Isaiah 59:9–15

Israel’s Sin Brings Trouble

⁹Fairness has gone far away;

goodness is nowhere to be found.

We wait for the light, but there is only darkness now.

We hope for a bright light, but all we have is darkness.

¹⁰We are like the blind feeling our way along a wall.

We feel our way as if we had no eyes.

In the brightness of day we trip as if it were night.

We are like dead men among the strong.

¹¹All of us growl like the bears.

We call out sadly like the doves.

We look for justice, but there isn’t any.

We want to be saved, but salvation is far away.

¹²We have done many wrong things against our God;

our sins show we are wrong.

We know we have turned against God;

we know the evil things we have done:

¹³sinning and rejecting the Lord,

turning away from our God,

planning to hurt others and to disobey God,

planning and speaking lies.

¹⁴So we have driven away justice,

and we have kept away from what is right.

Truth is not spoken in the streets;

what is honest is not allowed to enter the city.

¹⁵Truth cannot be found anywhere,

and people who refuse to do evil are attacked.

The Lord looked and could not find any justice,

and he was displeased.