Isaiah 58

1 [Yahweh said to me], “Shout loudly! Shout like [SIM] a loud trumpet! Shout to warn my Israeli people about their sins [DOU]!

Give a roar from the throat! Don't hold back! Shout out like a trumpet! Announce to my people how rebellious they are; denounce to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

2 They worship me every day; [they come to my temple because they say that] they are eager to know what I want them to do. They act as though they are a nation that does things that are righteous, who would never abandon their God. They request me to decide matters justly, and they delight to come to worship me.

Every day they come to me, pleased to know my ways as if they were a nation that does what is right and follow the laws of their God! They ask me to treat them right; they like to be close to their God.

3 [They say], ‘We have (fasted/abstained from eating food) to please you, but you did not [RHQ] notice our doing that. We humbled ourselves, but you did not [RHQ] pay any attention!’ I will tell you why I did not pay attention. It is because when you fast, you do it only to please yourselves, and you act cruelly toward all your workers.

“Didn't you see that we fasted?” they ask. “Didn't you notice how we denied ourselves?” That's because whenever you fast you still do whatever you want, and you treat your workers badly.

4 You fast, but you also quarrel and fight [with each other] with your fists. [Doing things like that while] you fast will [certainly] not cause [me] to hear your prayers [where I am], high in heaven.

Can't you see that when you're fasting you quarrel and argue, and end up having a vicious fist-fight? When you fast like this you can't expect your prayers to be heard on high!

5 You [act as though] [IRO] you humble yourselves [RHQ] by bowing your heads like [SIM] [the tops of] reeds bend [when the wind blows], and you wear [RHQ] rough clothes and cover your heads with ashes [like people do when they are grieving]. That is what you do when you are fasting, but do you really think [RHQ] that will please me?

Is this the kind of fast I want when people act out their humility by bowing their heads down like a reed and by lying around in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day the Lord appreciates?

6 No, that is not the kind of fasting that I desire. What I really want [RHQ] is for you to free those who have been unjustly put in prison [DOU], and to encourage those who are (treated cruelly/oppressed); I want you to free those who have been oppressed in any way.

No, this is the fast I want: set free those who have been unjustly imprisoned, untie the cords of the yoke used to burden people, set free those who are oppressed, and get rid of every form of abuse.

7 I want you to [RHQ] share your food with those who are hungry and to allow those who have no houses to stay in your houses. Give clothes to those who do not have clothes, and do not hide from your relatives who need help from you.

Share your food with the hungry, take the poor and homeless into your house. When you see people naked, give them clothes, and don't reject your own relatives.

8 If you do those things, [what you do for others will be like] [SIM] a light that shines when it dawns. The troubles [that have been caused by your sins] will end quickly. Others will know about your righteous behavior, and with my glorious presence I will protect you from behind [like I protected the Israeli people when they left Egypt].

Then your light will shine out like the dawn, and you will be healed quickly; your salvation will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will go behind you.

9 Then you will call out to me, and I will [quickly] answer [and say that I will help you].’ Stop (oppressing people/treating people cruelly); stop falsely accusing people; and stop saying evil [things about people].

Then when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out for help, the Lord will say, “I'm here.” If you get rid of oppression among you, if you stop pointing the finger and slandering others,

10 Give food to those who are hungry, and give to people who are afflicted/suffering the things that they need. [Your doing that will be like] [MET] a light that shines in the darkness; instead of doing evil to people [MET], [the good things that you do for them will be like] [SIM] sunshine at noontime.

if you dedicate yourselves to helping the hungry and give the poor what they need, then your light will shine out in the darkness, and your night will be like the sun at noon.

11 [I], Yahweh, will guide you continually, and I will give you good things to satisfy you. I will enable you to remain strong and healthy. You will be like [SIM] a garden that is well watered, like [SIM] a spring that never dries up.

The Lord will always lead you; he will give you all you need in you in a desolate land; he will make you strong again. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that never runs dry.

12 [Your people] will rebuild the cities that were destroyed long ago; they will build [houses] on top of the old foundations. People will say that you are the ones who are repairing the holes [in the city walls], and who are repairing the streets where people live.

Some among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore generations-old foundations. You will be called the Repairer of the Break in the Wall, the Restorer of Life's Pathways.

13 Do not travel [MTY] long distances on Sabbath/rest days, and on Sabbath days do not do only the things that you delight to do. Enjoy the Sabbath days, and consider them to be delightful. The Sabbath days are my holy days. Honor me, Yahweh, in everything that you do [on the Sabbath days]. Do not talk about and do things [only] to please yourselves. If you do all the things that I have just now told you to do,

If you make sure you don't break the Sabbath by doing whatever you please on my holy day, if you say the Sabbath brings you pleasure and the Lord's day is to be honored, and if you honor it by leaving aside your own ways, by not doing whatever you please, and by avoiding everyday chatting,

14 I will enable you to be joyful. I will greatly honor you; [I will honor you everywhere!] I will give to you the [blessings] that I gave to your ancestor Jacob. [Those things will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.”

then you'll find the Lord is the one who truly makes you happy, and I will give you high positions on the earth and give you what I promised to Jacob, your forefather. I, the Lord, have spoken.