Isaiah 59 - Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

Guilt Separates People From God

59

Listen to me! The Lord’s arm is not too short to save,
and his ear is not too deaf to hear.
2 No, it is your guilt that has separated you from your God,
and your sins have hidden God’s face from you,
so that he does not hear.
3 Look, your hands are polluted with blood,
and your fingers drip guilt.
Your lips speak lies.
Your tongue mutters dishonesty.
4 No one calls for justice,
and no one argues his cases honestly.
They rely on empty arguments and commit perjury!
They conceive trouble and give birth to wickedness!
5 They hatch viper eggs,
and they weave spider webs.
Anyone who eats their eggs will die,
and a cracked egg hatches into a venomous snake.
6 They cannot make a garment from their webs,
and they will not be able to cover themselves with their deeds.
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and violent actions fill their hands.
7 Their feet run to do evil,
and they hurry to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are futile[a] thoughts.
Destruction and ruin are the destination of their highways.
8 They do not know the road to peace,
and there is no justice on the route they follow.
They made crooked paths for themselves.
No one who walks on them will experience peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We hope for light, but look, there is only darkness.
We hope for bright light, but we walk around in the darkest gloom.

10 We grope along a wall like blind men.
We grope like people with no eyes.
We stumble at noon as if it were twilight.
Among the healthy, we are like dead men.
11 We growl like bears—all of us—
and like doves we always mourn.
We hope for justice, but there is none.
We hope for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 Yes, our rebellious deeds are many before you,
and our sins testify against us.
Our rebellious deeds are with us,
and as for our guilty deeds, we are aware of them.
13 Those deeds are rebellion and treachery against the Lord.
We turn back from following our God.
We incite oppression and apostasy.
We conceive and mutter deceitful words from our hearts.
14 Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away,
for truth stumbles in the city square,
and honesty cannot enter it.
15 The truth is missing,
and anyone who turns from evil makes himself prey.[b]
The Lord looked and saw something evil—
there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one.
He was appalled that there was no one who could intervene.
So his own arm worked salvation for him,
and his own righteousness supported him.
17 He clothed himself with righteousness like armor
and wore a helmet of salvation on his head.
He dressed in garments for vengeance,
and he wrapped himself with zeal like a cloak.
18 He will repay in full what they have earned,
namely, wrath to his foes and full payment to his enemies.
He will repay even the distant coastlands.
19 From the west they will fear the Lord’s name,
and from the rising of the sun they will fear his glory,
for he will come like a raging river,
driven by the Spirit[c] of the Lord.
20 Then a redeemer will come for Zion
and for those in Jacob who turn from rebellion.
This is the declaration of the Lord.

21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. My Spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouth of your offspring or from the mouth of their offspring, from this time forward and forever, says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 59:7 Or sinful
  2. Isaiah 59:15 Or pays the price
  3. Isaiah 59:19 Or wind or breath

You Might Also Like:

Isaiah 59 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

59 Lo, the hand of Jehovah Hath not been shortened from saving, Nor heavy his ear from hearing. 2 But your iniquities have been separating Between you and your God, And your sins have hidden The Presence from you -- from hearing. 3 For your hands have been polluted with blood, And your fingers with ...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

59 Lo! the hand of the Lord is not abridged, that he may not save, neither his ear is made hard, that he hear not; (Lo! the hand, or the power, of the Lord is not shortened, or weakened, so that he cannot save, nor is his ear made hard, so that he cannot hear;) 2 but your wickednesses have parted be...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - World English Bible (WEB)

59 Behold, Yahweh’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; nor his ear dull, that it can’t hear.2 But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity.You...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - The Voice (VOICE)

59 The Eternal One’s reach is not so short that He cannot save you. His ear is not so deaf that He cannot hear you. Reactions vary to the awful events that sweep over Judah in the wake of the Babylonian invasion. Some people think that the God of Israel is defeated. This is exactly what the Babyloni...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Separation from God59 Behold, Adonai’s hand is not too short to save,nor His ear too dull to hear.2 Rather, your iniquities have made a separationbetween you and your God.Your sins have hidden His face from you,so that He does not hear.3 For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with in...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,and your sins have hid his face from you so that he does not hear.3 For your hands are d...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,and your sins have hid his face from you so that he does not hear.3 For your hands are d...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished59 See, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.2 Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God,and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.3 For your hands are defiled with blood, an...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished59 See, the Lord’s arm is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.(A)2 Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God,and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.(B)3 For your hands are defiled with bloo...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Warnings against Sin59 Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.3 Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filt...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New Life Version (NLV)

Sin Keeps One from God59 See, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save, and His ear is not closed that it cannot hear. 2 But your wrong-doings have kept you away from your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. 3 For your hands are sinful with blood, you...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Separated from God59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not (A)shortened,That it cannot save;Nor His ear heavy,That it cannot hear.2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;And your sins have hidden His face from you,So that He will (B)not hear.3 For (C)your hands are defiled with [a]blood,And ...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Sin, confession and redemption59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.3 For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New International Version (NIV)

Sin, Confession and Redemption59 Surely the arm(A) of the Lord is not too short(B) to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.(C)2 But your iniquities have separated(D) you from your God;your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.(E)3 For your hands are stained with blood,(F) your ...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Lord Sets His People Free59 People of Israel, the Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you. His ears aren’t too deaf to hear your cry for help.2 But your sins have separated you from your God. They have caused him to turn his face away from you. So he won’t listen to you.3 Your hands and fingers a...
Read More

Isaiah 59 - New English Translation (NET)

Injustice Brings Alienation from God59 Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak[a] to deliver you;his ear is not too deaf to hear you.[b]2 But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.[c]3 For your hands are stained with bl...
Read More