Isaiah 59:1–8

Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished

⁵⁹See, the Lord’s arm is not too short to save,

nor his ear too dull to hear.^*

²Rather, your iniquities have been barriers

between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you

so that he does not hear.^*

³For your hands are defiled with blood

and your fingers with iniquity;

your lips have spoken lies;

your tongue mutters wickedness.^*

⁴No one brings suit justly;

no one goes to law honestly;

they rely on empty pleas; they speak lies,

conceiving mischief and bearing iniquity.^*

⁵They hatch adders’ eggs

and weave the spider’s web;

whoever eats their eggs dies,

and the crushed egg hatches out a viper.^*

⁶Their webs cannot serve as clothing;

they cannot cover themselves with what they make.

Their works are works of iniquity,

and deeds of violence are in their hands.^*

⁷Their feet run to evil,

and they rush to shed innocent blood;

their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;

desolation and destruction are in their highways.^*

⁸The way of peace they do not know,

and there is no justice in their ways.

Their roads they have made crooked;

no one who walks in them knows peace.^*