58:2 They seek me day after day;
they want to know my requirements, 1
like a nation that does what is right
and does not reject the law of their God.
They ask me for just decrees;
they want to be near God.
58:3 They lament, 2 ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?
Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’
Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, 3
you oppress your workers. 4
58:6 No, this is the kind of fast I want. 5
I want you 6 to remove the sinful chains,
to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,
to set free the oppressed, 7
and to break every burdensome yoke.
58:7 I want you 8 to share your food with the hungry
and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. 9
When you see someone naked, clothe him!
Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! 10
58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; 11
your restoration will quickly arrive; 12
your godly behavior 13 will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. 14
58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;
you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’
You must 15 remove the burdensome yoke from among you
and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
1 tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”
2 tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”
4 tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.
5 tn Heb “Is this not a fast I choose?” “No” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
6 tn The words “I want you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
7 tn Heb “crushed.”
8 tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”
9 tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.
10 tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”
11 tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”
sn Light here symbolizes God’s favor and restored blessing, as the immediately following context makes clear.
12 tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”
13 tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.
14 sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.
15 tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.