Isaiah 59

1 Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:2 but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue muttereth wickedness.4 None sueth in righteousness, and none pleadeth in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.5 They hatch adders’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth; and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths.8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein doth not know peace.9 Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.10 We grope for the wall like the blind; yea, we grope as they that have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among them that are lusty we are as dead men.11 We roar all like bears, and moan sore like doves: we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:13 transgressing and denying Jehovah, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.14 And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter.15 Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him.17 And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.19 So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth.20 And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Jehovah.21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever.

ISAIAH 59

Social Injustice //Is Condemned

1 The [Lord] hasn't lost
his powerful strength;
he can still hear
and answer prayers.

2 Your sins are the roadblock
between you and your God.
That's why he doesn't answer
your prayers
or let you see his face.

3 Your talk is filled with lies
and plans for violence;
every finger on your hands
is covered with blood.

4 You falsely accuse others
and tell lies in court;
sin and trouble are the names
of your children.

5 You eat the deadly eggs
of poisonous snakes,
and more snakes crawl out
from the eggs left to hatch.
You weave spider webs,

6 but you can't make clothes
with those webs
or hide behind them.
You're sinful and brutal.

7  t You hurry off to do wrong
or murder innocent victims.
All you think about is sin;
you leave ruin and destruction
wherever you go.

8 You don't know how
to live in peace
or to be fair with others.
The roads you make are crooked;
your followers cannot find peace.

The People Confess //Their Sins

9 No one has come to defend us
or to bring about justice.
We hoped for a day of sunshine,
but all we found
was a dark, gloomy night.

10 We feel our way along,
as if we were blind;
we stumble at noon,
as if it were night.
We can see no better
than someone dead.t

11 We growl like bears
and mourn like doves.
We hope for justice and victory,
but they escape us.

12 How often have we sinned
and turned against you,
the [Lord] God?
Our sins condemn us!
We have done wrong.

13 We have rebelled and refused
to follow you.
Our hearts were deceitful,
and so we lied;
we planned to abuse others
and turn our backs on you.

14 Injustice is everywhere;
justice seems far away.
Truth is chased out of court;
honesty is shoved aside.

15 Everyone tells lies;
those who turn from crime
end up ruined.

The [Lord] Will Rescue //His People

16  t It disgusted him even more
to learn that no one
would do a thing about it.
So with his own powerful arm,
he won victories for truth.

17  t Justice was the [Lord]'s armor;
saving power was his helmet;
anger and revenge
were his clothes.

18 Now the [Lord] will get furious
and do to his enemies,
both near and far,
what they did to his people.

19 He will attack like a flood
in a mighty windstorm.
Nations in the west and the east
will then honor and praise
his wonderful name.

20  t The [Lord] has promised to rescue
the city of Zion
and Jacob's descendants
who turn from sin.

21 The [Lord] says: “My people,
I promise to give you my Spirit
and my message.
These will be my gifts to you
and your families forever.
I, the [Lord], have spoken.”