Isaiah 1:16

1:16 ¹ Wash! Cleanse yourselves!

Remove your sinful deeds ² 

from my sight.

Stop sinning!

Isaiah 39:7

39:7 ‘Some of your very own descendants whom you father ³  will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”

Isaiah 54:3

54:3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;

your children will conquer ⁴  nations

and will resettle desolate cities.

Isaiah 58:4

58:4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by ⁵  arguments, brawls,

and fistfights. ⁶ 

Do not fast as you do today,

trying to make your voice heard in heaven.

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¹ sn Having demonstrated the people’s guilt, the Lord calls them to repentance, which will involve concrete action in the socio-economic realm, not mere emotion.

² sn This phrase refers to Israel’s covenant treachery (cf. Deut 28:10; Jer 4:4; 21:12; 23:2, 22; 25:5; 26:3; 44:22; Hos 9:15; Ps 28:4). In general, the noun ַמעַלְלֵיכֶם (ma’alleykhem) can simply be a reference to deeds, whether good or bad. However, Isaiah always uses it with a negative connotation (cf. 3:8, 10).

³ tn Heb “Some of your sons, who go out from you, whom you father.”

⁴ tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.”

⁵ tn Heb “you fast for” (so NASB); NRSV “you fast only to quarrel.”

⁶ tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”