Sins that Separate from God

1“See, the LORD’s hand is not too short to save,

nor are his earsa too dull to hear.

2Instead, your iniquities have been barriers

between you and your God,

and your sins have concealed his face from you

so that he won’t listen.

3For your hands are defiled with blood,

and your fingers with iniquity;

your tongueb mutters wickedness.

4No one brings a lawsuit fairly,

and no one goes to law honestly;

they have reliedc on empty arguments

and they tell lies;

they conceived trouble

and give birthe to iniquity.

5They hatchf adders’ eggsg

and weaveh a spider’s web;

whoever eats their eggs dies,

and any crushed egg hatches out futility.i

6Their cobwebs cannot become clothing,

they cannot cover themselves with what they make.

Their deeds are deeds of iniquity,

and acts of violence fill their hands.

7Their feet rush to evil,

and they are quick to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;

ruin, destruction, and violencej are in their paths.

8The pathway of peace they do not know,

and there is no justice in their courses.

They have made their roads crooked;

no one who walks in them will know peace.”

A Commitment to Wait on God

9“So justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not reach us.

We wait for light, but look—there is darkness;

we wait for brightness, but we walk in deep darkness.k

10Let’s gropel along the wall like the blind;

let us grope like those who have no eyes.

We stumble at midday as if it were twilight,

in desolate placesm like dead people.

11We all growl like bears;

wen sigh mournfully like doves.

We look for justice, but there is none,

ando for deliverance, but it’s far from us.

12“For our transgressions before you are many,

and our sins testifyp against us;

for our transgressions are with us,

and as for our iniquities,

we acknowledge them:

13they’ve rebelledq inr treachery against the LORD,

and are turning away from following our God;

and they’ve spokens oppression and revolt,

and are conceivingt lying words from the heart.

14I’ll drive back justice,u

and righteousness stands at a distance;

for truth has fallen in the public square,

and honesty cannot enter.

15Truth is missing,

and whoever turns away from evil becomes a prey.”

God Brings His Own Salvation

“Then the LORD looked, and it displeased him

that there was no justice.

16He saw that there was no one,

and was appalled that there was no one to intervene;

so his own armv brought him victory,

and his righteous acts upheld him.

17He put on righteousness like a breastplate,

and a helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,

and wrapped himself in fury like a cloak.

18So he will repay according to their action:

Anger to his enemies, retribution to his foes;

to the coastlands he will render their due.

19So people will fear the name of the LORD from the west,

and his gloriesw from the rising of the sun;

for he will come as a pent-up stream

that the breath of the LORD drives along.

20“And a Redeemer will come to Zion,

to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” says the LORD.

21“As for me, this is my covenant with them,”x says the LORD. “Andy my Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, won’t depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children,z from now on and forever.”