1 | Behold, Jehovah`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, so 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 muttereth wickedness. |
4 | None sueth in righteousness, and none pleadeth in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. |
5 | They hatch adders` 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; desolation and destruction are in their paths. |
8 | The way of peace they know not; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein doth not know peace. |
9 | Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity. |
10 | We grope for the wall like the blind; yea, we grope as they that have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among them that are lusty we are as dead men. |
11 | 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. |
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 | transgressing and denying Jehovah, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. |
14 | And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. |
15 | Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. |
16 | And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him. |
17 | And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle. |
18 | According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. |
19 | So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth. |
20 | And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Jehovah. |
21 | And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: 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 Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever. |