1 Kyk, die hand van die HERE is nie te kort om te help nie, en sy oor is nie te swaar om te hoor nie;

2 maar julle ongeregtighede het 'n skeidsmuur geword tussen julle en julle God, en julle sondes het sy aangesig vir julle verberg, sodat Hy nie hoor nie.

3 Want julle hande is met bloed bevlek en julle vingers met ongeregtigheid; julle lippe spreek leuen, julle tong fluister onreg.

4 Daar is niemand wat aanklaag in geregtigheid en niemand wat 'n regstryd voer in waarheid nie; hulle vertrou op nietigheid en spreek valsheid, met moeite gaan hulle swanger en baar onheil.

5 Basilisk-eiers broei hulle uit, en spinnerakke weef hulle; hy wat van hulle eiers eet, moet sterwe; en as dit stukkend gedruk word, bars daar 'n adder uit.

6 Hulle weefsels deug nie vir klere nie, en met hulle voortbrengsels kan niemand hom toemaak nie; hulle werke is onheilswerke, en die daad van geweld is in hulle hande.

7 Hulle voete hardloop om kwaad te doen en is haastig om onskuldige bloed te vergiet; hulle gedagtes is onheilsgedagtes, verwoesting en verbreking is in hulle paaie.

8 Die weg van vrede ken hulle nie, en daar is geen reg in hulle spore nie; hulle maak hul paaie krom, niemand wat daarop loop, ken die vrede nie.

9 Daarom is die reg ver van ons en bereik die geregtigheid ons nie; ons wag op lig, maar kyk, daar is duisternis; op 'n helder skynsel, maar ons wandel in dikke donkerheid.

10 Ons tas rond langs die muur soos blindes, en soos die wat geen oë het nie, tas ons rond; ons struikel op die middag soos in die skemeraand; ons is onder die gesondes soos dooie mense.

11 Ons brom almal soos bere, en soos duiwe kir ons aanhoudend; ons wag op reg, maar dit is nie daar nie; op heil -- dit bly ver van ons.

12 Want ons oortredinge is baie voor U, en ons sondes getuig teen ons; want ons oortredinge staan voor ons, en ons ongeregtighede -- ons ken hulle:

13 die afval en verloëning van die HERE en afwyking van agter onse God; die uitspreek van verdrukking en oortreding, die opneem en uitstoot van leuentaal uit die hart.

14 So word dan die reg teruggedring en die geregtigheid bly staan van ver; want die waarheid struikel op die mark, en wat reg is, kan nie binnekom nie.

15 Ja, die waarheid word vermis; en wie afwyk van die kwaad, word geplunder. Toe het die HERE dit gesien, en dit was verkeerd in sy oë dat daar geen reg was nie.

16 En Hy het gesien dat daar niemand was nie en Hom verbaas dat niemand tussenbei tree nie; daarom het sy arm Hom gehelp en sy geregtigheid het Hom ondersteun.

17 En Hy het geregtigheid aangetrek soos 'n pantser, en die helm van heil was op sy hoof; en die klere van wraak het Hy aangetrek as kleding en Hom gewikkel in die ywer soos in 'n mantel.

18 Volgens die dade, daarmee ooreenkomstig sal Hy vergelde: grimmigheid aan sy teëstanders, vergelding aan sy vyande; aan die eilande sal Hy die loon vergelde.

19 En hulle sal die Naam van die Here vrees van die westekant af, en sy heerlikheid van die opgang van die son af; want Hy sal kom soos 'n saamgeperste stroom wat die asem van die HERE aandrywe.

20 Maar vir Sion kom Hy as Verlosser en vir die wat in Jakob hulle bekeer van oortreding, spreek die HERE.

21 Wat My aangaan, dit is my verbond met hulle, sê die HERE: My Gees wat op jou is, en my woorde wat Ek in jou mond gelê het, sal uit jou mond nie wyk nie, en ook nie uit die mond van jou kroos en uit die mond van die kroos van jou kroos, sê die HERE, van nou af tot in ewigheid nie.

1 Truly, the Lord's hand has not become short, so that he is unable to give salvation; and his ear is not shut from hearing:

2 But your sins have come between you and your God, and by your evil doings his face has been veiled from you, so that he will give you no answer.

3 For your hands are unclean with blood, and your fingers with sin; your lips have said false things, and your tongue gives out deceit.

4 No one puts forward an upright cause, or gives a true decision: their hope is in deceit, and their words are false; they are with child with sin, and give birth to evil.

5 They give birth to snake's eggs, and make spider's threads: whoever takes their eggs for food comes to his death, and the egg which is crushed becomes a poison-snake.

6 Their twisted threads will not make clothing, and their works will give them nothing for covering themselves: their works are works of sin, and violent acts are in their hands.

7 Their feet go quickly to evil, and they take delight in the death of the upright; their thoughts are thoughts of sin; wasting and destruction are in their ways.

8 They have no knowledge of the way of peace, and there is no sense of what is right in their behaviour: they have made for themselves ways which are not straight; whoever goes in them has no knowledge of peace.

9 For this cause our right is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us: we are looking for light, but there is only the dark; for the shining of the sun, but our way is in the night.

10 We go on our way, like blind men feeling for the wall, even like those who have no eyes: we are running against things in daylight as if it was evening; our place is in the dark like dead men.

11 We make noises of grief, like bears, and sad sounds like doves: we are looking for our right, but it is not there; for salvation, but it is far from us.

12 For our evil doings are increased before you, and our sins give witness against us: for our evil doings are with us, and we have knowledge of our sins:

13 We have gone against the Lord, and been false to him, turning away from our God, our words have been uncontrolled, and in our hearts are thoughts of deceit.

14 And the right is turned back, and righteousness is far away: for good faith is not to be seen in the public places, and upright behaviour may not come into the town.

15 Yes, faith is gone; and he whose heart is turned from evil comes into the power of the cruel: and the Lord saw it, and he was angry that there was no one to take up their cause.

16 And he saw that there was no man, and was surprised that there was no one to take up their cause: so his arm gave salvation, and he made righteousness his support.

17 Yes, he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and salvation as a head-dress; and he put on punishment as clothing, and wrath as a robe.

18 He will give them the right reward of their doings, wrath to his attackers, punishment to his haters, and even on the sea-lands he will send punishment.

19 So they will see the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the east: for he will come like a rushing stream, forced on by a wind of the Lord.

20 And as a saviour he will come to Zion, turning away sin from Jacob, says the Lord.

21 And as for me, this is my agreement with them, says the Lord: my spirit which is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, will not go away from your mouth, or from the mouth of your seed, or from the mouth of your seed's seed, says the Lord, from now and for ever.