Isaiah 59
Lexham English Bible
Rampant Transgression
59 Look! The hand of Yahweh is not too short to save,[a]
and his ear is not too dull to hear.[b]
2 Rather, your iniquities have been barriers[c] between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity.
Your lips have spoken lies,
your tongue speaks wickedness.
4 There is nobody who pleads with[d] justice,
and there is nobody who judges with honesty.
They rely on nothing
and speak vanity.
They conceive trouble
and beget iniquity;
5 they hatch viper eggs,
and they weave a spider web.
One who eats their eggs dies,
and that which is pressed is hatched as a serpent.
6 Their webs cannot become clothing,
and they cannot cover themselves with their works.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds[e] of violence are in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
and they hasten to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
devastation and destruction are in their highways.
8 They do not know the way of peace,
and there is no justice in their firm paths.
They have made their paths crooked for themselves;
everyone who walks[f] in it knows no peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We wait for light, but[g] look! there is darkness;
for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
10 We grope like the blind along a wall,
and we grope as without[h] eyes.
We stumble at noon as in the twilight;
among the strong we are like the dead.
11 We all groan like bears,
and we coo mutteringly like doves.
We wait for justice, but[i] there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are numerous before you,
and our sins testify[j] against us.
Indeed, our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing and denying Yahweh,
and turning away from following[k] our God;
speaking oppression and falsehood,
conceiving and uttering words of deception from the heart.
14 And justice is pushed back,
and righteousness stands afar;
for truth stumbles in the public square,
and straightforwardness is unable to enter,
15 and truth is missing,
and he who turns aside from evil is plundered.
And Yahweh saw,
and it was displeasing in his eyes that there was no justice
16 And he saw that there was no man,
and he was appalled that there was no one who intercedes,
so[l] his arm came to assist him,
and his righteousness was what[m] sustained him.
17 And he put on righteousness like a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head,
and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a robe.
18 According to deeds, so he will repay;
wrath to his enemies, requital to those who are his enemies.[n]
He will repay requital to the coastlands.
19 So[o] they shall fear the name of Yahweh from the west,
and his glory from the sunrise,
for he will come like a narrow stream;
the wind of Yahweh drives it on.
20 “And a redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn away from transgression,”
declares[p] Yahweh.
21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahweh:
my spirit that is upon you,
and my words that I have placed in your mouth
shall not depart from your mouth,
or[q] from the mouths[r] of your children,[s]
or[t] from the mouths[u] of your children’s children,”[v]
says Yahweh, “from now on and forever.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:1 Literally “from saving”
- Isaiah 59:1 Literally “from hearing”
- Isaiah 59:2 Literally “dividers”
- Isaiah 59:4 Literally “calling in”
- Isaiah 59:6 Hebrew “deed”
- Isaiah 59:8 Literally “walking”
- Isaiah 59:9 Or “and”
- Isaiah 59:10 Literally “like there are no”
- Isaiah 59:11 Or “and”
- Isaiah 59:12 Or “answers”
- Isaiah 59:13 Literally “back from behind”
- Isaiah 59:16 Or “and”
- Isaiah 59:16 Literally “it”
- Isaiah 59:18 Literally “hostile”
- Isaiah 59:19 Or “And”
- Isaiah 59:20 Literally “declaration of”
- Isaiah 59:21 Or “and”
- Isaiah 59:21 Hebrew “mouth”
- Isaiah 59:21 Literally “offspring”
- Isaiah 59:21 Or “and”
- Isaiah 59:21 Hebrew “mouth”
- Isaiah 59:21 Literally “the offspring of your offspring”
Isaiah 59
Christian Standard Bible
Sin and Redemption
59 Indeed, the Lord’s arm is not too weak to save,(A)
and his ear is not too deaf to hear.
2 But your iniquities(B) are separating you
from your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you(C)
so that he does not listen.(D)
3 For your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers, with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies,
and your tongues mutter injustice.
4 No one makes claims justly;
no one pleads honestly.
They trust in empty and worthless words;
they conceive trouble and give birth to iniquity.(E)
5 They hatch viper’s eggs
and weave spider’s webs.
Whoever eats their eggs will die;
crack one open, and a viper is hatched.
6 Their webs cannot become clothing,
and they cannot cover themselves with their works.
Their works are sinful works,
and violent acts are in their hands.
7 Their feet run after evil,(F)
and they rush to shed innocent blood.(G)
Their thoughts are sinful thoughts;(H)
ruin and wretchedness are in their paths.
8 They have not known the path of peace,(I)
and there is no justice in their ways.
They have made their roads crooked;
no one who walks on them will know peace.(J)
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We hope for light, but there is darkness;
for brightness, but we live in the night.
10 We grope along a wall like the blind;
we grope like those without eyes.(K)
We stumble at noon as though it were twilight;
we are like the dead among those who are healthy.
11 We all growl like bears
and moan like doves.(L)
We hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions have multiplied before you,(M)
and our sins testify against us.(N)
For our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:(O)
13 transgression and deception against the Lord,
turning away from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.
14 Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far off.
For truth has stumbled in the public square,
and honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is missing,
and whoever turns from evil is plundered.
The Lord saw that there was no justice,
and he was offended.
16 He saw that there was no man—
he was amazed that there was no one interceding;(P)
so his own arm brought salvation,
and his own righteousness supported him.
17 He put on righteousness as body armor,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;(Q)
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.(R)
18 So he will repay according to their deeds:(S)
fury to his enemies,
retribution to his foes,
and he will repay the coasts and islands.
19 They will fear the name of the Lord in the west
and his glory in the east;[a](T)
for he will come like a rushing stream(U)
driven by the wind of the Lord.
20 “The Redeemer(V) will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”(W)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,”(X) says the Lord: “My Spirit who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth,(Y) will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- 59:19 Lit sunrise
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