Translations
KJVPrimary
King James VersionIn any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.
F.O.G.Secondary
The F.O.GReturn his pledge to him at sunset, that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you — and it shall be counted as righteousness for you before YHWH your Elohim.
F.O.G.M.
F.O.G MessageReturn the pledge at sunset so he can sleep wrapped in his own cloak and bless you. It will be counted as righteousness before Yahweh your God.
BSB
Berean Standard Biblebe sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God.
Footnotes
The word צְדָקָה (tzedakah) carries a semantic range spanning righteousness, justice, and charitable generosity — by the Second Temple period it had become the primary Hebrew word for 'alms' or 'charity.' Here it appears in its most ancient covenant sense: the right ordering of human relationships under YHWH. The act of returning a poor man's cloak before nightfall is not merely kindness — it is righteous covenant conduct that YHWH Himself reckons to the lender's account. Both FOG and FOG Message render it 'righteousness,' though the covenantal frame in each translation points toward the word's later resonance as the very posture of the generous life.
