Isaiah 59

Isaiah · Chapter 59

Isaiah 59:2

1Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.3For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.4None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.5They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.6Their 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.7Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.8The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.9Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.10We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.11We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.12For 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;13In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.14And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.15Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.16And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.17For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.18According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.19So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.20And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.21As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; 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 the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.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.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
forכִּ֤יkiH3588B
that if: except

כִּי [אם] (ki im) 1) except if 1a) but if 1b) even though

exceptאִם־'im-H0518B
if: except

[כִּי] אם (ki im) 1) except if 1a) but if

iniquities yourעֲוֹנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙'a-vo-no-tei-KHEMH5771G
iniquity: crime

עָוֺן (a.van) : crime 1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity 1a) iniquity 1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition) 1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity

they have beenהָי֣וּha-YUH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

separatingמַבְדִּלִ֔יםmav-di-LIMH0914
to separate

בָּדַל (ba.dal) 1) to divide, separate 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to divide, separate, sever 1a2) to separate, set apart 1a3) to make a distinction, difference 1a4) to divide into parts 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to separate oneself from (reflexive of 1a2) 1b2) to withdraw from 1b3) to separate oneself unto 1b4) to be separated 1b5) to be excluded 1b6) to be set apart

between youבֵּינֵכֶ֕םbei-ne-KHEMH0996G
between

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) : between between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

and betweenלְבֵ֖יןle-VEINH0996G
between

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) : between between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

God yourאֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם'e-lo-hei-KHEMH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

and sins yourוְחַטֹּֽאותֵיכֶ֗םve-cha-to-tei-KHEMH2403B
sin

חַטָּאת (chat.tat) : sin 1) sin, sin offering 1a) sin 1b) condition of sin, guilt of sin 1c) punishment for sin 1d) sin-offering 1e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness

they have hiddenהִסְתִּ֧ירוּhis-TI-ruH5641
to hide

סָתַר (sa.tar) 1) to hide, conceal 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to hide oneself 1a2) to be hidden, be concealed 1b) (Piel) to hide carefully 1c) (Pual) to be hidden carefully, be concealed 1d) (Hiphil) to conceal, hide 1e) (Hithpael) to hide oneself carefully Aramaic equivalent: se.tar (סְתַר "to hide" H5642A)

faceפָנִ֛יםfa-NIMH6440H
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

from hearingמִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃mi-she-MO-a'H8085G
to hear: hear

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) : hear v 1) to hear, listen to, obey 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to hear (perceive by ear) 1a2) to hear of or concerning 1a3) to hear (have power to hear) 1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to 1a5) to understand (language) 1a6) to hear (of judicial cases) 1a7) to listen, give heed 1a7a) to consent, agree 1a7b) to grant request 1a8) to listen to, yield to 1a9) to obey, be obedient 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound) 1b2) to be heard of 1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed 1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.