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"Cry out loudly, don't hold back! Raise your voice like a trumpet. Tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
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They seek Me day after day and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not abandon the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God."
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"Why have we fasted, but You have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but You haven't noticed!" "Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.
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You fast [with] contention and strife to strike viciously with [your] fist. You cannot fast as [you do] today, [hoping] to make your voice heard on high.
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Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the LORD?
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Isn't the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?
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Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and to not ignore your own flesh [and blood]?
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Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the LORD's glory will be your rear guard.
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At that time, when you call, the LORD will answer; when you cry out, He will say: Here I am. If you get rid of the yoke from those around you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,
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and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday.
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The LORD will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry.
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Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the foundations laid long ago; you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live.
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"If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath, from doing whatever you want on My holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy [day] of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, seeking your own pleasure, or talking too much;
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then you will delight yourself in the LORD, and I will make you ride over the heights of the land, and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
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Indeed, the LORD's hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear.
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But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide [His] face from you so that He does not listen.
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For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and you mutter injustice.
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No one makes claims justly; no one pleads honestly. They trust in empty and worthless words; they conceive trouble and give birth to iniquity.
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They hatch viper's eggs and weave spider's webs. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.
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Their webs cannot become clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their works are sinful works, and violent acts are in their hands.
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Their feet run after evil, and they rush to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and wretchedness are in their paths.
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They have not known the path of peace, and there is no justice in their ways. They have made their roads crooked; no one who walks on them will know peace.
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Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we live in the night.
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We grope along a wall like the blind; we grope like those without eyes. We stumble at noon as though it were twilight; [we are] like the dead among those who are healthy.
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We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, [but] it is far from us.
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For our transgressions have multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:
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transgression and deception against the LORD, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.
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Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.
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Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil is plundered. The LORD saw that there was no justice, and He was offended.
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He saw that there was no man-- He was amazed that there was no one interceding; so His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness supported Him.
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He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and He wrapped Himself in zeal as in a cloak.
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Thus He will repay according to [their] deeds: fury to His enemies, retribution to His foes, and He will repay the coastlands.
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They will fear the name of the LORD in the west, and His glory in the east; for He will come like a rushing stream driven by the wind of the LORD.
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The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression. [This is] the LORD's declaration.
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"As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children's children, from now on and forever," says the LORD.
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Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you.
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For look, darkness covers the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the LORD will shine over you, and His glory will appear over you.
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Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your radiance.
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Raise your eyes and look around: they all gather and come to you; your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried on the hip.
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Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and rejoice, because the riches of the sea will become yours, and the wealth of the nations will come to you.
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Caravans of camels will cover your land-- young camels of Midian and Ephah-- all of them will come from Sheba. They will carry gold and frankincense and proclaim the praises of the LORD.
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All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will serve you and go up on My altar as an acceptable [sacrifice]. I will glorify My beautiful house.
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Who are these who fly like a cloud, like doves to their shelters?
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Yes, the islands will wait for Me with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from far away, their silver and gold with them, for the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.
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Foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will serve you. Although I struck you in My wrath, yet I will show mercy to you with My favor.
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Your gates will always be open; they will never be shut day or night so that the wealth of the nations may be brought into you, with their kings being led [in procession].
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For the nation and the kingdom that will not serve you will perish; those nations will be annihilated.
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The glory of Lebanon will come to you-- [its] pine, fir, and cypress together-- to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and I will glorify My dwelling place.
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The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall down on their faces at your feet. They will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
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Instead of your being deserted and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you an object of eternal pride, a joy from age to age.
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You will nurse on the milk of nations, and nurse at the breast of kings; you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
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I will bring gold instead of bronze; I will bring silver instead of iron, bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stones. I will appoint peace as your guard and righteousness as your ruler.
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Violence will never again be heard of in your land; devastation and destruction [will be gone from] your borders. But you will name your walls salvation, and your gates praise.
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The sun will no longer be your light by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.
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Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not fade; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will be over.
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Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever; they are the branch I planted, the work of My hands, so that I may be glorified.
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The least will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; I will accomplish it quickly in its time.
