A   Crye ^note nowe, as loude as þu; c&abar;st. Leaue not of, lyft vp thy voyce lyke a tr&obar;pet, ∧ shewe my people theyr offences, ∧ the house of Iacob their synnes. For they seke me daylye, ∧ wyll knowe my wayes, eu&ebar; as it were a people that dyd ryght, and had not forsak&ebar; the statutes of theyr God. They argue wyth me concernynge ryght iudgement, and will be nye vnto God. ^noteWherfore fast we (saye they) and thou seest it not? we put out lyues to straytenes, and thou regardest it not?

^noteBeholde, wh&ebar; ye fast, youre lust remayneth styll: for ye do no lesse vyolence to your detters: lo, ye fast to stryfe and debate, ∧ to smyte with youre fyst without mercy. Now ye shall not fast thus that your voyce myght be hearde aboue. ^note B   Thyncke ye this fast pleaseth me, that a man shulde chasten him selfe for a daye, and to wrythe his head aboute lyke an hoope, ∧ to lye vpon the earth in an heary cloth? Shulde that be called fastynge, or a daye that pleaseth the Lorde? Doth not this fastynge rather please me, that thou ^note loose him out of bondage, that is in thy daunger: that thou breake the ooth of wycked bargaynes, that thou lett the oppressed go fre, and take from th&ebar; all maner of burth&ebar;s: ^note to deale thy bread to the hongry, ∧ bringe the poore wandringe, home into thy house, when thou seest the naked þt; thou couer him, aud hyde not thy face from thy neyghboure (and dispice not thyne awne fleashe.)

C    ^noteThen shall thy lyght breake forth as the mornyng, ∧ thy health floryshe ryght shortly: thy righteousnesse shall go before the, and the glory of the Lorde shall embrace the.

^noteThen yf thou callest, the Lorde shall answere the: yf thou cryest, he shall saye: here I am. Yee, yf thou layest awaye fr&obar; the thy burth&ebar;s, and holdest thy fingers, ∧ ceasest from blasphemous talkinge, ^note yf thou hast c&obar;passyon vpon the h&obar;grye, ∧ refreshest the troubled soule: Then shall thy lyght sprynge out in the darcknesse, ∧ thy darcknesse shalbe as þe; noone day. The lord shall euer be thy guyd, ∧ satisfie the desyre of thyne herte in þe; tyme of drougthe, ∧ fyll thy bones &wt; mary. D   Thou shalt be lyke a fresh waterd garden ^note ∧ lyke the fountayne of water, þt; neuer leaueth r&ubar;nynge. Then the places that haue euer bene waste, shalbe builded of the: there shalt thou laye a foundaci&obar; for many kynredes. Thou shalt be called the maker vp of hedges, ∧ the buylder agayne of the waye of þe; Sabboth.

Yee, yf thou turne thy fete in the ^note Sabbath, so that thou do not the thynge which pleaseth thy self in my holy daye: ∧ thou call the pleasaunt, holy, and glorious Sabbath of the Lorde, and that thou gyue him the hononoure: so that thou do not after thyne awne ymagination, nether seke thyne awne wyll, ner speake thyne awne wordes. Then shalt thou haue thy pleasure in the Lord, and I wyll carye the hye aboue the earth, and fede the wyth the herytage of Iacob thy father: for þe; Lordes awne mouth hath so promysed.

Previous section

Next section