Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Isaiah 59:14

Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Conscience;   Justice;   Repentance;   Rulers;   Sin;   Truth;   Thompson Chain Reference - Corruption;   Evil;   Injustice;   Justice-Injustice;   Nation, the;   Times, Evil;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Backsliding;   Injustice;   Justice;   Truth;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Justice;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hypocrisy;   Lie, Lying;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Truth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;   Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Equity;   Truth;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - City;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
We pushed Justice away. Fairness stands off in the distance. Truth has fallen in the streets. Goodness is not allowed in the city.
Update Bible Version
And justice has turned away backward, and righteousness stands far off; for truth has fallen in the street, and uprightness can't enter.
New Century Version
So we have driven away justice, and we have kept away from what is right. Truth is not spoken in the streets; what is honest is not allowed to enter the city.
New English Translation
Justice is driven back; godliness stands far off. Indeed, honesty stumbles in the city square and morality is not even able to enter.
Webster's Bible Translation
And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
World English Bible
Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness can't enter.
Amplified Bible
Justice is pushed back, And righteous behavior stands far away; For truth has fallen in the city square, And integrity cannot enter.
English Standard Version
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and riytfulnesse stood fer; for whi treuthe felle doun in the street, and equite miyt not entre.
English Revised Version
And judgment is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter.
Berean Standard Bible
So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.
Contemporary English Version
Injustice is everywhere; justice seems far away. Truth is chased out of court; honesty is shoved aside.
American Standard Version
And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
Thus justice is repelled, righteousness stands apart, at a distance; for truth stumbles in the public court, and uprightness cannot enter.
Darby Translation
And judgment is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth stumbleth in the street, and uprightness cannot enter.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth hath stumbled in the broad place, and uprightness cannot enter.
King James Version (1611)
And iudgement is turned away backward, and iustice standeth a farre off: for truth is fallen in the streete, and equitie cannot enter.
New Life Bible
What is right and fair is turned back. What is right and good stands far away. Truth has fallen in the street, and what is right cannot come in.
New Revised Standard
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance; for truth stumbles in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore iudgement is turned backewarde, and iustice standeth farre off: for trueth is fallen in the streete, and equitie cannot enter.
George Lamsa Translation
Judgment is turned backward, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So then there hath been a driving back of justice, And righteousness, afar off, standeth, - For truth, hath stumbled in the broad-way, And, right, cannot enter;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And judgment is turned away backward, and justice hath stood far off: because truth hath fallen down in the street, and equity could not come in.
Revised Standard Version
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth has fallen in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And therefore is equitie gone aside, and righteousnesse standeth farre of, trueth is fallen downe in the streete, and the thing that is playne and open, may not be shewed.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And we have turned judgment back, and righteousness has departed afar off: for truth is consumed in their ways, and they could not pass by a straight path.
Good News Translation
Justice is driven away, and right cannot come near. Truth stumbles in the public square, and honesty finds no place there.
Christian Standard Bible®
Justice is turned back,and righteousness stands far off.For truth has stumbled in the public square,and honesty cannot enter.
Hebrew Names Version
Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness can't enter.
King James Version
And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
Lexham English Bible
And justice is pushed back, and righteousness stands afar; for truth stumbles in the public square, and straightforwardness is unable to enter,
Literal Translation
And justice is driven back; and righteousness stands far off; for truth stumbles in the plaza, and right is not able to enter.
Young's Literal Translation
And removed backward is judgment, And righteousness afar off standeth, For truth hath been feeble in the street, And straightforwardness is not able to enter,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And therfore is equyte gone asyde, & righteousnes stodeth farre of: treuth is fallen downe in the strete, and the thinge that is playne and open, maye not be shewed.
New American Standard Bible
Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter.
New King James Version
Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter.
Legacy Standard Bible
Justice is turned back,And righteousness stands far away;For truth has stumbled in the street,And rightness cannot enter.

