Isaiah 58:5–10

⁵Will the fast I choose be like this:

A day for a person to deny himself,

to bow his head like a reed,

and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? ^v

Will you call this a fast

and a day acceptable to the Lord?

⁶Isn’t the fast I choose:

To break the chains of wickedness, ^w

to untie the ropes of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free,

and to tear off every yoke? ^x

⁷Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, ^y

to bring the poor and homeless into your house,

to clothe the naked when you see him, ^z

and not to ignore ^ayour own flesh and blood? ^b

⁸Then your light will appear like the dawn,

and your recovery will come quickly. ^c

Your righteousness will go before you, ^d

and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard. ^e

⁹At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; ^f

when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am.’

If you get rid of the yoke among you, ^g

the finger-pointing and malicious speaking, ^h

¹⁰and if you offer yourself ⁱto the hungry,

and satisfy the afflicted one,

then your light will shine in the darkness, ^j

and your night will be like noonday.