Isaiah 58-60

New International Version

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please^(K)
    and exploit all your workers.
⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,^(L)
    and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and expect your voice to be heard^(M) on high.
⁵ Is this the kind of fast^(N) I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble^(O) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed^(P)
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?^(Q)
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting^(R) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice^(S)
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed^(T) free
    and break every yoke?^(U)
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry^(V)
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter^(W)—
when you see the naked, to clothe^(X) them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?^(Y)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,^(Z)
    and your healing^(AA) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a](AB) will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.^(AC)
9 Then you will call,^(AD) and the Lord will answer;^(AE)
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger^(AF) and malicious talk,^(AG)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,^(AH)
then your light^(AI) will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.^(AJ)
11 The Lord will guide^(AK) you always;
    he will satisfy your needs^(AL) in a sun-scorched land^(AM)
    and will strengthen^(AN) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,^(AO)
    like a spring^(AP) whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins^(AQ)
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;^(AR)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,^(AS)
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath^(AT)
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight^(AU)
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,^(AV)
14 then you will find your joy^(AW) in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights^(AX) of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance^(AY) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.^(AZ)

⁹ So justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;^(BW)
    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
¹⁰ Like the blind^(BX) we grope along the wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble^(BY) as if it were twilight;
    among the strong, we are like the dead.^(BZ)
11 We all growl like bears;
    we moan mournfully like doves.^(CA)
We look for justice, but find none;
    for deliverance, but it is far away.

¹² For our offenses^(CB) are many in your sight,
    and our sins testify^(CC) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
    and we acknowledge our iniquities:^(CD)
13 rebellion^(CE) and treachery against the Lord,
    turning our backs^(CF) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,^(CG)
    uttering lies^(CH) our hearts have conceived.
¹⁴ So justice^(CI) is driven back,
    and righteousness^(CJ) stands at a distance;
truth^(CK) has stumbled in the streets,
    honesty cannot enter.
¹⁵ Truth^(CL) is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no justice.^(CM)
16 He saw that there was no one,^(CN)
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;^(CO)
so his own arm achieved salvation^(CP) for him,
    and his own righteousness^(CQ) sustained him.
¹⁷ He put on righteousness as his breastplate,^(CR)
    and the helmet^(CS) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments^(CT) of vengeance^(CU)
    and wrapped himself in zeal^(CV) as in a cloak.
¹⁸ According to what they have done,
    so will he repay^(CW)
wrath to his enemies
    and retribution to his foes;
    he will repay the islands^(CX) their due.
¹⁹ From the west,^(CY) people will fear the name of the Lord,
    and from the rising of the sun,^(CZ) they will revere his glory.^(DA)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
    that the breath^(DB) of the Lord drives along.^[b]

²⁰ “The Redeemer^(DC) will come to Zion,^(DD)
    to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”^(DE)
declares the Lord.

⁴ “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble^(DR) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,^(DS)
    and your daughters^(DT) are carried on the hip.^(DU)
5 Then you will look and be radiant,^(DV)
    your heart will throb and swell with joy;^(DW)
the wealth^(DX) on the seas will be brought to you,
    to you the riches of the nations will come.
⁶ Herds of camels^(DY) will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian^(DZ) and Ephah.^(EA)
And all from Sheba^(EB) will come,
    bearing gold and incense^(EC)
    and proclaiming the praise^(ED) of the Lord.
⁷ All Kedar’s^(EE) flocks will be gathered to you,
    the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings^(EF) on my altar,^(EG)
    and I will adorn my glorious temple.^(EH)

⁸ “Who are these^(EI) that fly along like clouds,^(EJ)
    like doves to their nests?
⁹ Surely the islands^(EK) look to me;
    in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,^[c](EL)
bringing^(EM) your children from afar,
    with their silver and gold,^(EN)
to the honor^(EO) of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One^(EP) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.^(EQ)

¹⁰ “Foreigners^(ER) will rebuild your walls,
    and their kings^(ES) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
    in favor^(ET) I will show you compassion.^(EU)
11 Your gates^(EV) will always stand open,
    they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations^(EW)—
    their kings^(EX) led in triumphal procession.
¹² For the nation or kingdom that will not serve^(EY) you will perish;
    it will be utterly ruined.^(EZ)

¹³ “The glory of Lebanon^(FA) will come to you,
    the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,^(FB)
to adorn my sanctuary;^(FC)
    and I will glorify the place for my feet.^(FD)
14 The children of your oppressors^(FE) will come bowing before you;
    all who despise you will bow down^(FF) at your feet
and will call you the City^(FG) of the Lord,
    Zion^(FH) of the Holy One^(FI) of Israel.

¹⁵ “Although you have been forsaken^(FJ) and hated,
    with no one traveling^(FK) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride^(FL)
    and the joy^(FM) of all generations.
¹⁶ You will drink the milk of nations
    and be nursed^(FN) at royal breasts.
Then you will know^(FO) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,^(FP)
    your Redeemer,^(FQ) the Mighty One of Jacob.^(FR)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,^(FS)
    and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
    and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace^(FT) your governor
    and well-being your ruler.^(FU)
18 No longer will violence^(FV) be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction^(FW) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation^(FX)
    and your gates Praise.^(FY)
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,^(FZ)
    and your God will be your glory.^(GA)
20 Your sun^(GB) will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow^(GC) will end.
²¹ Then all your people will be righteous^(GD)
    and they will possess^(GE) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,^(GF)
    the work of my hands,^(GG)
    for the display of my splendor.^(GH)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.^(GI)
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”^(GJ)