Online Bible

Observances of Fasts

“^aCry aloud, do not hold back;Lift up your voice like a trumpet,And declare to My people their ^btransgressionAnd to the house of Jacob their sins.2 “Yet they ^aseek Me day by day and delight superficially to know My ways,As if they were in reality a nation that has done ^brighteousnessAnd ^chas not abandoned (turned away from) the ordinance of their God.They ask of Me righteous judgments,They delight in the ^dnearness of God.3 ‘Why have we ^afasted,’ they say, ‘and You do not see it?Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’Hear this O Israel, on the ^bday of your fast when you should be grieving for your sins you find something you desire to do,And you force your hired servants to work instead of stopping all work, as the law teaches. Lev 16:294 “The facts are that you fast only for ^astrife and brawling and to strike with the fist of wickedness.You do not fast as you do today to ^bmake your voice heard on high.5 “Is a fast such as this what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul?Is it only to bow down his head like a reedAnd to make ^asackcloth and ashes as a bed pretending to have a repentant heart?Do you call this a fast and a day ^bpleasing to the LORD?6 “Rather is this not the fast which I choose,To ^aundo the bonds of wickedness,To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke,To ^blet the oppressed go freeAnd ^cbreak apart every enslaving yoke? Acts 8:237 “Is it not to ^adivide your bread with the hungryAnd ^bbring the homeless poor into the house;When you see the ^cnaked, that you cover him,And not to ^dhide yourself from the needs of your own flesh and blood?8 “Then your ^alight will break out like the dawn,And your ^bhealing (restoration, new life) will quickly spring forth;Your ^crighteousness will go before you leading you to peace and prosperity,The glory of the ^dLORD will be your rear guard. Ex 14:19, 20; Is 52:129 “Then you will ^acall, and the LORD will answer;You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’If you ^btake away from your midst the yoke of oppression,The finger ^cpointed in scorn toward the oppressed or the godly, and every form of ^dwicked (sinful, unjust) speech, Ex 3:1410 And if you ^aoffer yourself to assist the hungryAnd satisfy the ¹need of the afflicted,Then your ^blight will rise in darknessAnd your gloom will become like midday.11 “And the ^aLORD will continually guide you,And ^bsatisfy your soul in scorched and dry places,And ^cgive strength to your bones;And you will be like a ^dwatered garden,And like a ^espring of water whose waters do not fail.12 “And your people will ^arebuild the ancient ruins;You will ^braise up and restore the age-old foundations of buildings that have been laid waste;You will be called Repairer of the ^cBreach,Restorer of Streets ¹with Dwellings.

Keeping the Sabbath

13 “If you ^aturn back your foot from ¹unnecessary travel on the Sabbath,From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,And call the Sabbath a spiritual ^bdelight, and the holy day of the LORD honorable,And honor it, not going your ^cown wayOr ²engaging in your own pleasureOr ^dspeaking your own idle words,14 Then you will take ^apleasure in the LORD,And I will make you ride ^bon the high places of the earth,And I will feed you with the promised heritage of Jacob your father;For the ^cmouth of the LORD has spoken.” Gen 27:28, 29; 28:13-15

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Observances of Fasts

“^aCry loudly, do not hold back;Raise your voice like a trumpet,And declare to My people their ^bwrongdoing,And to the house of Jacob their sins.2 “Yet they ^aseek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,As a nation that has done ^brighteousnessAnd ^chas not forsaken the ordinance of their God.They ask Me for just decisions,They delight ^din the nearness of God.3 ‘Why have we ^afasted and You do not see?Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not ¹notice?’Behold, on the ^bday of your fast you find your desire,And oppress all your workers.4 “Behold, you fast for contention and ^astrife, and to strike with a wicked fist.You do not fast like you have done today to ^bmake your voice heard on high!5 “Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?Is it for bowing ¹one’s head like a reedAnd for spreading out ^asackcloth and ashes as a bed?Will you call this a fast, even an ^bacceptable day to the LORD?6 “Is this not the fast that I choose:To ^arelease the bonds of wickedness,To undo the ropes of the yoke,And to ^blet the oppressed go free,And ^cbreak every yoke?7 “Is it not to ^abreak your bread ¹with the hungryAnd ^bbring the homeless poor into the house;When you see the ^cnaked, to cover him;And not to ^dhide yourself from your own flesh?8 “Then your ^alight will break out like the dawn,And your ^brecovery will spring up quickly;And your ^crighteousness will go before you;The glory of the ^dLORD will be your rear guard.9 “Then you will ^acall, and the LORD will answer;You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’If you ^bremove the yoke from your midst,The ¹^cpointing of the finger and ^dspeaking wickedness,10 And if you ^aoffer yourself to the hungryAnd satisfy the ¹need of the afflicted,Then your ^blight will rise in darkness,And your gloom will become like midday.11 “And the ^aLORD will continually guide you,And ^bsatisfy your ¹desire in scorched places,And ^cgive strength to your bones;And you will be like a ^dwatered garden,And like a ^espring of water whose waters do not ²fail.12 “Those from among you will ^arebuild the ancient ruins;You will ^braise up the age-old foundations;And you will be called the repairer of the ^cbreach,The restorer of the ¹streets in which to dwell.

Keeping the Sabbath

13 “If, because of the Sabbath, you ^arestrain your footFrom doing as you wish on My holy day,And call the Sabbath a ^bpleasure, and the holy day of the LORD honorable,And honor it, desisting from your ^cown ways,From seeking your own pleasureAnd ^dspeaking your own word,14 Then you will take ^adelight in the LORD,And I will make you ride ^bon the heights of the earth;And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,For the ^cmouth of the LORD has spoken.”

