59 Listen! The Lord 's hand is not too weak to save you.
His ear is not too deaf to hear you.
2 But the wrong things that you have done
have made you separate from your God.
Your sins have caused him to turn away from you,
so that he does not listen to your prayers.
3 Your hands are dirty with the blood of murder.
They are dirty with all the bad things that you do.
Your mouth tells lies,
and it says wicked things about other people.
4 When people accuse somebody in court,
the truth is not important.
They tell lies and they deceive the judge,
so that they will win.
They decide how they can cause trouble,
and then they do wicked things.
5 Their thoughts are like the eggs of a snake.
If anyone eats those eggs, they will die!
When an egg breaks open,
a dangerous snake is born!
They like to catch people,
like a spider that makes a web. [ a ]
6 Their webs are useless to make clothes.
They cannot cover themselves with them.
The things that they do are useless like that.
They do only wicked things.
They use their strength only to hurt people.
7 They rush to do evil things.
They hurry to kill people who have not done anything wrong.
They think only about sin.
They only want to be cruel and to hurt people.
8 They do not know how to live in peace.
They cannot be honest and fair.
Their way of life is all wrong.
Nobody who lives like that will have peace.
9 Because of that, God's justice is far away from us.
He has not come to save us.
We look for light to come to us,
but everything is dark.
We need some light in our lives,
but all we have is darkness.
10 Like blind people,
we touch the wall to find our way.
It seems that we have no eyes to see with.
Even at midday, we trip and we fall down,
as if it was dark.
We are like dead people
who live among strong people.
11 We all make a noise, like hungry bears.
We make sad noises, like doves.
We are waiting for God to bring justice to us,
but nothing is happening.
We look for his salvation,
but it is still far away.
12 Lord , you see all the bad things that we have done.
Our many sins show that we are wrong.
We know about the wrong things that we have done.
We agree that our sins are many.
13 We have turned against the Lord .
We have refused to obey him.
We have chosen to be cruel to other people,
and we have turned against the truth.
We think about the lies that we can tell,
and we use them to deceive people.
14 Judges do not decide in a fair way.
Nobody tries to do what is right.
There is no place for truth on the streets of our towns.
Honest people have to leave.
15 Nobody can speak the truth.
If anyone tries to stop doing evil things,
other people will attack him.
The Lord saw how his people were living.
He saw that there was no justice.
It made him very sad.
16 He saw that there was nobody who would help,
and he was very upset.
So he used his own strength to help.
Because he had to do what was right,
he made his people safe.
17 He always does what is right,
like a soldier who always puts on his armour.
His power to save people
is like the helmet that he wears.
He is angry against people who do evil things,
and he works hard to punish them.
That is like the clothes that he wears.
18 He will punish his enemies
for the bad things that they have done.
He will be very angry with them.
He will punish all his enemies,
even those who live in lands far away.
19 Then people who live in the west
will respect the Lord 's name.
And people who live in the east
will see how great he is.
The Lord will attack them like a fast river.
He will blow them away with a strong wind.
20 The Lord says,
‘A Redeemer will come to Zion.
He will come to save Jacob's people
who turn away from their sins.’
21 The Lord says, ‘This is the covenant that I make with those people. My Spirit is now with you, and he will not leave you. I have put my words into your mouth, and they will always be with you. They will continue to be in the mouths of your children, and your descendants for ever.’
That is what the Lord says.
59 Look, the Lord ’s power is enough to save you. He can hear you when you ask him for help. 2 It is your sins that separate you from your God. He turns away from you when he sees them. 3 That’s because your hands are covered with blood from the people you murdered. You tell lies and say evil things. 4 You can’t be trusted, even in court. You lie about each other and depend on false arguments to win your cases. You create pain and produce wickedness. 5 You hatch evil, like eggs from a poisonous snake. Anyone who eats the eggs will die. And if you break one of them open, a poisonous snake will come out.
Your lies are like spider webs. 6 They cannot be used for clothes, and you cannot cover yourself with them.
Your hands are always busy sinning and hurting others. 7 Your feet run toward evil. You are always ready to kill innocent people. You think of nothing but evil. Everywhere you go you cause trouble and ruin. 8 You don’t know how to live in peace. You don’t do what is right and fair. You are crooked, and anyone who lives like that will never know true peace.
9 All fairness and goodness is gone.
There is only darkness around us,
so we must wait for the light.
We hope for a bright light,
but all we have is darkness.
10 We are like people without eyes.
We walk into walls like blind people.
We stumble and fall as if it was night.
Even in the daylight, we cannot see.
At noontime, we fall like dead men.
11 We are always complaining;
we growl like bears and moan like doves.
We are waiting for justice,
but there is none.
We are waiting to be saved,
but salvation is still far away.
12 That’s because we committed crimes against our God.
Our own sins speak out against us.
We know we are guilty.
We know we have sinned.
13 We rebelled against the Lord
and lied to him.
We turned away from our God
and left him.
We planned to hurt others
and to rebel against God.
From hearts filled with lies,
we talked about it and made our plans.
14 We pushed Justice away.
Fairness stands off in the distance.
Truth has fallen in the streets.
Goodness is not allowed in the city.
15 Loyalty is gone,
and people who try to do good are robbed.
The Lord looked and saw there was no justice.
He did not like what he saw.
16 He did not see anyone speak up for the people.
He was shocked to see that no one stood up for them.
So with his own power he saved them.
His desire to do what is right gave him strength.
17 He put on the armor of goodness,
the helmet of salvation,
the uniform of punishment,
and the coat of strong love. [ a ]
18 He will give his enemies the punishment they deserve.
They will feel his anger.
He will punish all his enemies.
People along the coast will get the punishment they deserve.
19 People from the west to the east will fear the Lord
and respect his Glory.
