Font Size
Isaiah 58
International Standard Version
Isaiah 58
International Standard Version
False and True Worship
58 “Shout aloud!
Don’t hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Declare to my people their rebellions,[a]
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 They[b] seek me day after day,[c]
and are eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practices righteousness
and has not forsaken the justice of their God.
“They ask me to reveal just decisions;
they are eager to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they ask,[d]
‘but you do not see?
‘Why have we humbled ourselves,’[e] they ask,[f]
‘but you take no notice?’”
Fasting that God Approves
“Look! On your fast day you serve your own interest
and oppress all your workers.
4 “Look! You fast only for quarreling, and for[g] fighting,
and for hitting with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and have your voice heard on high.
5 “Is this the kind of fast that I have chosen,
merely a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it merely for bowing down one’s head like a bulrush,
for lying[h] on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this what you[i] call a fast,
an[j] acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Isn’t this the[k] fast that[l] I have been choosing:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
and[m] to untie the cords of the yoke,
and[n] to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry,
and to bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked,
to cover him with clothing,[o]
and not to raise yourself up[p] from your own flesh and blood?”
God’s Reward
8 “Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will spring up quickly;
and your vindication will go before you,
and[q] the glory of the Lord will guard your back.
9 Then you’ll call,
and the Lord will answer;
you’ll cry for help,
and he’ll respond, ‘Here I am.’
“If you do away with the yoke among you,
and[r] pointing fingers and malicious talk;
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the needs of afflicted souls,
then your light will rise in darkness,
and your night will be like noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your soul in parched places,[s]
and they[t] will strengthen your bones;
and you’ll be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
12 And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You’ll raise up the age-old foundations,[u]
and people will call you[v] ‘Repairer of Broken Walls,’
‘Restorer of Streets to Live In.’
13 “If you keep your feet from trampling the Sabbath,
from[w] pursuing your own interests on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and[x] the Lord’s holy day honorable;
and if you honor it by not going your own ways[y]
and[z] seeking your own pleasure or speaking merely idle[aa] words,
14 then you will take delight in the Lord,
and he[ab] will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
and he[ac] will make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob, your father.
“Yes! The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 58:1 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read rebellion
- Isaiah 58:2 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX; MT reads And they
- Isaiah 58:2 Lit. me day and day; so 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsad MT read me day, day
- Isaiah 58:3 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX MT lack they ask
- Isaiah 58:3 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab LXX; MT reads ourself
- Isaiah 58:3 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX MT lack they ask
- Isaiah 58:4 So 1QIsab 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack for
- Isaiah 58:5 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT LXX read and for lying
- Isaiah 58:5 So 1QIsaa 4QIsad LXX (pl.); 1QIsab MT (sing.)
- Isaiah 58:5 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT reads and an
- Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack the
- Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack that
- Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack and
- Isaiah 58:6 So 1QIsaa MT; 1QIsab 4QIsad LXX lack and
- Isaiah 58:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack with clothing
- Isaiah 58:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read to hide yourself; LXX reads to disregard
- Isaiah 58:8 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab LXX; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 58:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT lack and
- Isaiah 58:11 1QIsaa spells the word places incorrectly
- Isaiah 58:11 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT reads he; LXX reads and your bones will be strengthened
- Isaiah 58:12 Lit. the foundations of many generations
- Isaiah 58:12 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read you will be called
- Isaiah 58:13 So 1QIsaa 4QIsan; 1QIsab MT lack from
- Isaiah 58:13 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsan; MT LXX lack and
- Isaiah 58:13 So 1QIsaa 4QIsan MT; 1QIsab reads way
- Isaiah 58:13 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT lack and
- Isaiah 58:13 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsan MT LXX lack merely idle
- Isaiah 58:14 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsan LXX; MT reads and I
- Isaiah 58:14 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab 4QIsan MT read and I
Isaiah 58
New International Version
Isaiah 58
New International Version
True Fasting
58 “Shout it aloud,(A) do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.(B)
Declare to my people their rebellion(C)
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.(D)
2 For day after day they seek(E) me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken(F) the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near(G) them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’(H) they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled(I) ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’(J)
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please(K)
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,(L)
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard(M) on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast(N) I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble(O) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed(P)
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?(Q)
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting(R) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(S)
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(T) free
and break every yoke?(U)
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry(V)
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(W)—
when you see the naked, to clothe(X) them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(Y)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(Z)
and your healing(AA) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a](AB) will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(AC)
9 Then you will call,(AD) and the Lord will answer;(AE)
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger(AF) and malicious talk,(AG)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(AH)
then your light(AI) will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.(AJ)
11 The Lord will guide(AK) you always;
he will satisfy your needs(AL) in a sun-scorched land(AM)
and will strengthen(AN) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(AO)
like a spring(AP) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(AQ)
and will raise up the age-old foundations;(AR)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(AS)
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath(AT)
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight(AU)
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,(AV)
14 then you will find your joy(AW) in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights(AX) of the land
and to feast on the inheritance(AY) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(AZ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One
International Standard Version (ISV) 
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.