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1 Behold, Adonai ’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save;
nor his ear dull, that it can’t sh'ma ·hear obey·.
2 But your iniquities have separated you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not sh'ma ·hear obey·.
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 mishpat ·justice· in their ways.
They have made crooked paths for themselves;
whoever goes in them does not know peace.
9 Therefore is mishpat ·justice· far from us,
and righteousness does not 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 bitterly like doves.
We look for mishpat ·justice·, but there is none;
for yishu'ah ·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 Adonai ,
and turning away from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Mishpat ·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.
Adonai saw it,
and it displeased him that there was no mishpat ·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 yishu'ah ·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 shall they fear Adonai ’s name from the west,
and his kavod ·weighty glory· from the rising of the sun;
for he will come as a rushing stream,
which Adonai ’s breath drives.
20 § “A Redeemer will come to Zion [Mountain ridge, Marking], to those in Jacob [Supplanter] who turn from rebellion,” says Adonai .
21 “As for me, this is my covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with them,” * says Adonai . “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 Adonai , “from henceforth and forever.”