He will come quickly, like a fast-flowing river
driven by a wind [ b ] from the Lord .
20 Then a redeemer [ c ] will come to Zion
to save the people of Jacob who have turned away from sin.
21 The Lord says, “As for me, this is the agreement that I will make with these people. I promise my Spirit that I put on you and my words that I put in your mouth will never leave you. They will be with you and your children and your children’s children, for now and forever.
59 Behold, the Lord 's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
5 They 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.
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.
7 Their 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.
8 The 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.
9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
11 We 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.
12 For 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;
13 In 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.
14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15 Yea, 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.
16 And 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.
17 For 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 cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
19 So 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.
20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord .
21 As 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.
59 Behold, ( A ) the Lord ’ s hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
( B ) Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.
2 But your ( C ) wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His [ a ] face from you so that He does ( D ) not hear.
3 For your ( E ) hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with wrongdoing;
Your lips have spoken ( F ) deceit,
Your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 ( G ) No one sues righteously and ( H ) no one pleads [ b ] honestly.
They ( I ) trust in confusion and speak lies;
They ( J ) conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and ( K ) weave the spider’s web;
The one who eats of their eggs dies,
And from what is crushed, a snake breaks out.
6 Their webs will not become clothing,
Nor will they ( L ) cover themselves with their works;
Their ( M ) works are works of wrongdoing,
And an ( N ) act of violence is in their [ c ] hands.
7 ( O ) Their feet run to evil,
And they hurry to shed innocent blood;
( P ) Their thoughts are thoughts of wrongdoing,
Devastation and destruction are in their paths.
8 They do not know the ( Q ) way of peace,
And there is ( R ) no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,
( S ) Whoever walks on [ d ] them does not know peace.
9 Therefore ( T ) justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not reach us;
We ( U ) hope for light, but there is darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We ( V ) grope for the wall like people who are blind,
We grope like those who have no eyes.
We ( W ) stumble at midday as in the twilight;
Among those who are healthy we are ( X ) like the dead.
11 All of us growl like bears,
And ( Y ) moan sadly like doves;
We hope for ( Z ) justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our ( AA ) wrongful acts have multiplied before You,
And our ( AB ) sins have testified against us;
For our wrongful acts are with us,
And [ e ] we know our wrongdoings:
13 [ f ] Offending and ( AC ) denying the Lord ,
And turning away from our God,
Speaking ( AD ) oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and ( AE ) uttering lying words from the heart.
14 ( AF ) Justice is turned back,
And ( AG ) righteousness stands far away;
For truth has stumbled in the street,
And uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
And one who turns aside from evil ( AH ) makes himself a prey.
Now the Lord saw,
And it was [ g ] displeasing in His sight ( AI ) that there was no justice.
16 And He saw that there was ( AJ ) no one,
And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His ( AK ) own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on ( AL ) righteousness like a breastplate,
And a ( AM ) helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on ( AN ) garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with ( AO ) zeal as a cloak.
18 ( AP ) According to their deeds, [ h ] so will He repay:
Wrath to His adversaries, [ i ] retribution to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will [ j ] deal [ k ] retribution.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the ( AQ ) west
And His glory from the ( AR ) rising of the sun,
For He will ( AS ) come like a [ l ] rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 “A ( AT ) Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those in Jacob who ( AU ) turn from wrongdoing,” declares the Lord .
21 “As for Me, this is My ( AV ) covenant with them,” says the Lord : “My ( AW ) Spirit who is upon you, and My ( AX ) words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your [ m ] offspring, nor from the mouth of your [ n ] offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord , “from now and forever.”
59 Surely the arm ( A ) of the Lord is not too short ( B ) to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear. ( C )
2 But your iniquities have separated ( D )
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear. ( E )
3 For your hands are stained with blood, ( F )
your fingers with guilt. ( G )
Your lips have spoken falsely, ( H )
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4 No one calls for justice; ( I )
no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely ( J ) on empty arguments, they utter lies; ( K )
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. ( L )
5 They hatch the eggs of vipers ( M )
and spin a spider’s web. ( N )
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make. ( O )
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and acts of violence ( P ) are in their hands.
7 Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood. ( Q )
They pursue evil schemes; ( R )
acts of violence mark their ways. ( S )
8 The way of peace they do not know; ( T )
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads; ( U )
no one who walks along them will know peace. ( V )
9 So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness; ( W )
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10 Like the blind ( X ) we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble ( Y ) as if it were twilight;
among the strong, we are like the dead. ( Z )
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves. ( AA )
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses ( AB ) are many in your sight,
and our sins testify ( AC ) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities: ( AD )
13 rebellion ( AE ) and treachery against the Lord ,
turning our backs ( AF ) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression, ( AG )
uttering lies ( AH ) our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice ( AI ) is driven back,
and righteousness ( AJ ) stands at a distance;
truth ( AK ) has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth ( AL ) is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice. ( AM )
16 He saw that there was no one, ( AN )
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; ( AO )
so his own arm achieved salvation ( AP ) for him,
and his own righteousness ( AQ ) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, ( AR )
and the helmet ( AS ) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments ( AT ) of vengeance ( AU )
and wrapped himself in zeal ( AV ) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
so will he repay ( AW )
wrath to his enemies
and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands ( AX ) their due.
19 From the west, ( AY ) people will fear the name of the Lord ,
and from the rising of the sun, ( AZ ) they will revere his glory. ( BA )
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath ( BB ) of the Lord drives along. [ a ]
20 “The Redeemer ( BC ) will come to Zion, ( BD )
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” ( BE )
declares the Lord .
21 “As for me, this is my covenant ( BF ) with them,” says the Lord . “My Spirit, ( BG ) who is on you, will not depart from you, ( BH ) and my words that I have put in your mouth ( BI ) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord .
