Isaiah 59
A Confession of
National Wickedness |
1 |
Behold, the LORD's
hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy,
that it cannot hear:
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2 |
but your iniquities have separated
between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face
from you, that he will not hear.
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3 |
For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your
tongue hath muttered perverseness.
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4 |
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they
conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
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5 |
They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave
the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which
is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
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6 |
Their webs shall not become garments,
neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in
their hands.
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7 |
Their feet run to evil, and they make
haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of
iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their
paths.
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8 |
The way of peace they know not; Rom.
3.15-17 and there is no judgment in their goings:
they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein shall not
know peace.
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9 |
Therefore is judgment far from us,
neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold
obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
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10 |
We grope for the wall like the blind, and
we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in
the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
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11 |
We roar all like bears, and mourn sore
like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for
salvation, but it is far off from us.
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12 |
For our transgressions are multiplied
before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know
them;
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13 |
in transgressing and lying against the
LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking
oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words
of falsehood.
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14 |
And judgment is turned away backward, and
justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and
equity cannot enter.
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15 |
Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.
And the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
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16 |
And he saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm
brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. Is.
63.5
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17 |
For he put on righteousness as a
breastplate, Eph. 6.14 and a helmet of salvation upon his head; Eph. 6.17 · 1 Thes. 5.8 and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
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18 |
According to their deeds,
accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to
his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.
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19 |
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of
the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of
the LORD shall lift up a standard against
him.
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20 |
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion,
and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, Rom. 11.26 saith the LORD.
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21 |
As for me, this is my covenant
with them, saith the LORD; My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth,
shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed,
nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for
ever.
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