2
"Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has donerighteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for justdecisions, They delight in the nearness of God.
3
'Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbledourselves and You do not notice?' Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drivehardall your workers.
5
"Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humblehimself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you callthis a fast, even an acceptableday to the LORD?
6
"Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressedgofree And breakeveryyoke?
7
"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homelesspoor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8
"Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedilyspringforth; And your righteousness will gobefore you; The glory of the LORD will be your rearguard.
9
"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speakingwickedness,
10
And if you giveyourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.
11
"And the LORD will continuallyguide you, And satisfy your desire in scorchedplaces, And givestrength to your bones; And you will be like a wateredgarden, And like a spring of waterwhosewaters do not fail.
12
"Those from among you will rebuild the ancientruins; You will raise up the age-oldfoundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.
13
"Ifbecause of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holyday, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORDhonorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word,
14
Then you will takedelight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."