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 58:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT lack and
- Isaiah 58:11 1QIsaa spells the word places incorrectly
- Isaiah 58:11 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT reads he; LXX reads and your bones will be strengthened
- Isaiah 58:12 Lit. the foundations of many generations
- Isaiah 58:12 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read you will be called
- Isaiah 58:13 So 1QIsaa 4QIsan; 1QIsab MT lack from
- Isaiah 58:13 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsan; MT LXX lack and
- Isaiah 58:13 So 1QIsaa 4QIsan MT; 1QIsab reads way
- Isaiah 58:13 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT lack and
- Isaiah 58:13 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsan MT LXX lack merely idle
- Isaiah 58:14 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsan LXX; MT reads and I
- Isaiah 58:14 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab 4QIsan MT read and I
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