[Sidenote:  Isa. 58:2-4]
Cry with full throat, be not silent! 
Like a trumpet lift up thy voice,
Make known to my people their transgression,
And to the house of Jacob their sin. 
Me indeed they consult daily,
And to know my ways is their delight. 
As a nation that hath done righteousness,
And hath not forsaken the law of its God! 
They ask me regarding righteous judgments,
To draw near to God is their delight! 
’Why have we fasted and thou seest not,
Mortified ourselves and thou dost not notice?’
Behold, on your fast day ye follow your own pleasure,
And ye exact all money lent on pledge. 
Behold ye fast for strife and contention,
And to smite the poor with the fist. 
Your fasting to-day is not such
As to make your voice heard on high.

[Sidenote:  Cor.  Isa. 58:5-7]
Can such be the fast which I choose,
A day when a man mortifies himself? 
To droop one’s head like a bulrush,
And to lie down in sackcloth and ashes? 
Wilt thou call this a fast,
And a day acceptable to Jehovah? 
Is not this the fast that I choose: 
To loose the fetters of injustice,
To untie the bands of violence,
To set free those who are crushed,
To tear apart every yoke?

[Sidenote:  Cor.  Isa. 58:8-12]
Is it not to share thy bread with the hungry,
And to bring the wanderers to thy home? 
When thou seest the naked, to cover him,
And not hide thyself from thine own flesh? 
Then shall thy light break forth as the dawn,
Thy restoration quickly spring forth,
And thy righteousness shall go before thee,
The glory of Jehovah shall be thy reward;
Then when thou callest Jehovah will answer,
When thou criest out he will say, Here am I.
If from thy midst thou remove the yoke,
The finger of scorn, and mischievous speech,
And bestow thy bread upon the hungry,
And satisfy the soul that is afflicted;
Then shall thy light shine forth in darkness,
And thy gloom shall be as noonday,
Jehovah will lead thee continually,
And will satisfy thy soul in parched lands,
And thy strength will he renew,
Thou shalt be like a watered garden,
As a fountain whose waters fail not. 
Thy sons shall rebuild the ancient ruins,
Thou shalt rear again the foundations of olden days;
And men shall call thee, Repairer of Ruins,
Restorer of Ruined Places for Inhabiting.

[Sidenote:  Neh. 5:1-5] Then there was a loud complaint from the common people and their wives against their fellow-countrymen the Jews.  For there were those who were saying, ’We must give our sons and our daughters in pledge to secure grain that we may eat and live.’  Some also there were who were saying, ’We must mortgage our fields and our vineyards and our houses, that we may get grain because of the dearth.’  There were also those who were saying, ’We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute.  Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children; but now, we must ring our sons and our daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters have already thus been brought into bondage, neither is it in our power to help it, for our fields and our vineyards belong to the nobles.’