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Isaiah 59-61
English Standard Version
Isaiah 59-61
English Standard Version
Evil and Oppression
59 Behold, (A)the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 (B)but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
3 (C)For your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 (D)No one enters suit justly;
no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
(E)they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
5 They hatch adders' eggs;
they weave the spider's web;
he who eats their eggs dies,
and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.
6 (F)Their webs will not serve as clothing;
men will not cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds of violence are in their hands.
7 (G)Their feet run to evil,
and they are swift to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
desolation and destruction are in their highways.
8 The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their paths;
they have made their roads crooked;
(H)no one who treads on them knows peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not overtake us;
(I)we hope for light, and behold, darkness,
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 (J)We grope for the wall like the blind;
we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
(K)among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
11 We all growl like bears;
(L)we moan and moan like doves;
(M)we hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing, and denying the Lord,
and turning back from following our God,
(N)speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
Judgment and Redemption
14 (O)Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
The Lord saw it, and it displeased him[a]
that there was no justice.
16 (P)He saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.
17 (Q)He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in (R)zeal as a cloak.
18 (S)According to their deeds, so will he repay,
wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
(T)to the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 (U)So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun;
(V)for he will come like a rushing stream,[b]
which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 (W)“And (X)a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.
21 “And as for me, (Y)this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, (Z)and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”
The Future Glory of Israel
60 (AA)Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and (AB)the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 (AC)And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 (AD)Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
(AE)your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
5 Then you shall see and (AF)be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,[c]
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
(AG)the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of (AH)Midian and (AI)Ephah;
all those from (AJ)Sheba shall come.
(AK)They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of (AL)Kedar shall be gathered to you;
the rams of (AM)Nebaioth shall minister to you;
(AN)they shall come up with acceptance on my altar,
(AO)and I will beautify my beautiful house.
8 Who are these that fly like a cloud,
and (AP)like doves to their windows?
9 For (AQ)the coastlands shall hope for me,
(AR)the ships of Tarshish first,
(AS)to bring your children from afar,
their silver and gold with them,
for the name of the Lord your God,
and for the Holy One of Israel,
because (AT)he has made you beautiful.
10 (AU)Foreigners shall build up your walls,
and (AV)their kings shall minister to you;
for in my wrath I struck you,
but in my favor I have had mercy on you.
11 (AW)Your gates shall be open continually;
day and night they shall not be shut,
(AX)that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations,
with their kings led in procession.
12 (AY)For the nation and kingdom
that will not serve you shall perish;
those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
13 (AZ)The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
the cypress, the plane, and (BA)the pine,
to beautify the place of my sanctuary,
and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 (BB)The sons of those who afflicted you
shall come bending low to you,
(BC)and all who despised you
shall bow down at your feet;
(BD)they shall call you the City of the Lord,
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 (BE)Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one passing through,
(BF)I will make you majestic forever,
a joy from age to age.
16 (BG)You shall suck the milk of nations;
you shall nurse at the breast of kings;
and you shall know that (BH)I, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, (BI)the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
and instead of iron I will bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
instead of stones, iron.
I will make your overseers peace
(BJ)and your taskmasters righteousness.
18 (BK)Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders;
(BL)you shall call your walls Salvation,
and your gates Praise.
19 (BM)The sun shall be no more
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give you light;[d]
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.[e]
20 Your sun shall no more go down,
nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and (BN)your days of mourning shall be ended.
21 (BO)Your people shall all be righteous;
(BP)they shall possess the land forever,
(BQ)the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,
that I might be glorified.[f]
22 (BR)The least one shall become a clan,
and the smallest one a mighty nation;
(BS)I am the Lord;
in its time I will hasten it.
The Year of the Lord's Favor
61 (BT)The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has (BU)anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;[g]
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and (BV)the opening of the prison to those who are bound;[h]
2 (BW)to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
(BX)and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
(BY)to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
(BZ)the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
(CA)that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, (CB)that he may be glorified.[i]
4 (CC)They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
5 (CD)Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 (CE)but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
(CF)you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
7 (CG)Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy.
8 (CH)For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;[j]
(CI)I will faithfully give them their recompense,
(CJ)and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
10 (CK)I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
(CL)for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself (CM)like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
(CN)and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause (CO)righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:15 Hebrew and it was evil in his eyes
- Isaiah 59:19 Hebrew a narrow river
- Isaiah 60:5 Hebrew your heart shall tremble and grow wide
- Isaiah 60:19 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Targum add by night
- Isaiah 60:19 Or your beauty
- Isaiah 60:21 Or that I might display my beauty
- Isaiah 61:1 Or afflicted
- Isaiah 61:1 Or the opening [of the eyes] to those who are blind; Septuagint and recovery of sight to the blind
- Isaiah 61:3 Or that he may display his beauty
- Isaiah 61:8 Or robbery with a burnt offering
Isaiah 59-61
New International Version
Isaiah 59-61
New International Version
Sin, Confession and Redemption
59 Surely the arm(A) of the Lord is not too short(B) to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.(C)
2 But your iniquities have separated(D)
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.(E)
3 For your hands are stained with blood,(F)
your fingers with guilt.(G)
Your lips have spoken falsely,(H)
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4 No one calls for justice;(I)
no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely(J) on empty arguments, they utter lies;(K)
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.(L)
5 They hatch the eggs of vipers(M)
and spin a spider’s web.(N)
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.(O)
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and acts of violence(P) are in their hands.
