Isaiah 59
1 Truly, the Lord's hand has not become short, so that he is unable to give salvation; and his ear is not shut from hearing:
Behold, Adonai’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; nor his ear dull, that it can’t sh'ma ·hear obey·.
2 But your sins have come between you and your God, and by your evil doings his face has been veiled from you, so that he will give you no answer.
But your depravities (moral evils) have separated you and your God, and your habitual sins ·missing the marks· have hidden his face from you, so that he will not sh'ma ·hear obey·.
3 For your hands are unclean with blood, and your fingers with sin; your lips have said false things, and your tongue gives out deceit.
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with depravity (moral evil). Your lips have spoken lies. Your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 No one puts forward an upright cause, or gives a true decision: their hope is in deceit, and their words are false; they are with child with sin, and give birth to evil.
No one sues in righteousness, and no one pleads in truth. They trust in vanity, and speak lies. They conceive mischief, and give birth to vain striving of iniquity.
5 They give birth to snake's eggs, and make spider's threads: whoever takes their eggs for food comes to his death, and the egg which is crushed becomes a poison-snake.
They hatch adders’ eggs, 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 twisted threads will not make clothing, and their works will give them nothing for covering themselves: their works are works of sin, and violent acts are in their hands.
Their webs won’t become garments. They won’t cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of vain striving of iniquity, and acts of violence are in their hands.
7 Their feet go quickly to evil, and they take delight in the death of the upright; their thoughts are thoughts of sin; wasting and destruction are in their ways.
Their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of vain striving of iniquity. Desolation and destruction are in their paths.
8 They have no knowledge of the way of peace, and there is no sense of what is right in their behaviour: they have made for themselves ways which are not straight; whoever goes in them has no knowledge of peace.
They don’t know the way of peace; and there is no mishpat ·justice· in their ways. They have made crooked paths for themselves; whoever goes in them does not know peace.
9 For this cause our right is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us: we are looking for light, but there is only the dark; for the shining of the sun, but our way is in the night.
Therefore is mishpat ·justice· far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us. We look for light, but see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
10 We go on our way, like blind men feeling for the wall, even like those who have no eyes: we are running against things in daylight as if it was evening; our place is in the dark like dead men.
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 make noises of grief, like bears, and sad sounds like doves: we are looking for our right, but it is not there; for salvation, but it is far from us.
We all roar like bears, and moan bitterly like doves. We look for mishpat ·justice·, but there is none; for yishu'ah ·salvation·, but it is far off from us.
12 For our evil doings are increased before you, and our sins give witness against us: for our evil doings are with us, and we have knowledge of our sins:
For our rebellious breaches of relationships are multiplied before you, and our habitual sins ·missing the marks· testify against us; for our rebellious breaches of relationships are with us, and as for our depravities (moral evils), we know them:
13 We have gone against the Lord, and been false to him, turning away from our God, our words have been uncontrolled, and in our hearts are thoughts of deceit.
being rebellious, breaking away from authority thus breaking relationship and denying Adonai, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 And the right is turned back, and righteousness is far away: for good faith is not to be seen in the public places, and upright behaviour may not come into the town.
Mishpat ·Justice· is turned away backward, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has fallen in the street, and uprightness can’t enter.
15 Yes, faith is gone; and he whose heart is turned from evil comes into the power of the cruel: and the Lord saw it, and he was angry that there was no one to take up their cause.
Yes, truth is lacking; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Adonai saw it, and it displeased him that there was no mishpat ·justice·.
16 And he saw that there was no man, and was surprised that there was no one to take up their cause: so his arm gave salvation, and he made righteousness his support.
He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore his own arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness sustained him.
17 Yes, he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and salvation as a head-dress; and he put on punishment as clothing, and wrath as a robe.
He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of yishu'ah ·salvation· on his head. He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
18 He will give them the right reward of their doings, wrath to his attackers, punishment to his haters, and even on the sea-lands he will send punishment.
According to their deeds, he will repay as appropriate, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; he will repay the islands their due.
19 So they will see the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the east: for he will come like a rushing stream, forced on by a wind of the Lord.
So shall they fear Adonai’s name from the west, and his kavod ·weighty glory· from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which Adonai’s breath drives.
20 And as a saviour he will come to Zion, turning away sin from Jacob, says the Lord.
“A Redeemer will come to Zion [Mountain ridge, Marking], to those in Jacob [Supplanter] who turn from rebellious breach of relationship,” says Adonai.
21 And as for me, this is my agreement with them, says the Lord: my spirit which is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, will not go away from your mouth, or from the mouth of your seed, or from the mouth of your seed's seed, says the Lord, from now and for ever.
“As for me, this is my covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with them,” says Adonai. “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 Adonai, “from henceforth and forever.”
