You must fast like the Lord wants
1The Lord says:
‘You must shout_loudly.
Shout as hard as a trumpet that blows.
Talk to my people, the descendants of Jacob.
Tell them that they are rebellious,
and tell them about their sins.
2They ask Me every day
what I want them to do.
They want to know what I want to teach them.
They do it like people who want to do
what is right and want to obey their God.
They ask Me to be fair
when I judge them
and they ask Me to be with them.
3Now they ask Me
why I don't see when they fast.
They say they have humbled themselves
before Me, but I do not see it.
You must tell them: Yes, you fast,
but you think only of yourselves
on those days.
You don't think about the people
who work for you.
You make them work even harder.
4You fast, but you accuse
your workers and fight with them.
You beat them with your fists
even if they have done nothing wrong.
When you fast and you do these things,
no One in heaven will listen when you pray.
5You think that I want you to
humble yourselves when you fast.
You think that I want every one of you
to let his head hang down like a reed
and that everyone must put on sack-cloth
and sit on the ash-heap.
You say that this is how people must fast,
and you say that this is what pleases the Lord.
6No, if you want to fast like
I want you to,
then you must free the people
who are prisoners and slaves
but who have done nothing wrong.
You must cut the ropes that tie them
and break the yokes on their necks.
7You must give some of your food
to hungry people and you must
invite people who can not help themselves
and who do not have a house
into your homes.
You must give clothes to people
who do not have clothes,
and you must not pretend
that you don't see it is
your own people who are suffering.
8Then your light will shine
like the sun that comes up in the morning,
and the Lord will heal you
and everyone will see that you are doing
what is right and the Lord will protect you.
9If you do this and then pray
to the Lord, He will answer you.
If you then ask Him to help you,
He will say: “Here I am.
I will help you.”
If you stop making people suffer
and stop accusing them
or telling lies about them,
10and if you feel sorry for people
who are hungry and suffer,
and you give them enough food to eat,
then you will be a light in the dark.
Your night will be as bright
as the sun shining at noon.
11Then the Lord will always be with you
and lead you and He will
give you what you need,
even in hot places where no plants grow.
He will make you strong. You will be
like gardens where there is a lot of water,
or like fountains that always have water.
12You will take these heaps of stones
that are left over from the city
and you will build houses for yourselves
and walls for the city.
They will say that you are the people
who build broken walls
and repair roads so that you
can live in the land.’
A feast to serve the Lord
13The Lord says:
‘Don't do anything wrong
on the Sabbath day.
Don't do what you want to do
on my holy day.
You must rejoice on my Sabbath day
and you must honour this day
as the holy day of the Lord.
You must respect this day
and stop doing things that you do
on other days, and don't do or say
things that you want to do or say.
14Then you will enjoy serving the Lord,
and it will be like a feast for you.
He will make you ride over the highest mountains,
and He will give you wheat and fruit to eat
from the land of your forefather Jacob.’
Yes, this is what the Lord said.
