[1] Truly, the Lord's hand has not become short, so that he is unable to
give salvation; and his ear is not shut from hearing: [2] But your sins
have come between you and your God, and by your evil doings his face has
been veiled from you, so that he will give you no answer. [3] For your
hands are unclean with blood, and your fingers with sin; your lips have
said false things, and your tongue gives out deceit. [4] No one puts
forward an upright cause, or gives a true decision: their hope is in
deceit, and their words are false; they are with child with sin, and give
birth to evil. [5] They give birth to snake's eggs, and make spider's
threads: whoever takes their eggs for food comes to his death, and the egg
which is crushed becomes a poison-snake. [6] Their twisted threads will not
make clothing, and their works will give them nothing for covering
themselves: their works are works of sin, and violent acts are in their
hands. [7] Their feet go quickly to evil, and they take delight in the
death of the upright; their thoughts are thoughts of sin; wasting and
destruction are in their ways. [8] They have no knowledge of the way of
peace, and there is no sense of what is right in their behaviour: they have
made for themselves ways which are not straight; whoever goes in them has
no knowledge of peace. [9] For this cause our right is far from us, and
righteousness does not overtake us: we are looking for light, but there is
only the dark; for the shining of the sun, but our way is in the night.
[10] We go on our way, like blind men feeling for the wall, even like those
who have no eyes: we are running against things in daylight as if it was
evening; our place is in the dark like dead men. [11] We make noises of
grief, like bears, and sad sounds like doves: we are looking for our right,
but it is not there; for salvation, but it is far from us. [12] For our
evil doings are increased before you, and our sins give witness against us:
for our evil doings are with us, and we have knowledge of our sins: [13] We
have gone against the Lord, and been false to him, turning away from our
God, our words have been uncontrolled, and in our hearts are thoughts of
deceit. [14] And the right is turned back, and righteousness is far away:
for good faith is not to be seen in the public places, and upright
behaviour may not come into the town. [15] Yes, faith is gone; and he whose
heart is turned from evil comes into the power of the cruel: and the Lord
saw it, and he was angry that there was no one to take up their cause. [16]
And he saw that there was no man, and was surprised that there was no one
to take up their cause: so his arm gave salvation, and he made
righteousness his support. [17] Yes, he put on righteousness as a
breastplate, and salvation as a head-dress; and he put on punishment as
clothing, and wrath as a robe. [18] He will give them the right reward of
their doings, wrath to his attackers, punishment to his haters, and even on
the sea-lands he will send punishment. [19] So they will see the name of
the Lord from the west, and his glory from the east: for he will come like
a rushing stream, forced on by a wind of the Lord. [20] And as a saviour he
will come to Zion, turning away sin from Jacob, says the Lord. [21] And as
for me, this is my agreement with them, says the Lord: my spirit which is
on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, will not go away from
your mouth, or from the mouth of your seed, or from the mouth of your
seed's seed, says the Lord, from now and for ever.
