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15 Truth is missing;
    anyone turning from evil is plundered.

God will intervene

The Lord looked and was upset at the absence of justice.
16 Seeing that there was no one,
    and astonished that no one would intervene,
    God’s arm brought victory,
    upheld by righteousness,
17     putting on righteousness as armor
    and a helmet of salvation on his head,
    putting on garments of vengeance,
    and wrapping himself in a cloak of zeal.
18 God will repay according to their actions:
    wrath to his foes, retribution to enemies,
    retribution to the coastlands,
19     so those in the west will fear the Lord’s name,
    and those in the east will fear God’s glory.
It will come like a rushing river
    that the Lord’s wind drives on.
20 A redeemer will come to Zion
    and to those in Jacob who stop rebelling,
    says the Lord.

21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord.
    My spirit, which is upon you,
    and my words, which I have placed in your mouth
    won’t depart from your mouth,
    nor from the mouths of your descendants,
    nor from the mouths of your descendants’ children,
    says the Lord,
    forever and always.

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15 Truth(A) is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no justice.(B)
16 He saw that there was no one,(C)
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;(D)
so his own arm achieved salvation(E) for him,
    and his own righteousness(F) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,(G)
    and the helmet(H) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments(I) of vengeance(J)
    and wrapped himself in zeal(K) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
    so will he repay(L)
wrath to his enemies
    and retribution to his foes;
    he will repay the islands(M) their due.
19 From the west,(N) people will fear the name of the Lord,
    and from the rising of the sun,(O) they will revere his glory.(P)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
    that the breath(Q) of the Lord drives along.[a]

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

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