1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
<html><b>and relate to My people their transgression</b> These are the Torah scholars, whose every inadvertent sin is counted as a transgression, for an error in study is accounted as an intentional sin. <b>and to the house of Jacob their sins</b> These are the ignorant people, whose willful sins, are accounted inadvertent.</html>
<html><b>Yet they seek Me daily</b> Like the matter that is stated (Ps. 78:36): “And they beguiled Him with their mouth.” <b>and they wish to know My ways</b> They wish to ask instructions of the wise men as if they wished to fulfill them. <b>like a nation that performed righteousness, etc.</b> In this manner they constantly ask Me ordinances of righteousness, but they do not intend to fulfill them, and when they fast and are not answered, they say, “Why have we fasted, and You did not see?” But I say, “Behold, on the day of your fast you pursue business,” all the affairs of your necessities you toil to pursue, even robbery and violence.</html>
<html><b>and [from] all your debtors</b> Heb. עַצְּבֵיכֶם [lit. your griefs.] Your debtors, who are grieved because of youyou exact payment from them on the day of your fast.</html>
<html><b>Do not fast like this day</b> like the manner of this day, to break your hearts in order that your voice be heard on high.</html>
<html><b>Is it to bend</b> Heb. הֲלָכֹף. This ‘hey’ is the interrogative. That is to say, “Perhaps I require bending the head like a fishhook (כְּאַגְמֹן)?” אַגְמֹן is a sort of bent needle with which they catch fish, and they call it ajjm in O.F. <b>Will you call this a fast</b> Heb. הֲלָזֶה. An interrogative form. Therefore, the ‘hey’ is punctuated with a ‘hataf-pattah.’</html>
<html><b>fetters</b> Heb. חַרְצֻבּוֹת, an expression of tying and binding. <b>perverseness</b> Heb. מוֹטָה, perversion of justice. <b>and all perverseness you shall eliminate</b> Heb. וְכָל מוֹטָה תְּנַתֵּקוּ. Jonathan renders: And all perversion of justice you shall eliminate.</html>
<html><b>moaning poor</b> Heb. מְרוּדִים. Sighing and moaning about their distress. Comp. (Lam. 3:19) “my affliction and my sighing (וּמְרוּדִי)”; (Ps. 55:3) “I mourn (אָרִיד) in my grief.” <b>and from your flesh</b> And from your kinsman.</html>
<html><b>as the dawn</b> Like the ray of dawn that breaks through the clouds. <b>and your healing</b> Heb. וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ, and your healing shall quickly sprout. Comp. (Jer. 30:17) “I will bring up healing (אֲרֻכָה) for you.”</html>
<html><b>And you draw out your soul to the hungry</b> with consolations of good words.</html>
<html><b>in drought</b> Heb. בְּצַחְצָחוֹת, at the time of thirst and drought. So did Jonathan render. <b>strengthen</b> Heb. יַחֲלִיף [lit. arm.] Comp. (Num. 31:5) “Armed (חֲלוּצֵי) for war.”</html>
<html><b>restorer of the paths, to dwell in</b> Heb. מְשׁוֹבֵב. Jonathan renders: restorer of the wicked to the Torah. מְשׁוֹבֵב is like מֵשִׁיב, restores. <b>to dwell</b>, to the Torah, which insures the settlement of the world.</html>
<html><b>the heritage of Jacob your father</b> An inheritance without boundaries, as it is said (Gen. 28: 14): “And you shall spread to the west and to the east, etc.” Not like Abraham, about whom it is stated (ibid. 13:15): “The land that you see…” And Jacob indeed kept the Sabbath, as it is said (ibid. 33: 18): “And he encamped before the city,” i.e., he established the Sabbath limits at twilight. So did Rabbi Samson explain it.</html>