Isaiah, chapter 58

True Religion

Shout the message! Don't hold back.

Say to my people Israel:

You've sinnedP! You've turned against the Lord.

²Day after day, you worship him

and seem eager to learn his teachings.

You act like a nation that wants to do right by obeying his laws.

You ask him about justice,

and say you enjoy worshiping the Lord.

³You wonder why the Lord pays no attention

when you go without eating and act humble.

But on those same days that you give up eating,

you think only of yourselves*

and abuse your workers.

⁴You even get angry and ready to fight.

No wonder God won't listen to your prayers!

⁵Do you think the Lord wants you to give up eating

and to act as humble as a bent-over bush?

Or to dress in sackclothH and sit in ashes?

Is this really what he wants on a day of worship?

⁶I'll tell you what it really means to worshipI the Lord.

Remove the chains of prisoners who are bound unjustly.

Free those who are abused!

⁷Share your food with everyone who is hungry;

share your home with the poor and homeless.

Give clothes to those in need;

don't turn away your relatives.

⁸Then your lightI will shine like the dawning sun,

and you will quickly be healed.

Your honesty* will protect you as you advance,

and the glory of the LordI

will defend you from behind.

⁹When you beg the Lord for help,

he will answer, “Here I am!”

Don't mistreat others or falsely accuse them

or say something cruel.

¹⁰Give your food to the hungry and care for the homeless.

Then your light will shine in the darkI;

your darkest hour will be like the noonday sun.

¹¹ CThe Lord will always guide you

and provide good things to eat

when you are in the desert.

He will make you healthy.

You will be like a garden that has plenty of water

or like a stream that never runs dry.

¹²You will rebuild those houses left in ruins for years;

you will be known as a builder and repairer

of city walls and streets.

¹³But first, you must start respecting the SabbathH

as a joyful day of worship.

You must stop doing and saying whatever you please

on this special day.

¹⁴Then you will truly enjoy knowing the Lord.

He will let you rule from the highest mountains

and bless you with the land of your ancestor JacobP.

The Lord has spoken!