Chapter
59
Behold, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither her ear heavy, that it can't hear:
but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden her face from you, so that she will not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.
None sues in righteousness, and none pleads in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
They hatch adders' eggs, and weave the spider's web: she who eats of their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.
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.
Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths.
The way of peace they don't know; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whoever goes therein does not know peace.
Therefore is justice far from us, neither does righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
We grope for the wall like the blind; yes, we grope as those who have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among those who are lusty we are as dead women.
We roar all like bears, and moan sore like doves: we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.
For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:
transgressing and denying Yahweh, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness can't enter.
Yes, truth is lacking; and she who departs from evil makes herself a prey. Yahweh saw it, and it displeased her that there was no justice.
She saw that there was no woman, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore her own arm brought salvation to her; and her righteousness, it upheld her.
She put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on her head; and she put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
According to their deeds, accordingly she will repay, wrath to her adversaries, recompense to her enemies; to the islands she will repay recompense.
So shall they fear the name of Yahweh from the west, and her glory from the rising of the sun; for she will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Yahweh drives.
A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacoba, says Yahweh.
As for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahweh: my Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed's seed, says Yahweh, from henceforth and forever.