Isaiah 59

Sin Separates People from God

1 Look, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too dull to hear.

2 But your sins have separated you from your God, and your wrongs have hidden His face from you so He will not listen.

3 Your hands are covered in blood, your fingers with wrongdoing. Your lips speak lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.

4 No one calls for justice, no one pleads honestly. They trust in empty words and lies, conceive trouble, and give birth to sin.

5 They hatch viper eggs and weave spider webs. Whoever eats their eggs dies; crack one open and a snake comes out.

6 Their webs cannot make clothes; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their works are wicked, and violence follows wherever they go.

7 Their feet run to evil; they rush to spill innocent blood. Their thoughts are nothing but sin; ruin and destruction mark their paths.

8 They do not know the way of peace. There is no justice in their steps. They make their paths crooked. Whoever walks on them will not know peace.

Confession of Guilt

9 That is why justice is far from us and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but only see darkness; for brightness, but walk in deep shadows.

10 We grope along the wall like blind people, feeling our way like those without eyes. We stumble at noon like it is midnight; we are like the dead in the middle of life.

11 We growl like bears, moan like doves. We look for justice, but find none; look for rescue, but it is far away.

12 Our sins pile up before You and testify against us. Our wrongs are always with us and we know our guilt:

13 Rebellion and denial of the Lord, turning our backs on our God, speaking oppression and lies, conceiving words of falsehood.

Truth Has Fallen

14 Justice is pushed back, righteousness stands far away. Truth stumbles in the street and honesty cannot enter.

15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and anyone who rejects evil becomes a target. The Lord intervenes the Lord saw it, and it made Him upset that there was no justice.

16 He saw there was no one to intervene, so His own arm brought salvation and His righteousness supported Him.

17 He put on righteousness like armor, a helmet of salvation on His head. He wore clothes of vengeance and wrapped Himself in zeal like a cloak.

18 He will repay according to what people deserve. Wrath to His enemies, punishment to His foes, and He will repay the coastlands too.

19 People from the west will fear the name of the Lord, and those in the east will fear His glory. For He will come like a rushing flood driven by the breath of the Lord.

The Redeemer Comes

20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion and to those in Jacob who turn from their sins?” Declares the Lord.

21 “And this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is on you, and My words I put in your mouth, will not leave your mouth, nor the mouths of your children, nor your children’s children. From now and forever.”