Isaiah 59 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Warnings against Sin

59 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 filthy with sin.
Your lips are full of lies,
and your mouth spews corruption.

4 No one cares about being fair and honest.
The people’s lawsuits are based on lies.
They conceive evil deeds
and then give birth to sin.
5 They hatch deadly snakes
and weave spiders’ webs.
Whoever eats their eggs will die;
whoever cracks them will hatch a viper.
6 Their webs can’t be made into clothing,
and nothing they do is productive.
All their activity is filled with sin,
and violence is their trademark.
7 Their feet run to do evil,
and they rush to commit murder.
They think only about sinning.
Misery and destruction always follow them.
8 They don’t know where to find peace
or what it means to be just and good.
They have mapped out crooked roads,
and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace.

9 So there is no justice among us,
and we know nothing about right living.
We look for light but find only darkness.
We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.
10 We grope like the blind along a wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
Even at brightest noontime,
we stumble as though it were dark.
Among the living,
we are like the dead.
11 We growl like hungry bears;
we moan like mournful doves.
We look for justice, but it never comes.
We look for rescue, but it is far away from us.
12 For our sins are piled up before God
and testify against us.
Yes, we know what sinners we are.
13 We know we have rebelled and have denied the Lord.
We have turned our backs on our God.
We know how unfair and oppressive we have been,
carefully planning our deceitful lies.
14 Our courts oppose the righteous,
and justice is nowhere to be found.
Truth stumbles in the streets,
and honesty has been outlawed.
15 Yes, truth is gone,
and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.

The Lord looked and was displeased
to find there was no justice.
16 He was amazed to see that no one intervened
to help the oppressed.
So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm,
and his justice sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his body armor
and placed the helmet of salvation on his head.
He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance
and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion.
18 He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds.
His fury will fall on his foes.
He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.
19 In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord;
in the east, they will glorify him.
For he will come like a raging flood tide
driven by the breath of the Lord.[a]

20 “The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem
to buy back those in Israel
who have turned from their sins,”[b]
says the Lord.

21 “And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Footnotes

  1. 59:19 Or When the enemy comes like a raging flood tide, / the Spirit of the Lord will drive him back.
  2. 59:20 Hebrew The Redeemer will come to Zion / to buy back those in Jacob / who have turned from their sins. Greek version reads The one who rescues will come on behalf of Zion, / and he will turn Jacob away from ungodliness. Compare Rom 11:26.

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