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1. "Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back--a trumpet-blast shout! Tell my people what's wrong with their lives, face my family Jacob with 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're busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me. To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people-- law-abiding, God-honoring. They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?' and love having me on their side.
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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. But they also complain, 'Why do we fast and you don't look our way? Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?' "Well, here's why: "The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit. You drive your employees much too hard.
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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 fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won't get your prayers off the ground.
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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 this is the kind of fast day I'm after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, GOD, would like?
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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. "This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.
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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. What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.
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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. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The GOD of glory will secure your passage.
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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 when you pray, GOD will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' "If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins,
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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. If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
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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. I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places-- firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs 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. You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
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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. "If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don't use my holy day for personal advantage, If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, GOD's holy day as a celebration, If you honor it by refusing 'business as usual,' making money, running here and there--
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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'll be free to enjoy GOD! Oh, I'll make you ride high and soar above it all. I'll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob." Yes! GOD says so!
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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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