Isaiah 59
World English Bible
59 Behold, Yahweh’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save;
nor his ear dull, that it can’t hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity.
Your lips have spoken lies.
Your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 No one sues in righteousness,
and no one pleads in truth.
They trust in vanity
and speak lies.
They conceive mischief
and give birth to iniquity.
5 They hatch adders’ eggs
and weave the spider’s web.
He who eats of their eggs dies;
and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.
6 Their webs won’t become garments.
They won’t cover themselves with their works.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and acts of violence are in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
and they hurry to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity.
Desolation and destruction are in their paths.
8 They don’t know the way of peace;
and there is no justice in their ways.
They have made crooked paths for themselves;
whoever goes in them doesn’t know peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness doesn’t overtake us.
We look for light, but see darkness;
for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind.
Yes, we grope as those who have no eyes.
We stumble at noon as if it were twilight.
Among those who are strong, we are like dead men.
11 We all roar like bears
and moan sadly like doves.
We look for justice, but there is none,
for salvation, but it is far off from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 transgressing and denying Yahweh,
and turning away from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned away backward,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has fallen in the street,
and uprightness can’t enter.
15 Yes, truth is lacking;
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
Yahweh saw it,
and it displeased him that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no intercessor.
Therefore his own arm brought salvation to him;
and his righteousness sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head.
He put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
18 According to their deeds,
he will repay as appropriate:
wrath to his adversaries,
recompense to his enemies.
He will repay the islands their due.
19 So they will fear Yahweh’s name from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come as a rushing stream,
which Yahweh’s breath drives.
20 “A Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacob,” says Yahweh.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says Yahweh. “My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your offspring, nor out of the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says Yahweh, “from now on and forever.”
Ésaïe 59
La Bible du Semeur
De l’injustice à la justice
Ce qui sépare de Dieu
59 Mais non : la main de l’Eternel ╵n’est pas trop courte pour sauver,
et son oreille n’est pas sourde ╵au point de ne plus vous entendre !
2 Ce sont vos fautes ╵qui vous séparent
de votre Dieu.
C’est à cause de vos péchés ╵qu’il s’est détourné loin de vous
pour ne plus vous entendre.
3 Car vos mains sont souillées de sang
et vos doigts de péchés,
vos lèvres disent des mensonges,
votre langue susurre ╵des paroles perfides.
4 Personne n’invoque le droit,
et nul ne plaide ╵selon la vérité.
On s’appuie sur de vains raisonnements
et l’on allègue des mensonges.
Ils conçoivent le mal
et enfantent l’iniquité.
5 Ils couvent des œufs de vipère,
tissent des toiles d’araignée.
Qui mange de ces œufs mourra ;
de chaque œuf couvé qui éclôt
sortira un serpent.
6 Leurs toiles d’araignée ╵ne servent pas de vêtement,
et l’on ne peut pas se couvrir ╵de ce qu’ils ont confectionné.
Les œuvres qu’ils produisent ╵sont des œuvres mauvaises ;
de leurs mains, ils commettent ╵des actes de violence.
7 Leurs pieds courent au mal,
et ils ont hâte ╵de verser le sang innocent.
Leurs pensées sont sans cesse ╵orientées vers le mal,
dévastation et destruction ╵jalonnent leur parcours[a].
8 Ils ne connaissent pas ╵le chemin de la paix,
et le droit est absent ╵des routes qu’ils empruntent.
Les sentiers qu’ils se tracent ╵sont des voies tortueuses :
quiconque s’y engage ╵ne connaît pas la paix.
Les péchés du peuple
9 Voilà pourquoi le droit ╵demeure loin de nous,
et l’on ne nous rend pas justice.
Nous espérions de la lumière,
et c’est l’obscurité.
Oui, nous espérions la clarté
et nous marchons dans les ténèbres.
10 Nous allons à tâtons ╵comme des aveugles ╵le long d’un mur ;
comme ceux qui n’ont plus leurs yeux,
nous allons à tâtons,
nous trébuchons en plein midi ╵comme à la nuit tombante ;
tout en étant pleins de vigueur,
nous sommes comme morts.
