1Hør her! Det er ikke sådan, at Herrens kraft er for svag til at redde jer, eller at han ikke kan høre jeres råb om hjælp.2Nej, det er jeres synder, der afskærer jer fra Guds indgriben. Det er derfor, han har vendt jer ryggen og lukket ørerne for jeres bøn.3Jeres hænder er jo tilsølet af blod, og jeres fingre er begravet i synd. I går rundt med løgn på læben, og jeres ondskabsfulde ord skaber ødelæggelse.4Ingen dømmer retfærdigt. Jeres retssager er et spind af løgne. I bruger tiden på at lægge onde planer og fører dem selv ud i livet.5I ligger og ruger på slangeæg og væver edderkoppespind. Hvis nogen spiser ægget, dør de. Hvis nogen træder på ægget, kommer der straks en slange frem.6Jeres edderkoppespind er ubrugeligt. Man kan ikke sy tøj af det. I øver ondskab og vold.7I er hurtige til at udtænke intriger og mord, jeres tanker er forpestet af synd, der er ødelæggelse og elendighed i jeres kølvand.8I kender ikke fredens vej, men går ad krogede bagveje. De, som følger i jeres fodspor, finder ingen fred.
Folket erkender deres synd
9Ja, det er på grund af vores ondskab, at vi ikke oplever Guds redning. Det er derfor, han ikke straffer det folk, som undertrykker os. Vi håber på lysere tider, men det ser mere og mere sort ud.10Vi famler os frem som blinde langs en mur, raver rundt, som havde vi ingen øjne, snubler ved højlys dag, som om det var kulsort nat. I vores bedste alder ligner vi omvandrende lig.11Vi brummer som sultne bjørne, kurrer sørgmodigt som duer. Vi venter på, at Gud skal befri os, men han gør det ikke, for han har vendt sig bort.12Vores synder hober sig op og anklager os over for den retfærdige Gud. Vi indrømmer, at vi er syndere, vi erkender vores skyld.13Vi har været ulydige imod Herren og vendt vores Gud ryggen. Vi har undertrykt andre og gjort oprør. Vi har levet med løgn og bedrag.
Gud griber ind mod uretfærdigheden
14Retten er tilsidesat, retfærdigheden er gemt væk. Sandheden snubler på gaden, ærligheden kan ikke komme igennem.15Ja, sandheden undertrykkes, og de, der gerne vil handle ret, overfaldes. Herren så, at der ingen retfærdighed var, og det bedrøvede ham.16Han så, at ingen greb ind for at standse undertrykkelsen, og det undrede ham. Derfor vil han selv frelse sit folk med sine egne retfærdige handlinger.17Han tager retfærdigheden på som brynje og sætter frelsens hjelm på hovedet. Han iklæder sig hævnens kjortel og hyller sig i vredens kappe.18Han gengælder sine fjender for deres ondskab. De får løn som forskyldt. Hans straf når også de fjerne lande,19så de lærer at frygte og ære ham—fra øst til vest. Den kommer som en rivende flod, drevet frem af Herrens åndepust.20Herren vil komme til Zion som Befrieren for alle i Israels folk, som holder op med at være genstridige.21„Det her er min pagt med jer,” siger Herren. „Jeg vil give jer af min Ånd, og den skal ikke forlade jer. Og de ord, som jeg har givet jer, skal bestå for evigt. I og jeres børn og alle jeres efterkommere skal holde fast ved alle ordene.”
1Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; (4.Mos 11,23; Es 50,2)2but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. (Jer 5,25)3For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. (Es 1,15)4No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. (Job 15,35; Salm 7,14; Es 59,14)5They hatch adders’ eggs; they weave the spider’s web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.6Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. (Job 8,14)7Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. (Ord 1,16; Rom 3,15)8The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. (Es 48,22; Es 57,21)9Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. (Es 59,11; Es 60,2)10We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men. (5.Mos 28,29; Job 5,14; Job 12,25; Es 42,18; 1.Kor 4,9)11We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. (Es 38,14; Es 46,13; Es 56,1; Es 59,9)12For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:13transgressing, and denying the Lord, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words. (Es 59,3)
Judgment and Redemption
14Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. (Es 51,4)15Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him[1] that there was no justice.16He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. (Es 51,18; Es 63,5)17He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak. (Es 9,7; Ef 6,13; 1.Thess 5,8)18According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment. (Es 41,1; Es 41,5; Es 63,4; Es 63,6)19So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream,[2] which the wind of the Lord drives. (Salm 113,3; Es 30,27)20“And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord. (Es 40,9; Es 43,14; Joel 2,32; Rom 11,26)21“And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.” (5.Mos 4,10; Es 51,16; Jer 31,31; Heb 8,10; Heb 10,16)