Contextual Overview

9 So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom. 10 We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark. Among the living, we are like the dead. 11 We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for justice, but it never comes. We look for rescue, but it is far away from us. 12 For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are. 13 We know we have rebelled and have denied the Lord . We have turned our backs on our God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies. 14 Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. 15 Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The Lord looked and was displeased to find there was no justice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Isaiah 59:4, Isaiah 5:23, Isaiah 10:1, Isaiah 10:2, Psalms 82:2-5, Ecclesiastes 3:16, Jeremiah 5:27, Jeremiah 5:28, Jeremiah 5:31, Amos 5:7, Amos 5:11, Micah 3:9-11, Micah 7:3-5, Habakkuk 1:4, Zephaniah 3:1-3

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:21 - men Psalms 60:4 - because Proverbs 18:5 - to overthrow Isaiah 59:8 - no Jeremiah 5:1 - that seeketh Jeremiah 7:28 - truth Daniel 8:12 - and it cast Amos 6:12 - for Matthew 12:34 - how

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off,.... Jarchi interprets this of the vengeance of God, and his righteousness in his judgments, not immediately executed; but it is to be understood of the want of judgment and justice being done among men; and therefore are represented as persons turned back, and standing afar off, rejected, neglected, and discouraged. The Targum renders it,

"they that do judgment are turned back, and they that do justice stand afar off;''

having none to take their parts, but everyone opposing them: this may respect both the want of judgment and justice in courts of judicature; no regard being had to right and wrong; no true judgment being given, or justice done, in any cause; but both banished from the bench: and also in the churches of Christ, or, however, under a profession of his name, where there is no judgment in doctrines, or discerning between truth and error; and no justice inflicted on delinquents according to the rules of Christ; no order nor discipline observed in his house; these are dismissed and discarded:

for truth is fallen in the street; where it used to be preached, exalted, established, and confirmed; but now thrown down and trampled upon, and few or none to help it up, and stand by it; and though it may have some secret well wishers, yet very few, if any, public advocates for it:

and equity cannot enter; either into civil courts, or Christian congregations; the doing of that which is just and right between man and man in things civil; and between Christian and Christian in things religious; or that which is right according to the word of God; can find no place, or cannot be admitted into assemblies that are called by his name. The Targum is,

"they that do truth stumble in the street; and they that exercise faith cannot be made manifest;''

such as are on the side of truth, in the service of it, cannot stand their ground through the violence of their opposers; and those that are faithful, and abide by the doctrine of faith, are forced to hide themselves, and cannot appear in the vindication of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And judgment is turned away backward - The word ‘judgment’ is not used, as in Isaiah 59:9, to denote the divine interposition to avenge and deliver them, but it is used in the sense of justice, or lust decisions between man and man. The verse contains a further confession of the evil of their course of life; and, among other things, they acknowledged that they had been unjust in their legal decisions. They had been influenced by partiality and by bribes; they had condemned the innocent, they had acquitted the guilty. Judgment had thus been lumped back by their sins when it seemed to be approaching and entering the city.

And justice standeth afar off - This is a beautiful figure. justice is represented as standing at a distance from the city. Deterred by their sins, it would not enter. They prevented its approach, and it was unknown among them.

For truth is fallen in the street - Or rather, perhaps, in the gate - the place where justice was administered. The language here is all taken from courts of justice, and the idea is, that there was no justice in their decisions, but that their courts were unprincipled and corrupt.

And equity cannot enter - It stood at a distance, and the impenetrable mass of guilt effectually prevented its approach to the capital.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 59:14. Justice standeth afar off — צדקה tsedakah, righteousness, put here, says Kimchi, for alms to the poor. This casts some light on Matthew 6:1: "Take heed that you do not your alms," ελεημοσυνην. But the best copies have δικαιοσυνην, righteousness; the former having been inserted in the text at first merely as the explanation of the genuine and original word.


 
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