THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
ISAIAH
Isaiah 58 ©
The Lord commands the prophet to upbraid the Jews with their hypocrisy, especially in their fasts, v. 1, etc. And to teach them what is a true fast which He requires, 6. Promising all prosperity and blessing to them that serve Him in uprightness of heart, and lay aside wickedness, especially to them that keep His sabbaths uprightly, 8, etc.
CRY aloud, 1spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2Yet they 3seek me 4daily, and 5delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they 6ask of me the ordinances of justice; 7they take delight in approaching to God.
¶ 8Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore 9have we afflicted our soul, and 10thou takest no knowledge? 11Behold, in the day of your fast 12ye find pleasure, and exact 13all your labours.
Behold, ye fast 14for strife and debate, and 15to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast 16as ye do this day, 17to make your voice to be heard on high.
Isa it such a fast 18that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict 19his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and 20an acceptable day to the LORD?
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose 21the bands of wickedness, to undo 22the heavy burdens, and to let 23the oppressed go free, and that ye break every 24yoke?
Isb it not 25to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor 26that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest 27the naked, that thou 28cover him; and that thou 29hide not thyself 30from thine own flesh?
¶Then shall 31thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and 32thy righteousness shall go before thee; 33the glory of the LORD 34shall be thy rereward.
Then shalt thou call, and the LORD 35shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee 36the yoke, 37the putting forth of the finger, and 38speaking 39vanity;
And if thou draw out 40thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy 41the afflicted soul; then shall 42thy light rise in obscurity, and 43thy darkness be as the noonday:
And the LORD shall 44guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul 45in drought, and make 46fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a 47spring of water, whose waters 48fail not.
And 49they that shall be of thee shall build 50the old waste places: thou shalt 51raise up the foundations 52of many generations; and thou shalt be called, 53The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
¶ 54If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; 55and call the sabbath a delight, 56the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing 57thine own ways, nor finding 58thine own pleasure, 59nor speaking thine own words:
60Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and 61I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and 62feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.