Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To (A)loose the bonds of wickedness,
(B)To undo the [a]heavy burdens,
(C)To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not (D)to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are [b]cast out;
(E)When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from (F)your own flesh?
(G)Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
(H)The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.

“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The [c]pointing of the finger, and (I)speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your [d]darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you
(J)Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of [e]Streets to Dwell In.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:6 Lit. bonds of the yoke
  2. Isaiah 58:7 wandering
  3. Isaiah 58:9 Lit. sending out of
  4. Isaiah 58:10 Or gloom
  5. Isaiah 58:12 Lit. Paths

“Is not this the kind of fasting(A) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(B)
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(C) free
    and break every yoke?(D)
Is it not to share your food with the hungry(E)
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(F)
when you see the naked, to clothe(G) them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(H)
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(I)
    and your healing(J) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a](K) will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(L)
Then you will call,(M) and the Lord will answer;(N)
    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(O) and malicious talk,(P)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(Q)
then your light(R) will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.(S)
11 The Lord will guide(T) you always;
    he will satisfy your needs(U) in a sun-scorched land(V)
    and will strengthen(W) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(X)
    like a spring(Y) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(Z)
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;(AA)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(AB)
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One

The Good News of Salvation

61 “The (A)Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord (B)has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me (C)to [a]heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim (D)liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Lit. bind up

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(C) me
    to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, (A)“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 (B)Go [a]therefore and (C)make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 (D)teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am (E)with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 28:19 M omits therefore
  2. Matthew 28:20 NU omits Amen.

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.(A) 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,(B) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,(C) 20 and teaching(D) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you(E) always, to the very end of the age.”(F)

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18 “The(A) Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me [a]to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To (B)set at liberty those who are [b]oppressed;

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 4:18 NU omits to heal the brokenhearted
  2. Luke 4:18 downtrodden

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,(A)
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news(B) to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,

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The Widow’s Two Mites(A)

21 And He looked up (B)and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain (C)poor widow putting in two (D)mites.[a] So He said, “Truly I say to you (E)that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings [b]for God, but she out of her poverty put in (F)all the livelihood that she had.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 21:2 Gr. lepta, very small copper coins
  2. Luke 21:4 NU omits for God

The Widow’s Offering(A)

21 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.(B) He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”(C)

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10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, (A)the very thing which I also was eager to do.

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10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,(A) the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

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And having food and clothing, with these we shall be (A)content.

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But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.(A)

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