Yet theyseek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nationthat did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; theytakedelight in approaching to God.
Whereforehave we fasted, say they, and thouseest not? whereforehave we afflicted our soul, and thoutakest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of yourfast ye findpleasure, and exact all yourlabours.
Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smitewith the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to makeyourvoice to be heard on high.
Is it such a fastthat I havechosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spreadsackcloth and ashesunder him? wiltthoucallthis a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Is not this the fastthat I havechosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavyburdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye breakeveryyoke?
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and thatthoubring the poorthat are cast out to thy house? whenthouseest the naked, thatthoucover him; and thatthouhide not thyselffromthine own flesh?
Thenshall thy lightbreakforth as the morning, and thinehealthshallspringforthspeedily: and thy righteousnessshall go beforethee; the glory of the LORDshall be thy rereward.
Thenshaltthoucall, and the LORDshallanswer; thoushalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thoutakeawayfrom the midst of thee the yoke, the puttingforth of the finger, and speakingvanity;
And the LORDshallguidetheecontinually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thoushalt be like a wateredgarden, and like a spring of water, whosewatersfail not.
And theythatshall be of theeshallbuild the old wasteplaces: thoushaltraise up the foundations of manygenerations; and thoushalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
If thouturnaway thy footfrom the sabbath, fromdoing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalthonour him, not doingthine own ways, nor findingthine own pleasure, nor speakingthine own words:
Thenshaltthoudelightthyself in the LORD; and I willcausethee to rideupon the highplaces of the earth, and feedtheewith the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORDhathspoken it.