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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 [a]paths. 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.

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; [b]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 [c]no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him. 17 And he put on righteousness as a [d]breastplate, and [e]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 [f]deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the [g]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; [h]for he will come as [i]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.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 59:7 Or, highways
  2. Isaiah 59:10 Or, we are in dark places like the dead
  3. Isaiah 59:16 Or, none to interpose
  4. Isaiah 59:17 Or, coat of mail
  5. Isaiah 59:17 Or, salvation for a helmet
  6. Isaiah 59:18 Hebrew recompenses.
  7. Isaiah 59:18 Or, coast-lands
  8. Isaiah 59:19 Or, when the adversary shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of Jehovah will lift up a standard against him
  9. Isaiah 59:19 Hebrew a stream pent in.

Their feet rush into sin;
    they are swift to shed innocent blood.(A)
They pursue evil schemes;(B)
    acts of violence mark their ways.(C)
The way of peace they do not know;(D)
    there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;(E)
    no one who walks along them will know peace.(F)

So justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;(G)
    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10 Like the blind(H) we grope along the wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble(I) as if it were twilight;
    among the strong, we are like the dead.(J)
11 We all growl like bears;
    we moan mournfully like doves.(K)
We look for justice, but find none;
    for deliverance, but it is far away.

12 For our offenses(L) are many in your sight,
    and our sins testify(M) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
    and we acknowledge our iniquities:(N)
13 rebellion(O) and treachery against the Lord,
    turning our backs(P) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,(Q)
    uttering lies(R) our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice(S) is driven back,
    and righteousness(T) stands at a distance;
truth(U) has stumbled in the streets,
    honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth(V) is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no justice.(W)
16 He saw that there was no one,(X)
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;(Y)
so his own arm achieved salvation(Z) for him,
    and his own righteousness(AA) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,(AB)
    and the helmet(AC) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments(AD) of vengeance(AE)
    and wrapped himself in zeal(AF) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
    so will he repay(AG)
wrath to his enemies
    and retribution to his foes;
    he will repay the islands(AH) their due.
19 From the west,(AI) people will fear the name of the Lord,
    and from the rising of the sun,(AJ) they will revere his glory.(AK)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
    that the breath(AL) of the Lord drives along.[a]

20 “The Redeemer(AM) will come to Zion,(AN)
    to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”(AO)
declares the Lord.

21 “As for me, this is my covenant(AP) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,(AQ) who is on you, will not depart from you,(AR) and my words that I have put in your mouth(AS) 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight