Isaiah 59

1 Look, YHWH's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither his ear heavy, that it can't hear:

Look, Yahweh's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor his ear so dull, that it cannot hear.

2 but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Your sinful acts, however, have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face from you and from hearing you.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.

For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin. Your lips speak lies and your tongue speaks maliciously.

4 None sues in righteousness, and none pleads in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

No one calls in righteousness, and none pleads his case in truth. They trust in empty words, and tell lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to sin.

5 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.

They hatch eggs of a poisonous snake and weave a spider's web. Whoever eats of their eggs dies, and if an egg is crushed, it hatches into a poisonous snake.

6 Their 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.

Their webs cannot be used for garments, nor can they cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of sin, and deeds of violence are in their hands.

7 Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; destruction and calamity are in their paths.

Their feet run to evil, and they run to pour out innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of sin; violence and destruction are their roads.

8 The way of peace they do not know; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whoever goes in it does not know peace.

The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths. They have made crooked paths; whoever travels these paths does not know peace.

9 Therefore is justice far from us, neither does righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, look, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.

Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness reach us. We wait for light, but see darkness; we look for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

10 We grope for the wall like the blind; yes, we grope as those who have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among those who are lusty we are as dead men.

We grope for the wall like the blind, like those who cannot see. We stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among the strong we are like dead men.

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

We growl like bears and moan like doves; we wait for justice, but there is none; for rescue, but it is far 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:

For our many transgressions are before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our sins.

13 transgressing and denying YHWH, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

We have rebelled, denying Yahweh and turning away from following our God. We have spoken extortion and turning aside, conceived complaining from the heart and words of lying.

14 Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness can't enter.

Justice is driven back, and righteousness stands far off; for truth stumbles in the public square, and right cannot come.

15 Yes, truth is lacking; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. YHWH saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

Trustworthiness has gone away, and he who turns away from evil makes himself a victim. Yahweh saw it and was displeased that there was no justice.

16 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, it upheld him.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intervene. Therefore his own arm brought salvation for him, and his righteousness sustained him.

17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.

He put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation upon his head. He clothed himself with garments of vengeance and wore zeal as a mantle.

18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.

He repaid them for what they had done, angry judgment to his adversaries, vengeance to his enemies, to the islands punishment as their reward.

19 So shall they fear the name of YHWH from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of YHWH drives.

So they will fear the name of Yahweh from the west, and his glory from the sun's rising; for he will come as a rushing stream, driven by the breath of Yahweh.

20 "A Redeemer will come from Zion, and he will turn away transgression from Jacob," says YHWH.

“A redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn from their rebellious deeds in Jacob—this is Yahweh's declaration.

21 "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says YHWH. "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 children, nor out of the mouth of your children's children," says YHWH, "from now on and forever."

As for me, this is my covenant with them—says Yahweh—my spirit who is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, will not leave your mouth, or go out of the mouth of your children, or go out of the mouth of your children's children—says Yahweh—from this time and forever.”