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Observances of Fasts

“^aCry loudly, do not hold back;Raise your voice like a trumpet,And declare to My people their ^btransgressionAnd to the house of Jacob their sins.2 “Yet they ^aseek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,As a nation that has done ^brighteousnessAnd ^chas not forsaken the ordinance of their God.They ask Me for just decisions,They delight ^din the nearness of God.3 ‘Why have we ^afasted and You do not see?Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not ¹notice?’Behold, on the ^bday of your fast you find your desire,And drive hard all your workers.4 “Behold, you fast for contention and ^astrife and to strike with a wicked fist.You do not fast like you do today to ^bmake your voice heard on high.5 “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?Is it for bowing ¹one’s head like a reedAnd for spreading out ^asackcloth and ashes as a bed?Will you call this a fast, even an ^bacceptable day to the LORD?6 “Is this not the fast which I choose,To ^aloosen the bonds of wickedness,To undo the bands of the yoke,And to ^blet the oppressed go freeAnd ^cbreak every yoke?7 “Is it not to ^adivide your bread ¹with the hungryAnd ^bbring the homeless poor into the house;When you see the ^cnaked, to cover him;And not to ^dhide yourself from your own flesh?8 “Then your ^alight will break out like the dawn,And your ^brecovery will speedily spring forth;And your ^crighteousness will go before you;The glory of the ^dLORD will be your rear guard.9 “Then you will ^acall, and the LORD will answer;You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’If you ^bremove the yoke from your midst,The ¹^cpointing of the finger and ^dspeaking wickedness,10 And if you ¹^agive yourself to the hungryAnd satisfy the ²desire of the afflicted,Then your ^blight will rise in darknessAnd your gloom will become like midday.11 “And the ^aLORD will continually guide you,And ^bsatisfy your ¹desire in scorched places,And ^cgive strength to your bones;And you will be like a ^dwatered garden,And like a ^espring of water whose waters do not ²fail.12 “Those from among you will ^arebuild the ancient ruins;You will ^braise up the age-old foundations;And you will be called the repairer of the ^cbreach,The restorer of the ¹streets in which to dwell.

Keeping the Sabbath

13 “If because of the sabbath, you ^aturn your footFrom doing your own pleasure on My holy day,And call the sabbath a ^bdelight, the holy day of the LORD honorable,And honor it, desisting from your ^cown ways,From seeking your own pleasureAnd ^dspeaking your own word,14 Then you will take ^adelight in the LORD,And I will make you ride ^bon the heights of the earth;And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,For the ^cmouth of the LORD has spoken.”

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Fasting as Yahweh Chooses

“^aCall out from your throat, do not hold back;Raise your voice like a trumpet,And declare to My people their ^btransgressionAnd to the house of Jacob their sins.2 “Yet they ^aseek Me day by day and find pleasure in knowing My ways,As a nation that has done ^brighteousnessAnd ^chas not forsaken the judgment of their God.They ask Me for righteous judgments;They find pleasure in ^dthe nearness of God.3 ‘Why have we ^afasted and You do not see?Why have we afflicted our souls and You do not know?’Behold, on the ^bday of your fast you find your desire,And oppress all your workers.4 “Behold, you fast for contention and ^aquarreling and to strike with a wicked fist.You do not fast like you do today to ^bmake your voice heard on high.5 “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to afflict himself?Is it for bowing ¹one’s head like a reedAnd for spreading out ^asackcloth and ashes as a bed?Will you call this a fast, even an ^bacceptable day to Yahweh?6 “Is this not the fast which I choose,To ^aloosen the bonds of wickedness,To release the bands of ¹the yoke,And to ^blet the oppressed go freeAnd ^cbreak every ²yoke?7 “Is it not to ^adivide your bread ¹with the hungryAnd ^bbring the afflicted homeless into the house;When you see the ^cnaked, you cover him;And not to ^dhide yourself from your own flesh?8 “Then your ^alight will break out like the dawn,And your ^brecovery will speedily spring forth;And your ^crighteousness will go before you;The glory of ^dYahweh will be your rear guard.9 “Then you will ^acall, and Yahweh will answer;You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’If you ^bremove the ¹yoke from your midst,The ²^cpointing of the finger and ^dspeaking wickedness,10 And if you ¹^aoffer your soul to the hungryAnd satisfy the soul of the afflicted,Then your ^blight will rise in darknessAnd your thick darkness will become like midday.11 “And ^aYahweh will continually guide you,And ^bsatisfy your soul in scorched places,And ^cfortify your bones;And you will be like a ^dwatered garden,And like a ^espring of water whose waters do not ¹fail.12 “Those from among you will ^arebuild the ancient waste places;You will ^braise up the foundations of past generation upon generation;And you will be called the repairer of the ^cbreach,The restorer of the paths for one to inhabit.

Keeping the Sabbath

13 “If because of the sabbath, you ^aturn your footFrom doing your own desire on My holy day,And call the sabbath a ^bdelight, the holy day of Yahweh honorable,And honor it, by not doing your ^cown ways,By not finding your own desireAnd ^dspeaking your own word,14 Then you will take ^adelight in Yahweh,And I will make you ride ^bon the heights of the earth;And I will feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father,For the ^cmouth of Yahweh has spoken.”