Isaiah 59

1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; ‡ Jer 32:17Isa 50:2Num 11:23Isa 65:24Gen 18:14Heb 7:25Isa 58:9Mat 13:15 +2

nor his ear dull, that it can’t hear.

2 But your iniquities have separated you and your God, ‡ Pro 15:29Jer 5:25Mic 3:4Isa 1:15Deu 31:17-18Ezk 39:23-24Deu 32:19-20Isa 57:17 +4

and your sins have hidden his face from you,

so that he will not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, ‡ Isa 1:15Ezk 13:8Jer 2:34Isa 1:21Jer 2:30Ezk 35:6Ezk 7:23Ezk 9:9 +12

and your fingers with iniquity.

Your lips have spoken lies.

Your tongue mutters wickedness.

4 No one sues in righteousness, ‡ Job 15:35Mic 7:2-5Jas 1:15Jer 7:4Jer 7:8Isa 30:12Isa 59:16Mic 2:1 +10

and no one pleads in truth.

They trust in vanity

and speak lies.

They conceive mischief

and give birth to iniquity.

5 They hatch adders’ eggs ‡ Mat 3:7Isa 14:29Job 8:14Mat 12:34Pro 23:32

and weave the spider’s web.

He who eats of their eggs dies;

and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.

6 Their webs won’t become garments. ‡ Isa 57:12Jer 6:7Rev 3:17-18Amo 3:10Amo 6:3Ezk 7:11Ezk 7:23Gen 6:11 +17

They won’t cover themselves with their works.

Their works are works of iniquity,

and acts of violence are in their hands.

7 Their feet run to evil, ‡ Pro 6:17Rom 3:15-17Mrk 7:21-22Pro 1:16Act 8:20-22Ezk 22:6Ezk 9:9Isa 59:3 +7

and they hurry to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity.

Desolation and destruction are in their paths.

8 They don’t know the way of peace; ‡ Isa 57:20-21Rom 3:17Isa 5:7Luk 1:79Psa 58:1-2Hos 4:1-2Jer 5:1Mat 23:23 +7

and there is no justice in their ways.

They have made crooked paths for themselves;

whoever goes in them doesn’t know peace.

9 Therefore justice is far from us, ‡ Isa 5:30Job 30:261Th 5:3Amo 5:18-20Hab 1:13Jer 14:19Jer 8:15Lam 5:16-17 +1

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. ‡ Deu 28:29Job 5:14Lam 3:61Jn 2:11Amo 8:9Isa 8:15Jer 13:16Jhn 11:9-10 +4

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 ‡ Isa 38:14Ezk 7:16Hos 7:14Isa 51:20Isa 59:9Jer 8:15Jer 9:1Job 30:28-29 +4

and moan sadly 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, ‡ Ezr 9:6Hos 5:5Jer 14:7Ezk 5:6Hos 4:2Isa 1:41Th 2:15-16Dan 9:5-8 +17

and our sins testify against us;

for our transgressions are with us,

and as for our iniquities, we know them:

13 transgressing and denying the LORD, ‡ Mrk 7:21-22Heb 3:12Jas 3:6Act 5:3-4Ezk 18:25Ezk 6:9Hos 1:2Hos 11:12 +25

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, ‡ Ecc 3:16Hab 1:4Amo 5:11Isa 1:21Isa 10:1-2Isa 5:23Jer 5:27-28Jer 5:31 +6

and righteousness stands far away;

for truth has fallen in the street,

and uprightness can’t enter.

15 Yes, truth is lacking; ‡ Mic 7:21Jn 3:11-12Heb 11:36-38Jer 7:28Jer 5:1-2Psa 12:1-2Psa 5:9Rom 8:36 +16

and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

The LORD saw it,

and it displeased him that there was no justice.

16 He saw that there was no man, ‡ Ezk 22:30Isa 64:7Psa 106:23Psa 98:1Isa 41:28Isa 52:10Isa 63:3-5Mrk 6:6 +3

and wondered that there was no intercessor.

Therefore his own arm brought salvation to him;

and his righteousness sustained him.

17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, ‡ Eph 6:17Eph 6:141Th 5:8Rom 13:12-14Isa 11:5Heb 10:30Isa 51:9Jhn 2:17 +11

and a helmet of salvation on his head.

He put on garments of vengeance for clothing,

and was clad with zeal as a mantle.

18 According to their deeds, ‡ Jer 17:10Isa 63:6Mat 16:27Rom 2:6Nam 1:2Isa 1:24Isa 49:25-26Isa 63:3 +15

he will repay as appropriate:

wrath to his adversaries,

recompense to his enemies.

He will repay the islands their due.

19 So they will fear the LORD’s name from the west, ‡ Dan 7:27Psa 113:3Rev 12:15-17Zec 4:6Psa 22:27Rev 17:14-15Mal 1:11Rev 12:10 +10

and his glory from the rising of the sun;

for he will come as a rushing stream,

which the LORD’s breath drives.

20 “A Redeemer will come to Zion, ‡ Rom 11:26-27Tit 2:11-14Act 3:19Ezk 18:30-31Heb 12:14Jol 2:32Oba 1:17-21Act 26:20 +5

and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacob,” says the LORD.

21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your offspring, nor out of the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now on and forever.” ‡ Jer 31:31-34Heb 10:16Ezk 36:25-27Jer 32:38-41Heb 8:6-132Co 3:17-18Isa 51:16Isa 44:3 +16