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“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
    lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
    and remove the chains that bind people.
Share your food with the hungry,
    and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
    and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
    and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
    and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
    ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
    Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry,
    and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
    and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
    giving you water when you are dry
    and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like an ever-flowing spring.
12 Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
    Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
    and a restorer of homes.

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Isn’t this the[a] fast that[b] I have been choosing:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
and[c] to untie the cords of the yoke,
    and[d] to let the oppressed go free,
        and to break every yoke?
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,[e]
        and not to raise yourself up[f] from your own flesh and blood?”

God’s Reward

“Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will spring up quickly;
and your vindication will go before you,
    and[g] the glory of the Lord will guard your back.
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[h] 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,[i]
        and they[j] 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,[k]
and people will call you[l] ‘Repairer of Broken Walls,’
    ‘Restorer of Streets to Live In.’

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack the
  2. Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack that
  3. Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack and
  4. Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa MT; 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX lack and
  5. Isaiah 58:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack with clothing
  6. Isaiah 58:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read to hide yourself; LXX reads to disregard
  7. Isaiah 58:8 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab LXX; MT lacks and
  8. Isaiah 58:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT lack and
  9. Isaiah 58:11 1QIsaa spells the word places incorrectly
  10. Isaiah 58:11 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT reads he; LXX reads and your bones will be strengthened
  11. Isaiah 58:12 Lit. the foundations of many generations
  12. Isaiah 58:12 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read you will be called