7 Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood.(Q)
They pursue evil schemes;(R)
acts of violence mark their ways.(S)
8 The way of peace they do not know;(T)
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;(U)
no one who walks along them will know peace.(V)
9 So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;(W)
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10 Like the blind(X) we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble(Y) as if it were twilight;
among the strong, we are like the dead.(Z)
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves.(AA)
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses(AB) are many in your sight,
and our sins testify(AC) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:(AD)
13 rebellion(AE) and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs(AF) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,(AG)
uttering lies(AH) our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice(AI) is driven back,
and righteousness(AJ) stands at a distance;
truth(AK) has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth(AL) is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.(AM)
16 He saw that there was no one,(AN)
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;(AO)
so his own arm achieved salvation(AP) for him,
and his own righteousness(AQ) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,(AR)
and the helmet(AS) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments(AT) of vengeance(AU)
and wrapped himself in zeal(AV) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
so will he repay(AW)
wrath to his enemies
and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands(AX) their due.
19 From the west,(AY) people will fear the name of the Lord,
and from the rising of the sun,(AZ) they will revere his glory.(BA)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath(BB) of the Lord drives along.[a]
20 “The Redeemer(BC) will come to Zion,(BD)
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”(BE)
declares the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant(BF) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,(BG) who is on you, will not depart from you,(BH) and my words that I have put in your mouth(BI) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.
The Glory of Zion
60 “Arise,(BJ) shine, for your light(BK) has come,
and the glory(BL) of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness(BM) covers the earth
and thick darkness(BN) is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations(BO) will come to your light,(BP)
and kings(BQ) to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble(BR) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,(BS)
and your daughters(BT) are carried on the hip.(BU)
5 Then you will look and be radiant,(BV)
your heart will throb and swell with joy;(BW)
the wealth(BX) on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels(BY) will cover your land,
young camels of Midian(BZ) and Ephah.(CA)
And all from Sheba(CB) will come,
bearing gold and incense(CC)
and proclaiming the praise(CD) of the Lord.
7 All Kedar’s(CE) flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings(CF) on my altar,(CG)
and I will adorn my glorious temple.(CH)
8 “Who are these(CI) that fly along like clouds,(CJ)
like doves to their nests?
9 Surely the islands(CK) look to me;
in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[b](CL)
bringing(CM) your children from afar,
with their silver and gold,(CN)
to the honor(CO) of the Lord your God,
the Holy One(CP) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.(CQ)
10 “Foreigners(CR) will rebuild your walls,
and their kings(CS) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
in favor(CT) I will show you compassion.(CU)
11 Your gates(CV) will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations(CW)—
their kings(CX) led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve(CY) you will perish;
it will be utterly ruined.(CZ)
13 “The glory of Lebanon(DA) will come to you,
the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,(DB)
to adorn my sanctuary;(DC)
and I will glorify the place for my feet.(DD)
14 The children of your oppressors(DE) will come bowing before you;
all who despise you will bow down(DF) at your feet
and will call you the City(DG) of the Lord,
Zion(DH) of the Holy One(DI) of Israel.
15 “Although you have been forsaken(DJ) and hated,
with no one traveling(DK) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride(DL)
and the joy(DM) of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed(DN) at royal breasts.
Then you will know(DO) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(DP)
your Redeemer,(DQ) the Mighty One of Jacob.(DR)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,(DS)
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace(DT) your governor
and well-being your ruler.(DU)
18 No longer will violence(DV) be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction(DW) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation(DX)
and your gates Praise.(DY)
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,(DZ)
and your God will be your glory.(EA)
20 Your sun(EB) will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow(EC) will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous(ED)
and they will possess(EE) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,(EF)
the work of my hands,(EG)
for the display of my splendor.(EH)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.(EI)
I am the Lord;
in its time I will do this swiftly.”(EJ)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61 The Spirit(EK) of the Sovereign Lord(EL) is on me,
because the Lord has anointed(EM) me
to proclaim good news(EN) to the poor.(EO)
He has sent me to bind up(EP) the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom(EQ) for the captives(ER)
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[c]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(ES)
and the day of vengeance(ET) of our God,
to comfort(EU) all who mourn,(EV)
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(EW) of beauty
instead of ashes,(EX)
the oil(EY) of joy
instead of mourning,(EZ)
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting(FA) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.(FB)
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins(FC)
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers(FD) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests(FE) of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(FF) of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame(FG)
you will receive a double(FH) portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(FI) a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy(FJ) will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;(FK)
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant(FL) with them.
9 Their descendants(FM) will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”(FN)
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices(FO) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,(FP)
as a bridegroom adorns his head(FQ) like a priest,
and as a bride(FR) adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden(FS) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness(FT)
and praise spring up before all nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight
- Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships
- Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.