Isaiah 59

1Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.footnote a

3For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

4None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

5They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.footnote bfootnote c

6Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

7Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.footnote d

8The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.footnote e

9Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

10We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

11We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

12For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;

13In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

14And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

15Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.footnote ffootnote g

16And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

17For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

18According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.footnote h

19So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.footnote i

20And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

21As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

Sin Separates Us from God

1Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,nor His ear too dull to hear. 2But your iniquities have built barriersbetween you and your God,and your sins have hidden His face from you,so that He does not hear. 3For your hands are stained with blood,and your fingers with iniquity;your lips have spoken lies,and your tongue mutters injustice.

4No one calls for justice;no one pleads his case honestly.They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies;they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. 5They hatch the eggs of vipersand weave a spider’s web.Whoever eats their eggs will die;crack one open, and a viper is hatched. 6Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing,and they cannot cover themselves with their works.Their deeds are sinful deeds,and acts of violence are in their hands.

7Their feet run to evil;they are swift to shed innocent blood.Their thoughts are sinful thoughts;ruin and destructionfootnote alie in their wake. 8The way of peace they have not known,footnote band there is no justice in their tracks.They have turned them into crooked paths;no one who treads on them will know peace.

9Therefore justice is far from us,and righteousness does not reach us.We hope for light, but there is darkness;for brightness, but we walk in gloom. 10Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall,groping like those without eyes.We stumble at midday as in the twilight;among the vigorous we are like the dead. 11We all growl like bearsand moan like doves.We hope for justice, but find none,for salvation, but it is far from us.

12For our transgressions are multiplied before You,and our sins testify against us.Our transgressions are indeed with us,and we know our iniquities: 13rebelling and denying the LORD,turning away from our God,speaking oppression and revolt,conceiving and uttering lies from the heart. 14So justice is turned away,and righteousness stands at a distance.For truth has stumbled in the public square,and honesty cannot enter. 15Truth is missing,and whoever turns from evil becomes prey.The LORD looked and was displeasedfootnote cthat there was no justice. 16He saw that there was no man;He was amazed that there was no one to intercede.So His own arm brought salvation,and His own righteousness sustained Him. 17He put on righteousness like a breastplate,and the helmet of salvation on His head;He put on garments of vengeanceand wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.

The Covenant of the Redeemer

18So He will repay according to their deeds:fury to His enemies,retribution to His foes,and recompense to the islands.footnote d 19So shall they fear the name of the LORDwhere the sun sets,and His glory where it rises.For He will come like a raging flood,driven by the breath of the LORD.footnote e

20“The Redeemer will come to Zion,to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,footnote f”declares the LORD.

21“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,”footnote g says the LORD. “My Spirit will not depart from you,footnote h and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and grandchildren, from now on and forevermore,” says the LORD.