<p class="poetry">Fools mock<n id="1" /> at reparation,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">but among the upright there is favor.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">You open your hand,p> <p class="poetry">and fill every living thing with the food they desire.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">He satisfies the desire<n id="1" /> of his loyal followers;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he hears their cry for help and delivers them.p>

<p class="poetry">For the one who finds me finds<n id="1" /> lifep> <p class="poetry">and receives<n id="2" /> favor from the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">The lips of the righteous know<n id="1" /> what is pleasing,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">but the speech<n id="3" /> of the wicked is perverse.p>

<p class="poetry">The one who diligently seeks<n id="1" /> good seeks favor,p> <p class="poetry">but the one who searches<n id="2" /> for evil &#8211; it will come to him.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">A good person obtains favor from the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">but the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> condemns a person with wicked schemes.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The king shows favor<n id="1" /> to a wise<n id="2" /> servant,p> <p class="poetry">but his wrath falls<n id="3" /> on one who acts shamefully.p>

<p class="poetry">The delight of kings<n id="1" /> is righteous counsel,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and they love the one who speaks<n id="3" /> uprightly.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">The one who finds<n id="1" /> a wife finds what is enjoyable,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and receives a pleasurable gift<n id="3" /> from the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Of Naphtali he said:p> <p class="poetry">O Naphtali, overflowing with favor,p> <p class="poetry">and full of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s blessing,p> <p class="poetry">possess the west and south.p>

<p class="poetry">Certainly<n id="1" /> you reward<n id="2" /> the godly,<n id="3" /> <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">Like a shield you protect<n id="4" /> them<n id="5" /> in your good favor.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">to announce the year when the <sc>Lordsc> will show his favor,p> <p class="poetry">the day when our God will seek vengeance,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">to console all who mourn,p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, because of your great loyal love,p> <p class="poetry">answer me with your faithful deliverance!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;p> <p class="poetry">in the day of deliverance I will help you;p> <p class="poetry">I will protect you<n id="1" /> and make you a covenant mediator for people,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to rebuild<n id="3" /> the land<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and to reassign the desolate property.p>

<p class="poetry">All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;p> <p class="poetry">the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will go up on my altar acceptably,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.p>

<p class="bodytext">You also do this: You cover the altar of the <sc>Lordsc> with tears<n id="1" /> as you weep and groan, because he no longer pays any attention to the offering nor accepts it favorably from you.

<p class="poetry">Is this really the kind of fasting I want?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">bowing their heads like a reedp> <p class="poetry">and stretching out<n id="3" /> on sackcloth and ashes?p> <p class="poetry">Is this really what you call a fast,p> <p class="poetry">a day that is pleasing to the <sc>Lordsc>?p>