Isaiah 59

1 “See, the LORD’s hand is not too short to save, nor are his ears ^{a59:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read ear} too dull to hear.ISV — Isaiah 59:1

2 Instead, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have concealed his face from you so that he won’t listen.ISV — Isaiah 59:2

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your tongue ^{b59:3 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read your lips have spoken lies, your tongue} mutters wickedness.ISV — Isaiah 59:3

4 No one brings a lawsuit fairly, and no one goes to law honestly; they have relied ^{c59:4 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT reads they rely} on empty arguments and they tell lies; they conceive ^{d59:4 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT reads to conceive} trouble and give birth ^{e59:4 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT reads and to give birth} to iniquity.ISV — Isaiah 59:4

5 They hatch ^{f59:5 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT reads They have hatched; LXX reads hatched} adders’ eggs ^{g59:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read an adder’s eggs} and weave ^{h59:5 So 1QIsaa; MT reads weave, but with a different Heb. word} a spider’s web; whoever eats their eggs dies, and any crushed egg hatches out futility. ^{i59:5 Lit. a viper; so 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX utilize feminine form}ISV — Isaiah 59:5

6 Their cobwebs cannot become clothing, they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are deeds of iniquity, and acts of violence fill their hands.ISV — Isaiah 59:6

7 Their feet rush to evil, and they are quick to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; ruin, destruction, and violence ^{j59:7 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack and violence} are in their paths.ISV — Isaiah 59:7

8 The pathway of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their courses. They have made their roads crooked; no one who walks in them will know peace.”ISV — Isaiah 59:8

9 “So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We wait for light, but look—there is darkness; we wait for brightness, but we walk in deep darkness. ^{k59:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads darknesses}ISV — Isaiah 59:9

10 Let’s grope ^{l59:10 So 1QIsaa; MT reads We grope LXX reads They grope} along the wall like the blind; let us grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at midday as if it were twilight, in desolate places ^{m59:10 Or among vigorous people} like dead people.ISV — Isaiah 59:10

11 We all growl like bears; we ^{n59:11 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and we} sigh mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but there is none, and ^{o59:11 So 1QIsaa; Not in MT LXX} for deliverance, but it’s far from us.ISV — Isaiah 59:11

12 “For our transgressions before you are many, and our sins testify ^{p59:12 1QIsaa cf. LXX; MT reads sin testifies} against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we acknowledge them:ISV — Isaiah 59:12

13 they’ve rebelled ^{q59:13 So 1QIsaa; MT reads rebellion LXX reads we have sinned} in ^{r59:13 Lit. and} treachery against the LORD, and are turning away from following our God; and they’ve spoken ^{s59:13 So 1QIsaa; MT reads speaking LXX reads we have spoken} oppression and revolt, and are conceiving ^{t59:13 So 1QIsaa; MT reads conceiving and uttering; LXX reads we have conceived and thought about} lying words from the heart.ISV — Isaiah 59:13

14 I’ll drive back justice, ^{u59:14 So 1QIsaa; MT reads Justice is driven back LXX reads We withdrew justice} and righteousness stands at a distance; for truth has fallen in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.ISV — Isaiah 59:14

15 Truth is missing, and whoever turns away from evil becomes a prey.” “Then the LORD looked, and it displeased him that there was no justice.ISV — Isaiah 59:15

16 He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm ^{v59:16 i.e. the Messiah} brought him victory, and his righteous acts upheld him.ISV — Isaiah 59:16

17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in fury like a cloak.ISV — Isaiah 59:17

18 So he will repay according to their action: Anger to his enemies, retribution to his foes; to the coastlands he will render their due.ISV — Isaiah 59:18

19 So people will fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glories ^{w59:19 So 1QIsaa; MT reads glory LXX reads his glorious name} from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a pent-up stream that the breath of the LORD drives along.ISV — Isaiah 59:19

20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” says the LORD.ISV — Isaiah 59:20

21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” ^{x59:21 So 1QIsaa MTmss LXX; 1QIsab MT read them, but the reading contains a grammatical object error} says the LORD. “And ^{y59:21 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack And} my Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, won’t depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, ^{z59:21 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read children, says the LORD,} from now on and forever.”ISV — Isaiah 59:21