Evil and Oppression
Behold, athe Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 abut your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
3 aFor your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 aNo one enters suit justly;
no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
bthey conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
5 They hatch adders’ eggs;
they weave the spider’s web;
he who eats their eggs dies,
and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.
6 aTheir webs will not serve as clothing;
men will not cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds of violence are in their hands.
7 aTheir feet run to evil,
and they are swift to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
desolation and destruction are in their highways.
8 The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their paths;
they have made their roads crooked;
ano one who treads on them knows peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not overtake us;
awe hope for light, and behold, darkness,
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 aWe grope for the wall like the blind;
we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
bamong those in full vigor we are like dead men.
11 We all growl like bears;
awe moan and moan like doves;
bwe hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing, and denying the Lord,
and turning back from following our God,
aspeaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
Judgment and Redemption
14 aJustice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
16 aHe saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.
17 aHe put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in bzeal as a cloak.
18 aAccording to their deeds, so will he repay,
wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
bto the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 aSo they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun;
bfor he will come like a rushing stream,
which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 a“And ba Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.
21 “And as for me, athis is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, band my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”