Isaiah 59:9-15
World English Bible
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness doesn’t overtake us.
We look for light, but see darkness;
for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind.
Yes, we grope as those who have no eyes.
We stumble at noon as if it were twilight.
Among those who are strong, we are like dead men.
11 We all roar like bears
and moan bitterly like doves.
We look for justice, but there is none,
for salvation, but it is far off from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 transgressing and denying Yahweh,
and turning away from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned away backward,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has fallen in the street,
and uprightness can’t enter.
15 Yes, truth is lacking;
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
Yahweh saw it,
and it displeased him that there was no justice.
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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