Isa 58:3-6, Zec 7:6, Mat 9:14-17, Mar 2:18-22, Luk 18:12 | ESV | STEP | Why have we fasted , and you see it not ? Why have we humbled ourselves , and you take no knowledge of it? Behold , in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure , and oppress all your workers .

Isaiah 58:3-6

3 ^a‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, ^{▼▼Or pursue your own business}
^cand oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5 ^dIs such the fast that I choose,
^ea day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
^fto loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps ^gof the yoke,
to let the oppressed ^{▼▼Or bruised} go free,
and to break every yoke?

Zechariah 7:6

6 ⁱAnd when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?

Matthew 9:14-17

A Question About Fasting

14 Then ^jthe disciples of John came to him, saying, ^k“Why do we and ^lthe Pharisees fast, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts add much, or often} but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, ⁿ“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? ^oThe days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and ^pthen they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old ^qwineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Mark 2:18-22

A Question About Fasting

18 Now ^rJohn’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, ^s“Why do John’s disciples and ^tthe disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, ^u“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 ^vThe days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and ^wthen they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old ^xwineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” ^{▼▼Some manuscripts omit But new wine is for fresh wineskins}

Luke 18:12

12 ^zI fast twice a week; ^aaI give tithes of all that I get.’