“Is not this the fast that I choose:
    (A)to loose the bonds of wickedness,
    to undo the straps (B)of the yoke,
to let the oppressed[a] go free,
    and to break every yoke?
Is it not (C)to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
    (D)and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
(E)Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
    (F)and your healing shall spring up speedily;
(G)your righteousness shall go before you;
    (H)the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away (I)the yoke from your midst,
    (J)the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 (K)if you pour yourself out for the hungry
    and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
(L)then shall your light rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
    and satisfy your desire in scorched places
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be (M)like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters do not fail.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:6 Or bruised

Is not this the tzom that I have chosen? To loose the chartzubbot resha (chains of wickedness, injustice), to undo the aguddot motah (bindings of the yoke bar), and to let the retzutzim (oppressed ones) go as chafeshim (free ones), and that ye break kol motah (every yoke of oppression)?

Is it not paras lechem (breaking bread of thine, i.e., serving food) to the hungry, and that thou bring the homeless aniyyim (poor) to thy bais? When thou seest the arom (naked), that thou cover him with clothing; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own basar (flesh and blood, kinspeople)?

Then shall thy light break forth like the shachar (dawn), and thine healing titzmach (shall spring forth; Tzemach) speedily; and thy tzedek shall go before thee; the kavod Hashem shall be thy rearguard.

Then shalt thou call, and Hashem shall answer; thou shalt cry for help, and He shall say, Hineni! If thou remove from the midst of thee the motah (yoke), the pointing of the etzba (finger [of contempt]) and speaking aven (evil, lashon hora);

10 And if thou draw out thy nefesh to the hungry, and satisfy the nefesh of the afflicted, then shall thy ohr rise in choshech, and thy darkness shall be as the noon;

11 And Hashem shall guide thee tamid, and satisfy thy nefesh in drought, and strengthen thy atzmot; and thou shalt be like a gan raveh (well-watered garden), and like a motzah mayim (spring of water), whose mayim fail not.

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