Behold, athe LORD'S
hand
is not so
short
That it cannot
save
; bNor
is His ear
so
dull
That it cannot
hear
.
But your ainiquities have made
a separation
between
you and your God
, And your sins
have hidden
His 1face
from you so
that He does bnot hear
.
For your ahands are defiled
with blood
And your fingers
with iniquity
; Your lips
have spoken
bfalsehood
, Your tongue
mutters
wickedness
.
aNo one
sues
righteously
and bno
one
pleads
1honestly
. They ctrust
in confusion
and speak
lies
; They dconceive
mischief
and bring
forth
iniquity
.
They hatch adders'
eggs
and aweave
the spider's
web
; He who eats
of their eggs
dies
, And from that which is crushed
a snake
breaks
forth
.
Their webs will not become
clothing
, Nor
will they acover
themselves with their works
; Their bworks
are works
of iniquity
, And an cact
of violence
is in their 1hands
.
aTheir feet run
to evil
, And they hasten
to shed
innocent
blood
; bTheir thoughts
are thoughts
of iniquity
, Devastation
and destruction
are in their highways
.
They do not know the away
of peace
, And there
is bno
justice
in their tracks
; They have made
their paths
crooked
, cWhoever
treads
on 1them does not know
peace
.
Therefore ajustice
is far
from us, And righteousness
does not overtake
us; We bhope
for light
, but behold
, darkness
, For brightness
, but we walk
in gloom
.
We agrope along the wall
like blind
men
, We grope
like those who have
no
eyes
; We bstumble
at midday
as in the twilight
, Among those who
are vigorous
we are clike dead
men.
All of us growl
like bears
, And amoan
sadly
like doves
; We hope
for bjustice
, but there
is none
, For salvation
, but it is far
from us.
For our atransgressions are multiplied
before
You, And our bsins
1testify
against us; For our transgressions
are with us, And 2we know
our iniquities
:
Transgressing and adenying
the LORD
, And turning
away
from our God
, Speaking
boppression
and revolt
, Conceiving
in and cuttering
from the heart
lying
words
.
aJustice is turned
back
, And brighteousness
stands
far
away
; For truth
has stumbled
in the street
, And uprightness
cannot
enter
.
Yes, truth is lacking
; And he who turns
aside
from evil
amakes
himself a prey
. Now the LORD
saw
, And it was 1displeasing
in His sight
bthat there
was no
justice
.
And He saw that there
was ano
man
, And was astonished
that there
was no
one
to intercede
; Then His bown arm
brought
salvation
to Him, And His righteousness
upheld
Him.
He put on arighteousness
like a breastplate
, And a bhelmet
of salvation
on His head
; And He put
on cgarments
of vengeance
for clothing
And wrapped
Himself with dzeal
as a mantle
.
aAccording to their 1deeds
, 2so
He will repay
, Wrath
to His adversaries
, recompense
to His enemies
; To the coastlands
He will 3make
recompense
.
So they will fear the name
of the LORD
from the awest
And His glory
from the brising
of the sun
, For He will ccome
like a 1rushing
stream
Which the wind
of the LORD
drives
.
"A aRedeemer will come
to Zion
, And to those who bturn
from transgression
in Jacob
," declares
the LORD
.
"As for Me, this is My acovenant
with them," says
the LORD
: "My bSpirit
which
is upon you, and My cwords
which
I have put
in your mouth
shall not depart
from your mouth
, nor
from the mouth
of your 1offspring
, nor
from the mouth
of your 1offspring's
offspring
," says
the LORD
, "from now
and forever
."