CHAPTER 58
1 Cry thou (out), cease thou not; as a trump enhance thy voice (or lift up thy voice like a trumpet), and show thou to my people their great trespasses, and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 For they seek me from day into day, and they will (to) know my ways; as a folk, that hath done rightfulness, and that hath not forsaken the doom of their God; they pray (to) me (for the) dooms of rightfulness, and they will (to) nigh to God. (For they seek me from day to day, and they say that they delight to know my ways; like a nation that truly hath done rightfully, and hath not deserted the justice of their God; they pray to me for judgements of righteousness or they pray to me for laws that be just, or that be right, and they say that they delight to come near, or close, to God.)
3 Why fasted we, and thou beheldest not; we meeked our souls, and thou knewest not? Lo! your will is found in the day of your fasting, and ye ask all your debtors. (But they also say, Why did we fast, if thou beheldest not? why did we meek, or humble, our souls, if thou knewest not? And I replieth, Behold! ye pursue your own desires on the day of your fast, and ye oppress all your workers.)
4 Lo! ye fast to chidings and strivings, and smite with the fist wickedly, (or Behold! your fasting leadeth only to chiding and to arguments, and to wickedly striking with the fist). Do not ye fast, as ye have unto this day, (so) that your cry (can once again) be heard on high.
5 Whether such is the fasting which I choose, a man to torment his soul by (a) day? whether to bind his head as a circle, and to make ready a sackcloth and ashes (to lie upon)? Whether thou shalt call this a fasting, and a day acceptable to the Lord? (Is that the fast which I would choose, yea, a day for a person to torment his soul? to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to prepare sackcloth and ashes to lie upon? Shalt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?)
6 Whether not this is more the fasting, which I choose? Unbind thou the bindings together of unpity, either of cruelty, release thou [the] burdens pressing down; deliver thou them free, that be broken, and break thou each burden. (Rather, is not this the fast, which I would choose? To unbind the bindings up of pitilessness, or of cruelty, to release the burdens of oppression, to set free those who be broken, and to break each burden.)
7 Break thy bread to the hungry man, and bring into thine house needy men and harbourless; when thou seest a naked man, cover thou him, and despise not thy flesh, that is, brother or sister. (Yea, break thy bread with the hungry, and bring into thy house the needy and the harbourless, that is, the homeless; when thou seest a naked person, cover thou him, and despise not thy flesh, that is, thy own brother, or thy own sister.)
8 Then thy light shall break out as the morrowtide, and thine health shall rise full soon; and thy rightfulness shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee to rest. (Then thy light shall break out like the dawn, and thy healing shall come quickly; and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall protect thee.)
9 Then thou shalt call to help, and the Lord shall hear; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Lo! I am present, for I am merciful, thy Lord God, (or Then thou shalt call for help, and the Lord shall answer thee; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Behold! I am here, for I am merciful, the Lord thy God). If thou takest away the chain from the midst of thee, and ceasest to hold forth the finger, and to speak that that profiteth not;
10 when thou sheddest out thy soul, either thy will, to an hungry man, and [ful] fillest a soul that is tormented, thy light shall rise in darknesses, and thy darknesses shall be as midday. (if thou pourest out thy plenty to the hungry, and fulfillest a soul who is tormented, thy light shall rise in the darkness, and thy darkness shall be like midday.)
11 And the Lord thy God shall give ever rest to thee, and shall [ful] fill thy soul with shinings, and shall deliver thy bones; and thou shalt be as a watered garden, and as a well of waters, whose waters shall not fail. (And the Lord thy God shall guide thee forever, and shall fulfill, or shall satisfy, thy soul in the shimmering heat, and shall strengthen thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a well of water, whose waters shall not fail.)
12 And the forsaken things of (the) world’s shall be builded (again) in thee (or And thou shalt rebuild the deserted things of the world), and thou shalt raise (up) the foundaments of generation and generation; and thou shalt be called, A builder of hedges, turning away the paths of wickednesses.
13 If thou turnest away thy foot from the sabbath, to do thy [own] will in mine holy day; and callest the sabbath delicate, and holy, the glorious of the Lord; and glorifiest him, while thou doest not thy ways, and thy will is not found, that thou speak a word; (If thou ceasest turning thy foot away from the Sabbath, that is, if thou stoppest doing thy own will on my holy day; and instead callest the Sabbath a delight, yea, holy to the Lord, and glorious; and glorifiest him, while thou goest not thy own way, and thy own will is not found when thou shalt speak a word;)
14 then thou shalt delight on the Lord, and I shall raise thee [up] on the highness of the earth, and I shall feed thee with the heritage of Jacob, thy father; for why the mouth of the Lord spake. (then thou shalt delight thyself in the Lord, and I shall raise thee up on the highness of the earth, and I shall feed thee with the inheritance of thy father Jacob; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.)