Isaiah
Chapter 59
1 Look, God’s hand is not too short to save; nor is his ear too dull to hear.
2 Your wrongs have come between you and God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so he will not listen.
3 Your hands are dirty with blood, and your fingers with wrong; your lips have told lies, your tongue whispers twisted things.
4 No one asks for justice or argues for truth; they rely on what’s empty and tell lies; they make trouble and cause wrongdoing.
5 They hatch poisonous snake eggs and spin spider webs: whoever eats their eggs dies, and when one is stepped on, a viper hatches.
6 Their webs can’t be made into clothes, nor can they cover themselves with what they do: their actions are sinful, and they do violent things.
7 Their feet rush to do bad things, and they hurry to spill innocent blood. They plan sinful things; ruin and damage are on their way.
8 They do not know the way to peace; their paths are not fair: whoever walks in them will not find peace.
9 So justice is far from us, and fairness doesn’t reach us. We hope for light but only find darkness; we look for brightness but walk in gloom.
10 We search for the wall like blind people, and we fumble as though we can’t see. We trip at midday as if it were dark; we are in empty spaces like the dead.
11 We all growl like bears and sadly cry like doves; we hope for fairness, but find none; for rescue, but it’s far away from us.
12 We have many sins against you, and our wrongs show our guilt; our sins are always with us, and we know our bad acts.
13 By breaking rules and lying about God, turning away from our God, talking about hurting others and rebelling, thinking and saying untrue things from our heart.
14 Judgment is avoided, and justice is distant because truth has failed in public, and fairness cannot come in.
15 Yes, truth is lacking; and those who avoid doing wrong become victims. God saw this and was unhappy because there was no justice.
16 He saw no one was there and was surprised no one intervened; so he himself brought salvation, and his goodness supported him.
17 He wore fairness like armor on his chest and put on a helmet of rescue on his head; he dressed himself in revengeful clothes and wrapped intense passion around himself like a cape.
18 God will pay back everyone based on what they have done; he will show anger to his foes and settle scores with his enemies; he will also repay those who live on the islands.
19 People will respect God’s name in the west and his greatness where the sun rises. When enemies attack like a rushing water, God’s Spirit will raise a flag to stand against them.
20 God will come to Zion and to those in Jacob who stop doing wrong, says God.
21 I promise you this, says God: My Spirit with you and the words I’ve given you will always be on your lips and on the lips of your children and grandchildren, now and forever, says God.