Chapter 58

Cry³ aloud, spare⁴ not, lift up⁵⁴ thy voice like a trumpet, and shew⁵⁴ my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

Yet they seek⁴ me daily, ³¹¹⁷ and delight⁴ to know my ways, as a nation that did¹ righteousness, and forsook¹ not the ordinance of their God: they ask⁴ of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight⁴ in approaching to God.

Wherefore have we fasted,¹ [say they], and thou seest¹ not? [wherefore] have we afflicted¹⁴ our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?⁴ Behold, in the day of your fast ye find⁴ pleasure, and exact⁴ all your labours.

Behold, ye fast⁴ for strife and debate, and to smite⁵³ with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast⁴ as [ye do this] day, to make your voice to be heard⁵³ on high.

Is it such a fast that I have chosen?⁴ a day for a man to afflict¹⁵ his soul? [is it] to bow down² his head as a bulrush, and to spread⁵⁵ sackcloth and ashes [under him]? wilt thou call⁴ this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen?⁴ to loose¹⁵ the bands of wickedness, to undo⁵³ the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed⁷ go¹⁵ free, and that ye break¹⁷ every yoke?

[Is it] not to deal² thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring⁵⁵ the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest⁴ the naked, that thou cover¹⁴ him; and that thou hide¹⁰¹ not thyself from thine own flesh?

Then shall thy light break forth¹¹ as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth⁴ speedily: and thy righteousness shall go¹ before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.⁴

Then shalt thou call,⁴ and the LORD shall answer;⁴ thou shalt cry,¹⁷ and he shall say,⁴ Here I [am]. If thou take away⁵⁵ from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth² of the finger, and speaking¹⁵ vanity;

And [if] thou draw out⁵⁵ thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy⁵⁵ the afflicted¹² soul; then shall thy light rise¹ in obscurity, and thy darkness [be] as the noonday:

And the LORD shall guide¹ thee continually, and satisfy⁵² thy soul in drought, and make fat⁵⁵ thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail¹⁷ not.

And [they that shall be] of thee shall build¹ the old waste places: thou shalt raise up³⁴ the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called,²⁷ The repairer⁶ of the breach, The restorer³⁵ of paths to dwell in.²

If thou turn away⁵⁵ thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing² thy pleasure on my holy day; and call¹ the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable;³⁰ and shalt honour¹⁴ him, not doing² thine own ways, nor finding² thine own pleasure, nor speaking¹⁵ [thine own] words:

Then shalt thou delight¹⁰¹ thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride⁵² upon the high places of the earth, and feed⁵² thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken¹⁴ [it].