Rampant Transgression

¹ Look! The hand of Yahweh is not too short ⌞to save⌟,¹ and his ear is not too dull ⌞to hear⌟.²

1. Literally “from saving”
2. Literally “from hearing”

² Rather, your iniquities have been ⌞barriers⌟¹ between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing.

1. Literally “dividers”

³ For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue speaks wickedness.

⁴ There is nobody ⌞who pleads with⌟¹ justice, and there is nobody who judges with honesty. They rely on nothing and speak vanity. They conceive trouble and beget iniquity;

1. Literally “calling in”

⁵ they hatch viper eggs, and they weave a spider web. One who eats their eggs dies, and that which is pressed is hatched as a serpent.

⁶ Their webs cannot become clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds¹ of violence are in their hands.

1. Hebrew “deed”

⁷ Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; devastation and destruction are in their highways.

⁸ They do not know the way of peace, and there is no justice in their firm paths. They have made their paths crooked for themselves; everyone ⌞who walks⌟¹ in it knows no peace.

1. Literally “walking”

⁹ Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We wait for light, but¹ look! there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

1. Or “and”

¹⁰ We grope like the blind along a wall, and we grope ⌞as without⌟¹ eyes. We stumble at noon as in the twilight; among the strong we are like the dead.

1. Literally “like there are no”

¹¹ We all groan like bears, and we coo mutteringly like doves. We wait for justice, but¹ there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.

1. Or “and”

¹² For our transgressions are numerous before you, and our sins ⌞testify⌟¹ against us. Indeed, our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:

1. Or “answers”

¹³ transgressing and denying Yahweh, and turning ⌞away from following⌟¹ our God; speaking oppression and falsehood, conceiving and uttering words of deception from the heart.

1. Literally “back from behind”

¹⁴ And justice is pushed back, and righteousness stands afar; for truth stumbles in the public square, and straightforwardness is unable to enter,

¹⁵ and truth is missing, and he who turns aside from evil is plundered. And Yahweh saw, and it was displeasing in his eyes that there was no justice

¹⁶ And he saw that there was no man, and he was appalled that there was no one who intercedes, so¹ his arm came to assist him, and his righteousness ⌞was what⌟² sustained him.

1. Or “and”
2. Literally “it”

¹⁷ And he put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head, and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a robe.

¹⁸ According to deeds, so he will repay; wrath to his enemies, requital to those who are his ⌞enemies⌟.¹ He will repay requital to the coastlands.

1. Literally “hostile”

¹⁹ So¹ they shall fear the name of Yahweh from the west, and his glory from the sunrise, for he will come like a narrow stream; the wind of Yahweh drives it on.

1. Or “And”

²⁰ “And a redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn away from transgression,” ⌞declares⌟¹ Yahweh.

1. Literally “declaration of”

²¹ “And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahweh: my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have placed in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, or¹ from the mouths² of your ⌞children⌟,³ or⁴ from the mouths⁵ of ⌞your children’s children⌟,”⁶ says Yahweh, “from now on and forever.”

1. Or “and”
2. Hebrew “mouth”
3. Literally “offspring”
4. Or “and”
5. Hebrew “mouth”
6. Literally “the offspring of your offspring”