¶ The Lorde (by the mouthe of the Prophete) reproueth the People for theyr fastynges, whiche were full of hypo∣crysye.
CAPI. LVIII. [unspec A]
CRye nowe / as loude as thou canste. Leaue nat of, lyfte vp thy voyce lyke a trompet / and shewe my people theyr offen∣ces, and the house of Iacob theyr synnes.
For they seke me daylye / and wyll knowe my wayes / euen as it were a people that dyd ryghte / and had nat forsaken the statu∣tes of theyr God. They argue with me con∣cernynge ryght iudgement / and wyl pleate at the lawe with theyr God wherfore fast we (saye they) and thou seyste it not? we put oure lyues to straytenesse, and thou regar∣deste it nat?
Beholde, when ye faste, youre lust remay∣neth styll: for ye do no lesse vyolence to your detters: lo, ye fast to stryfe and debate / & to smyte him with youre fyste y• speaketh vnto you. Ye faste nat (as some tyme) that your [unspec B] voyce myght be hearde aboue. Thyncke ye th{is} fast pleaseth me, that a mā shuld chas¦ten hym selfe for a daye / and to wrythe hys head aboute lyke an hoke in an heary cloth and to lye vpon the earth? Shulde that be called fasting, or a day y• pleaseth the Lorde? Dothe nat thys fastynge rather please me / that thou lowse hym out of bondage, that is in thy daunger: that thou breake the othe of wycked bargaynes / that thou let the op∣pressed go fre, and take from them al maner of burthens: to deale thy bred to the hon∣gry / and brynge the poore fatherlesse home in to thy house (when thou seyst the naked that thou couer hym / and hyde not thy face from thyne owne flesshe.
‡ Then shall thy lyght breake forthe as the [unspec C] mornynge / and thy healthe floryshe ryghte shortly: thy ryghteousnesse shall go before the, and the glory of the Lorde shal enbrace the. Then yf thou calleste / the Lorde shall answere the: yf thou cryeste / he shall saye: here I am. Yea, yf thou layeste awaye thy burthens / and holdest thy fyngers / and ceaseste from blasphemous talkynge, yf thou haste compassyon vpon the hongrye / and refressheste the troubled soule: Then shall thy lyght springe out in the darcnesse, and thy darcknesse, shall be as the noone daye. The Lorde shal euer be thy gyde, and satysfye the desyre of thyne herte / and fyll thy bones with mary. Thou shalte be lyke a fresshe watred garden, and lyke the foū∣teine of water, that neuer leaueth running. [unspec D] Then the places that haue euer bene wast / shal be buylded of the: there shalte thou laye a foundacyon for many kynredes. Thou shalt be called the maker vp of hedges, and the buylder againe of the waye of the Sab∣bathe.
Yea, yf thou turne thy fete from the ‡ Sab∣bath / so that thou do nat the thynge, which pleaseth thy selfe in my holy day: then shalt thou be called vnto the pleasaunt, holy and glorious Sabbath of the Lord, where thou shalt be in honoure: so that thou do nat after thyne owne ymaginacion, nether seke thine owne wyll, nor speake thyne owne wordes. Then shalte thou haue thy pleasure in the Lorde, whiche shall carye the hye aboue the earthe / and fede the with the herytage of Iacob thy father: for y• Lordes owne mouth hath so promysed.