Isaiah 59

Isaiah · Chapter 59

Isaiah 59:9

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
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.Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom.Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.

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
there-עַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

-foreכֵּ֗ןKenH3651C
right

כֵּן (ken) adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

it is farרָחַ֤קra-CHAKH7368
to remove

רָחַק (ra.chaq) v 1) to be or become far, be or become distant, be removed, go far away 1a) (Qal) to be far, be distant 1b) (Piel) to send far away, extend 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to make or exhibit distance, be gone far 1c2) to remove, put far away 2) (Niphal) loose v inf (as adv) 3) at a distance

justiceמִשְׁפָּט֙mish-PATH4941H
justice: judgement

מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) : judgement/punishment 1) judgment, justice, ordinance 1a) judgment 1a1) act of deciding a case 1a2) place, court, seat of judgment 1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges) 1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment) 1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment) 1a6) execution (of judgment) 1a7) time (of judgment) 1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man) 1c) ordinance 1d) decision (in law) 1e) right, privilege, due (legal) 1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan

from usמִמֶּ֔נּוּmi-ME-nuH4480A
from

מִן־ (min) prep 1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than 1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of 1b) out of 1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling) 1b2) (of material from which something is made) 1b3) (of source or origin) 1c) out of, some of, from (partitively) 1d) from, since, after (of time) 1e) than, more than (in comparison) 1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or 1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons) 1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive) conj 2) that …

and notוְלֹ֥אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

it reaches usתַשִּׂיגֵ֖נוּta-si-GE-nuH5381
to overtake

נָשַׂג (na.sag) 1) to reach, overtake, take hold upon 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to overtake 1a2) to reach, attain to, cause to reach 1a3) to be able to secure, reach, have enough

righteousnessצְדָקָ֑הtze-da-KAHH6666
righteousness

צִדְקָה (tsid.qah) right doing, doing right, righteousness Aramaic of tse.da.qah (צְדָקָה "righteousness" H6666)

we wait eagerlyנְקַוֶּ֤הne-ka-VEHH6960A
to await

קָוָה (qa.vah) 1) to wait, look for, hope, expect 1a) (Qal) waiting (participle) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to wait or look eagerly for 1b2) to lie in wait for 1b3) to wait for, linger for

for the lightלָאוֹר֙la-'ORH0216
light

אוֹר (or) 1) light 1a) light of day 1b) light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars) 1c) day-break, dawn, morning light 1d) daylight 1e) lightning 1f) light of lamp 1g) light of life 1h) light of prosperity 1i) light of instruction 1j) light of face (fig.) 1k) Jehovah as Israel's light

and there!וְהִנֵּה־ve-hi-neh-H2009
behold

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if

darknessחֹ֔שֶׁךְCHO-shekhH2822
darkness

חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (cho.shekh) 1) darkness, obscurity 1a) darkness 1b) secret place

for gleams of lightלִנְגֹה֖וֹתlin-go-HOTH5054
brightness

נְגֹהָה (ne.go.hah) brightness

in the gloomsבָּאֲפֵל֥וֹתba-'a-fe-LOTH0653
darkness

אֲפֵלָה (a.phe.lah) 1) darkness, gloominess, calamity 2) wickedness (fig.)

we walkנְהַלֵּֽךְ׃ne-ha-LEKHH1980I
to go

הוּךְ (hukh) (P'al) to go, come, walk, be brought Aramaic of ha.lakh (הָלַךְ ": walk" H1980)

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