Isaiæ 59
1 Ecce non est abbreviata manus Domini ut salvare nequeat, neque aggravata est auris eius ut non exaudiat:
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:
2 Sed iniquitates vestrae diviserunt inter vos et Deum vestrum, et peccata vestra absconderunt faciem eius a vobis ne exaudiret.
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.
3 Manus enim vestrae pollutae sunt sanguine, et digiti vestri iniquitate: labia vestra locuta sunt mendacium, et lingua vestra iniquitatem fatur.
For your hands are unclean with blood, and your fingers with sin; your lips have said false things, and your tongue gives out deceit.
4 Non est qui invocet iustitiam, neque est qui iudicet vere: sed confidunt in nihilo, et loquuntur vanitates: conceperunt laborem, et pepererunt iniquitatem.
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.
5 Ova aspidum ruperunt, et telas araneae texuerunt: qui comederit de ovis eorum, morietur: et quod confotum est, erumpet in regulum.
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.
6 Telae eorum non erunt in vestimentum, neque operientur operibus suis: opera eorum opera inutilia, et opus iniquitatis in manibus eorum.
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.
7 Pedes eorum ad malum currunt, et festinant ut effundant sanguinem innocentem, cogitationes eorum cogitationes inutiles: vastitas et contritio in viis eorum.
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.
8 Viam pacis nescierunt, et non est iudicium in gressibus eorum. semitae eorum incurvatae sunt eis: omnis qui calcat in eis, ignorat pacem.
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.
9 Propter hoc elongatum est iudicium a nobis, et non apprehendet vos iustitia: expectavimus lucem, et ecce tenebrae: splendorem, et in tenebris ambulavimus.
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.
10 Palpavimus sicut caeci parietem, et quasi absque oculis attrectavimus: impegimus meridie quasi in tenebris, in caliginosis quasi mortui.
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.
11 Rugiemus quasi ursi omnes, et quasi columbae meditantes gememus. expectavimus iudicium, et non est: salutem, et elongata est a nobis.
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.
12 Multiplicatae sunt enim iniquitates nostrae coram te, et peccata nostra responderunt nobis. quia scelera nostra nobiscum, et iniquitates nostras cognovimus,
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:
13 peccare et mentiri contra Dominum: et aversi sumus ne iremus post tergum Dei nostri, ut loqueremur calumniam et transgressionem: concepimus, et locuti sumus de corde verba mendacii.
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.
14 Et conversum est retrorsum iudicium, et iustitia longe stetit: quia corruit in platea veritas, et aequitas non potuit ingredi.
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.
15 Et facta est veritas in oblivionem: et qui recessit a malo, praedae patuit: et vidit Dominus, et malum apparuit in oculis eius, quia non est iudicium.
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.
16 et vidit quia non est vir: et aporiatus est, quia non est qui occurrat: et salvavit sibi brachium suum, et iustitia eius ipsa confirmavit eum.
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.
17 Indutus est iustitia ut lorica, et galea salutis in capite eius: indutus est vestimentis ultionis, et opertus est quasi pallio zeli.
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.
18 Sicut ad vindictam quasi ad retributionem indignationis hostibus suis, et vicissitudinem inimicis suis: insulis vicem reddet.
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.
19 Et timebunt qui ab Occidente, nomen Domini: et qui ab ortu solis, gloriam eius: cum venerit quasi fluvius violentus, quem spiritus Domini cogit:
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.
20 et venerit Sion redemptor, et eis, qui redeunt ab iniquitate in Iacob, dicit Dominus.
And as a saviour he will come to Zion, turning away sin from Jacob, says the Lord.
21 Hoc foedus meum cum eis, dicit Dominus: Spiritus meus, qui est in te, et verba mea, quae posui in ore tuo, non recedent de ore tuo, et de ore seminis tui, et de ore seminis seminis tui, dicit Dominus, amodo et usque in sempiternum.
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.