11 Nous grondons tous comme des ours
et nous ne cessons de gémir ╵tout comme des colombes.
Nous espérons le droit, ╵mais il n’y en a pas ;
et le salut, ╵mais il est loin de nous !
12 Car nos révoltes ╵contre toi sont nombreuses
nos transgressions ╵témoignent contre nous.
Nos péchés restent attachés à nous,
et nos fautes, nous les connaissons bien.
13 Nous sommes des rebelles
et nous avons trompé ╵l’Eternel, notre Dieu, ╵en lui tournant le dos.
Nous ne parlons que d’oppression ╵et de révolte,
et nous avons conçu, ╵nous avons projeté ╵des propos mensongers ╵dans notre cœur.
14 Aussi, le droit recule
et la justice est loin de nous.
La vérité trébuche ╵sur la place publique,
et la droiture ╵ne peut y accéder.
15 La vérité a disparu
et celui qui se détourne du mal ╵se fait piller.
Dieu intervient
Mais l’Eternel a vu ╵avec indignation
qu’il n’y a plus de droit.
16 Il n’a trouvé personne ╵qui intercède,
il s’en est étonné.
Alors son propre bras ╵lui est venu en aide,
et sa justice ╵a été son soutien[b].
17 Il se revêt de la justice ╵comme d’une cuirasse,
il s’est mis sur la tête ╵le casque du salut.
En guise de tunique, ╵il s’est drapé ╵de la rétribution,
il s’est enveloppé ╵comme dans un manteau[c] ╵d’une ardeur passionnée ╵pour la relation exclusive ╵qui le lie à son peuple.
18 Il rendra à chacun ╵ce que lui vaut ses actes :
la fureur à ses adversaires,
et leur dû à ses ennemis ;
il paiera leur salaire ╵aux habitants des îles, ╵et des régions côtières.
19 Ainsi, l’on craindra l’Eternel ╵et l’on révérera sa gloire
de l’occident jusqu’au levant.
Car il viendra ╵comme un fleuve en furie
agité par un vent ╵venu de l’Eternel[d].
20 Car le libérateur ╵va venir pour Sion,
pour ceux qui, en Jacob, ╵renonceront à leurs révoltes.
L’Eternel le déclare.
21 Quant à moi, déclare l’Eternel, voici quelle est l’alliance que je fais avec eux[e] : Mon Esprit qui repose sur toi et mes paroles que je mets dans ta bouche[f], ne s’écarteront ni de ta bouche, ni de la bouche de tes enfants, ni de la bouche de leurs enfants. Voilà ce que dit l’Eternel, dès maintenant et pour l’éternité.
Isaiah 59
New King James Version
Separated from God
59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not (A)shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will (B)not hear.
3 For (C)your hands are defiled with [a]blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.
4 No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in (D)empty words and speak lies;
(E)They conceive [b]evil and bring forth iniquity.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.
6 (F)Their webs will not become garments,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And the act of violence is in their hands.
7 (G)Their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed (H)innocent blood;
(I)Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
Wasting and (J)destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of (K)peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
(L)They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.
Sin Confessed
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
(M)We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
10 (N)We grope for the wall like the blind,
And we grope as if we had no eyes;
We stumble at noonday as at twilight;
We are as dead men in desolate places.
11 We all growl like bears,
And (O)moan sadly like doves;
We look for justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our (P)transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering (Q)from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
15 So truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a (R)prey.
The Redeemer of Zion
Then the Lord saw it, and [c]it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
16 (S)He saw that there was no man,
And (T)wondered that there was no intercessor;
(U)Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 (V)For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 (W)According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay.
19 (X)So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in (Y)like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
20 “The(Z) Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the Lord.
21 “As(AA) for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:3 bloodshed
- Isaiah 59:4 trouble
- Isaiah 59:15 Lit. it was evil in His eyes
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
