Isaiah 58

• 1. "Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Tell my people Israel of their sins!
• 2. Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to hear my laws. You would almost think this was a righteous nation that would never abandon its God. They love to make a show of coming to me and asking me to take action on their behalf.
• 3. `We have fasted before you!' they say. `Why aren't you impressed? We have done much penance, and you don't even notice it!'"I will tell you why! It's because you are living for yourselves even while you are fasting. You keep right on oppressing your workers.
• 4. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.
• 5. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like a blade of grass in the wind. You dress in sackcloth and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD?
• 6. "No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you. Treat them fairly and give them what they earn.
• 7. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
• 8. "If you do these things, your salvation will come like the dawn. Yes, your healing will come quickly. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.
• 9. Then when you call, the LORD will answer. `Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply. "Stop oppressing the helpless and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
• 10. Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day.
• 11. The LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
• 12. Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
• 13. "Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD's holy day. Honor the LORD in everything you do, and don't follow your own desires or talk idly. If you do this,
• 14. the LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and give you your full share of the inheritance I promised to Jacob, your ancestor. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

Isaiah 59

• 1. Listen! The LORD is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call.
• 2. But there is a problem--your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
• 3. Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your mouth is full of lies, and your lips are tainted with corruption.
• 4. No one cares about being fair and honest. Their lawsuits are based on lies. They spend their time plotting evil deeds and then doing them.
• 5. They spend their time and energy spinning evil plans that end up in deadly actions.
• 6. They cheat and shortchange everyone. Nothing they do is productive; all their activity is filled with sin. Violence is their trademark.
• 7. Their feet run to do evil, and they rush to commit murder. They think only about sinning. Wherever they go, misery and destruction follow them.
• 8. They do not know what true peace is or what it means to be just and good. They continually do wrong, and those who follow them cannot experience a moment's peace.
• 9. It is because of all this evil that deliverance is far from us. That is why God doesn't punish those who injure us. No wonder we are in darkness when we expected light. No wonder we are walking in the gloom.
• 10. No wonder we grope like blind people and stumble along. Even at brightest noontime, we fall down as though it were dark. No wonder we are like corpses when compared to vigorous young men!
• 11. We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for justice, but it is nowhere to be found. We look to be rescued, but it is far away from us.
• 12. For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are.
• 13. We know that we have rebelled against the LORD. We have turned our backs on God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies.
• 14. Our courts oppose people who are righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth falls dead in the streets, and fairness has been outlawed.
• 15. Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who tries to live a godly life is soon attacked. The LORD looked and was displeased to find that there was no justice.
• 16. He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his mighty power and justice.
• 17. He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with the robes of vengeance and godly fury.
• 18. He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes in distant lands.
• 19. Then at last they will respect and glorify the name of the LORD throughout the world. For he will come like a flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD.
• 20. "The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem, "says the LORD, "to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins.
• 21. And this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I, the LORD, have spoken!

Isaiah 60

• 1. "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the LORD is shining upon you.
• 2. Darkness as black as night will cover all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD will shine over you.
• 3. All nations will come to your light. Mighty kings will come to see your radiance.
• 4. "Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home.
• 5. Your eyes will shine, and your hearts will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands.
• 6. Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. From Sheba they will bring gold and incense for the worship of the LORD.
• 7. The flocks of Kedar will be given to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars. In that day I will make my Temple glorious.
• 8. "And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel, like doves to their nests?
• 9. They are the ships of Tarshish, reserved to bring the people of Israel home. They will bring their wealth with them, and it will bring great honor to the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he will fill you with splendor.
• 10. "Foreigners will come to rebuild your cities. Kings and rulers will send you aid. For though I have destroyed you in my anger, I will have mercy on you through my grace.
• 11. Your gates will stay open around the clock to receive the wealth of many lands. The kings of the world will be led as captives in a victory procession.
• 12. For the nations that refuse to be your allies will be destroyed.
• 13. The glory of Lebanon will be yours--the forests of cypress, fir, and pine--to beautify my sanctuary. My Temple will be glorious!
• 14. "The children of your tormentors will come and bow before you. Those who despised you will kiss your feet. They will call you the City of the LORD, and Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
• 15. "Though you were once despised and hated and rebuffed by all, you will be beautiful forever. You will be a joy to all generations, for I will make you so.
• 16. Powerful kings and mighty nations will bring the best of their goods to satisfy your every need. You will know at last that I, the LORD, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
• 17. I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. Peace and righteousness will be your leaders!
• 18. Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.
• 19. "No longer will you need the sun or moon to give you light, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and he will be your glory.
• 20. The sun will never set; the moon will not go down. For the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.
• 21. All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory.
• 22. The smallest family will multiply into a large clan. The tiniest group will become a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will bring it all to pass at the right time."

New Living Translation: 256 of 324 days.