Isaiah 59
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.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:15 Hebrew and it was evil in his eyes
- Isaiah 59:19 Hebrew a narrow river
Isaiah 59
New American Standard Bible
Separation from God
59 Behold, (A)the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
(B)Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.
2 But your (C)wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His [a]face from you so that He does (D)not hear.
3 For your (E)hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with wrongdoing;
Your lips have spoken (F)deceit,
Your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 (G)No one sues righteously and (H)no one pleads [b]honestly.
They (I)trust in confusion and speak lies;
They (J)conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and (K)weave the spider’s web;
The one who eats of their eggs dies,
And from what is crushed, a snake breaks out.
6 Their webs will not become clothing,
Nor will they (L)cover themselves with their works;
Their (M)works are works of wrongdoing,
And an (N)act of violence is in their [c]hands.
7 (O)Their feet run to evil,
And they hurry to shed innocent blood;
(P)Their thoughts are thoughts of wrongdoing,
Devastation and destruction are in their paths.
8 They do not know the (Q)way of peace,
And there is (R)no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,
(S)Whoever walks on [d]them does not know peace.
A Confession of Wickedness
9 Therefore (T)justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not reach us;
We (U)hope for light, but there is darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We (V)grope for the wall like people who are blind,
We grope like those who have no eyes.
We (W)stumble at midday as in the twilight;
Among those who are healthy we are (X)like the dead.
11 All of us growl like bears,
And (Y)moan sadly like doves;
We hope for (Z)justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our (AA)wrongful acts have multiplied before You,
And our (AB)sins have testified against us;
For our wrongful acts are with us,
And [e]we know our wrongdoings:
13 [f]Offending and (AC)denying the Lord,
And turning away from our God,
Speaking (AD)oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and (AE)uttering lying words from the heart.
14 (AF)Justice is turned back,
And (AG)righteousness stands far away;
For truth has stumbled in the street,
And uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
And one who turns aside from evil (AH)makes himself a prey.
Now the Lord saw,
And it was [g]displeasing in His sight (AI)that there was no justice.
16 And He saw that there was (AJ)no one,
And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His (AK)own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on (AL)righteousness like a breastplate,
And a (AM)helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on (AN)garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with (AO)zeal as a cloak.
18 (AP)According to their deeds, [h]so will He repay:
Wrath to His adversaries, [i]retribution to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will [j]deal [k]retribution.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the (AQ)west
And His glory from the (AR)rising of the sun,
For He will (AS)come like a [l]rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 “A (AT)Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those in Jacob who (AU)turn from wrongdoing,” declares the Lord.
21 “As for Me, this is My (AV)covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My (AW)Spirit who is upon you, and My (AX)words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your [m]offspring, nor from the mouth of your [n]offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:2 As in ancient versions; MT faces
- Isaiah 59:4 Lit in truth
- Isaiah 59:6 Lit palms
- Isaiah 59:8 Lit it
- Isaiah 59:12 Lit our wrongdoings we know them
- Isaiah 59:13 Or Revolting against and
- Isaiah 59:15 Or evil
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit accordingly
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit requital
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit repay
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit requital
- Isaiah 59:19 Lit narrow
- Isaiah 59:21 Lit seed
- Isaiah 59:21 Lit seed
Isaías 59
Traducción en lenguaje actual
La maldad de Israel
59 Isaías dijo:
«Dios tiene poder para salvar
y tiene buenos oídos para oír.
2 Pero la maldad de ustedes
los ha separado de Dios.
Sus pecados han hecho
que Dios se tape los oídos
y no quiera escucharlos.
3 »Ustedes tienen las manos
llenas de sangre
por los crímenes que han cometido.
Ustedes mienten y maldicen.
4 Nadie se presenta ante el juez
con buenas intenciones,
y en los juicios falta la honradez.
Confían en la mentira
y nadie dice la verdad.
Están llenos de maldad
y no lo disimulan.
5-6 »Ustedes sólo planean maldades,
y traen la muerte a todos.
Viven haciendo el mal,
y están enredados en la violencia.
7 Se apresuran a cometer crímenes
y corren a derramar sangre inocente;
a su paso quedan sólo ruinas.
8 »No son gente de paz
ni hay rectitud en sus acciones.
Su conducta está torcida,
y los que andan con ellos
tampoco vivirán en paz».
Confesión de pecados
9 El pueblo de Israel dijo:
«Por causa de nuestra maldad
la justicia no se cumple entre nosotros:
esperábamos vivir en la luz,
pero nos hemos quedado en tinieblas.
10 Caminamos como ciegos,
tocando la pared;
tropezamos en pleno mediodía
como si fuera de noche;
aunque parezcamos tener vida,
en realidad estamos muertos.
11 Nos pasamos la vida llorando,
y esperando que se nos haga justicia,
pero Dios no viene en nuestra ayuda.
12 »Hemos ofendido a Dios,
y nuestros pecados nos acusan;
nuestras maldades nos acompañan,
y reconocemos nuestras culpas.
13 Hemos sido infieles a Dios,
no lo hemos obedecido;
somos violentos y traicioneros,
y engañamos a la gente.
14-15 Nos hemos burlado de la justicia
y Dios no viene a salvarnos.
La sinceridad está por los suelos;
ya no hay honradez,
y al que hace el bien
se le quita lo que tiene».
Dios hace justicia
Isaías dijo:
«Dios se mostró muy disgustado
al ver la falta de justicia.
16 Vio con sorpresa
que esto a nadie le importaba.
Entonces decidió usar su propio poder
y así nos dio la salvación.
17 Tomó la justicia como escudo
y se puso la salvación como casco;
la venganza lo cubrió como una capa
y el enojo lo envolvió como un manto,
18 para castigar a sus enemigos
y darle a cada cual su merecido.
19 »Al ver el poder de Dios,
todo el mundo temblará de miedo,
porque Dios vendrá
con la furia de un río desbordado,
y empujado por un fuerte viento.
20 Dios vendrá a salvar
a los que viven en Jerusalén,
y a todos los israelitas
que se arrepientan de sus pecados.
Dios ha jurado que así será».
Anuncio de la salvación
21 Dios dijo:
«Yo hago un pacto con ustedes:
les prometo que mi poder,
y las enseñanzas que les he dado,
nunca se apartarán de ustedes
ni de sus descendientes».
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