Isaiah 59:9-15
International Standard Version
A Commitment to Wait on God
9 “So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We wait for light, but look—there is darkness;
we wait for brightness, but we walk in deep darkness.[a]
10 Let’s grope[b] along the wall like the blind;
let us grope like those who have no eyes.
We stumble at midday as if it were twilight,
in desolate places[c] like dead people.
11 We all growl like bears;
we[d] sigh mournfully like doves.
We look for justice, but there is none,
and[e] for deliverance, but it’s far from us.
12 “For our transgressions before you are many,
and our sins testify[f] against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and as for our iniquities,
we acknowledge them:
13 they’ve rebelled[g] in[h] treachery against the Lord,
and are turning away from following our God;
and they’ve spoken[i] oppression and revolt,
and are conceiving[j] lying words from the heart.
14 I’ll drive back justice,[k]
and righteousness stands at a distance;
for truth has fallen in the public square,
and honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is missing,
and whoever turns away from evil becomes a prey.”
God Brings His Own Salvation
“Then the Lord looked, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads darknesses
- Isaiah 59:10 So 1QIsaa; MT reads We grope LXX reads They grope
- Isaiah 59:10 Or among vigorous people
- Isaiah 59:11 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and we
- Isaiah 59:11 So 1QIsaa; Not in MT LXX
- Isaiah 59:12 1QIsaa cf. LXX; MT reads sin testifies
- Isaiah 59:13 So 1QIsaa; MT reads rebellion LXX reads we have sinned
- Isaiah 59:13 Lit. and
- Isaiah 59:13 So 1QIsaa; MT reads speaking LXX reads we have spoken
- Isaiah 59:13 So 1QIsaa; MT reads conceiving and uttering; LXX reads we have conceived and thought about
- Isaiah 59:14 So 1QIsaa; MT reads Justice is driven back LXX reads We withdrew justice
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