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1. Shout as loud as you can and don't stop. Shout like a trumpet! Tell the people what they did wrong. Tell the family of Jacob about their sins.
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1. Cry H7121 aloud H1627 , spare H2820 not H408 , lift up H7311 thy voice H6963 like a trumpet H7782 , and show H5046 my people H5971 their transgression H6588 , and the house H1004 of Jacob H3290 their sins H2403 .
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2. They still come every day to worship me. They act just like they want to learn my ways. They pretend to be a nation that lives right and obeys the commands of their God. They ask me to judge them fairly. They want their God to be near them.
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2. Yet they seek H1875 me daily H3117 H3117 , and delight H2654 to know H1847 my ways H1870 , as a nation H1471 that H834 did H6213 righteousness H6666 , and forsook H5800 not H3808 the ordinance H4941 of their God H430 : they ask H7592 of me the ordinances H4941 of justice H6664 ; they take delight H2654 in approaching H7132 to God H430 .
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3. They say, "We fast to show honor to you. Why don't you see us? We starve our bodies to show honor to you. Why don't you notice us?" But the Lord says, "You do things to please yourselves on those special days of fasting. And you punish your servants, not your own bodies.
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3. Wherefore H4100 have we fasted H6684 , say they , and thou seest H7200 not H3808 ? wherefore have we afflicted H6031 our soul H5315 , and thou takest no knowledge H3045 H3808 ? Behold H2005 , in the day H3117 of your fast H6685 ye find H4672 pleasure H2656 , and exact H5065 all H3605 your labors H6092 .
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4. You are hungry, but not for food. You are hungry for arguing and fighting, not for bread. You are hungry to hit people with your evil hands. This is not the way to fast if you want your prayers to be heard in heaven!
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4. Behold H2005 , ye fast H6684 for strife H7379 and debate H4683 , and to smite H5221 with the fist H106 of wickedness H7562 : ye shall not H3808 fast H6684 as ye do this day H3117 , to make your voice H6963 to be heard H8085 on high H4791 .
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5. Do you think I want to see people punish their bodies on those days of fasting? Do you think I want people to look sad and bow their heads like dead plants? Do you think I want people to wear mourning clothes and sit in ashes to show their sadness? That is what you do on your days of fasting. Do you think that is what the Lord wants?
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5. Is H1961 it such H2088 a fast H6685 that I have chosen H977 ? a day H3117 for a man H120 to afflict H6031 his soul H5315 ? is it to bow down H3721 his head H7218 as a bulrush H100 , and to spread H3331 sackcloth H8242 and ashes H665 under him ? wilt thou call H7121 this H2088 a fast H6685 , and an acceptable H7522 day H3117 to the LORD H3068 ?
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6. "I will tell you the kind of day I want�a day to set people free. I want a day that you take the burdens off others. I want a day when you set troubled people free and you take the burdens from their shoulders.
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6. Is not H3808 this H2088 the fast H6685 that I have chosen H977 ? to loose H6605 the bands H2784 of wickedness H7562 , to undo H5425 the heavy H4133 burdens H92 , and to let the oppressed H7533 go H7971 free H2670 , and that ye break H5423 every H3605 yoke H4133 ?
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7. I want you to share your food with the hungry. I want you to find the poor who don't have homes and bring them into your own homes. When you see people who have no clothes, give them your clothes! Don't hide from your relatives when they need help."
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7. Is it not H3808 to deal H6536 thy bread H3899 to the hungry H7457 , and that thou bring H935 the poor H6041 that are cast out H4788 to thy house H1004 ? when H3588 thou seest H7200 the naked H6174 , that thou cover H3680 him ; and that thou hide not thyself H5956 H3808 from thine own flesh H4480 H1320 ?
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8. If you do these things, your light will begin to shine like the light of dawn. Then your wounds will heal. Your "Goodness" will walk in front of you, and the Glory of the Lord will come following behind you.
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8. Then H227 shall thy light H216 break forth H1234 as the morning H7837 , and thine health H724 shall spring forth H6779 speedily H4120 : and thy righteousness H6664 shall go H1980 before H6440 thee ; the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 shall be thy rearward H622 .
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9. Then you will call to the Lord, and he will answer you. You will cry out to him, and he will say, "Here I am." Stop causing trouble and putting burdens on people. Stop accusing people and saying hurtful things.
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9. Then H227 shalt thou call H7121 , and the LORD H3068 shall answer H6030 ; thou shalt cry H7768 , and he shall say H559 , Here H2009 I am . If H518 thou take away H5493 from the midst H4480 H8432 of thee the yoke H4133 , the putting forth H7971 of the finger H676 , and speaking H1696 vanity H205 ;
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10. Feel sorry for hungry people and give them food. Help those who are troubled and satisfy their needs. Then your light will shine in the darkness. You will be like the bright sunshine at noon.
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10. And if thou draw out H6329 thy soul H5315 to the hungry H7457 , and satisfy H7646 the afflicted H6031 soul H5315 ; then shall thy light H216 rise H2224 in obscurity H2822 , and thy darkness H653 be as the noonday H6672 :
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11. The Lord will always lead you and satisfy your soul in dry lands. He will give strength to your bones. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring that never goes dry.
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11. And the LORD H3068 shall guide H5148 thee continually H8548 , and satisfy H7646 thy soul H5315 in drought H6710 , and make fat H2502 thy bones H6106 : and thou shalt be H1961 like a watered H7302 garden H1588 , and like a spring H4161 of water H4325 , whose H834 waters H4325 fail H3576 not H3808 .
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12. Your cities have been destroyed for many years, but you will rebuild them and their foundations will last for a long time. You will be called "Fence Fixer" and "Builder of Roads and Houses."
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12. And they that shall be of H4480 thee shall build H1129 the old H5769 waste places H2723 : thou shalt raise up H6965 the foundations H4146 of many generations H1755 H1755 ; and thou shalt be called H7121 , The repairer H1443 of the breach H6556 , The restorer H7725 of paths H5410 to dwell H3427 in.
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13. That will happen when you stop sinning against God's law about the Sabbath and when you stop doing things to please yourself on that special day. You should call the Sabbath a happy day. You should honor the Lord's special day by not saying and doing things that you do every other day of the week.
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13. If H518 thou turn away H7725 thy foot H7272 from the sabbath H4480 H7676 , from doing H6213 thy pleasure H2656 on my holy H6944 day H3117 ; and call H7121 the sabbath H7676 a delight H6027 , the holy H6918 of the LORD H3068 , honorable H3513 ; and shalt honor H3513 him , not doing H4480 H6213 thine own ways H1870 , nor finding H4480 H4672 thine own pleasure H2656 , nor speaking H1696 thine own words H1697 :
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14. Then you could enjoy the Lord. As the Lord himself says, "I could carry you up to the highest mountain and let you enjoy the land that I gave to your father Jacob."
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14. Then H227 shalt thou delight thyself H6026 in H5921 the LORD H3068 ; and I will cause thee to ride H7392 upon H5921 the high places H1116 of the earth H776 , and feed H398 thee with the heritage H5159 of Jacob H3290 thy father H1 : for H3588 the mouth H6310 of the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 it .
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