Isaiah 59:9-15

Amplified Bible

A Confession of Wickedness

⁹
Therefore justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not overtake us.
We [expectantly] hope for light, but only see darkness;
We hope for gleam of light, but we walk in darkness and gloom.
¹⁰
We grope for a wall like the blind,
We grope like those who have no eyes.
We stumble at midday as in the twilight;
Among those who are healthy we are like dead men.
¹¹
We all groan and growl like bears,
And coo sadly like doves;
We hope for justice, but there is none,
For salvation, but it is far from us.
¹²
For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O Lord],
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And we know and recognize our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]:
¹³
Rebelling against and denying the Lord,
Turning away from [following] our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and muttering from the heart lying words.
¹⁴
Justice is pushed back,
And righteous behavior stands far away;
For truth has fallen in the city square,
And ^[a]integrity cannot enter.
¹⁵
Yes, truth is missing;
And he who turns away from evil makes himself a prey.
Now the Lord saw it,
And it ^[b]displeased Him that there was no justice.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 59:14 Lit straightforwardness.
Isaiah 59:15 Lit was evil in His eyes.

Isaiah 59:9-15

New International Version

⁹So justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;^(A)
    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
¹⁰Like the blind^(B) we grope along the wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble^(C) as if it were twilight;
    among the strong, we are like the dead.^(D)
¹¹We all growl like bears;
    we moan mournfully like doves.^(E)
We look for justice, but find none;
    for deliverance, but it is far away.

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