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 59:9

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Conscience;   Isaiah;   Sin;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dark Way;   Light-Darkness;   Walking;   Way;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Backsliding;   Darkness;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Obscurity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;   Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Obscurity;   Tribulation;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
All fairness and goodness is gone. There is only darkness around us, so we must wait for the light. We hope for a bright light, but all we have is darkness.
Update Bible Version
Therefore justice is far from us, neither does righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
New Century Version
Fairness has gone far away; goodness is nowhere to be found. We wait for the light, but there is only darkness now. We hope for a bright light, but all we have is darkness.
New English Translation
For this reason deliverance is far from us and salvation does not reach us. We wait for light, but see only darkness; we wait for a bright light, but live in deep darkness.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
Therefore is justice far from us, neither does righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
Amplified Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us. We [expectantly] hope for light, but only see darkness; We hope for gleam of light, but we walk in darkness and gloom.
English Standard Version
Therefore 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor doom is made fer fro vs, and riytfulnesse schal not take vs; we abididen liyt, and lo! derknessis ben; we abididen schynyng, and we yeden in derknessis.
English Revised Version
Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but behold darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
Berean Standard Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness, for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
Contemporary English Version
No one has come to defend us or to bring about justice. We hoped for a day of sunshine, but all we found was a dark, gloomy night.
American Standard Version
Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
This is why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn't catch up with us; we look for light, but see only darkness, for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
Darby Translation
Therefore is justice far from us, and righteousness overtaketh us not: we wait for light, and behold darkness; for brightness, [but] we walk in obscurity.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us; we look for light, but behold darkness, for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
King James Version (1611)
Therefore is iudgement farre from vs, neither doth iustice ouertake vs: we waite for light, but behold obscuritie, for brightnesse, but we walke in darknesse.
New Life Bible
So what is right and fair is far from us. What is right and good does not come to us. We hope for light, but see darkness. We hope for bright light, but we walk in the dark.
New Revised Standard
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us; we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness; and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore is iudgement farre from vs, neither doeth iustice come neere vnto vs: we waite for light, but loe, it is darkenesse: for brightnesse, but we walke in darkenesse.
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For this cause, hath justice removed far from us, And righteousness overtaketh us not, - We wait for light, But lo! darkness, For brightness, In thick darkness, we walk:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore is judgment far from us, and justice shall not overtake us. We looked for light, and behold darkness: brightness, and we have walked in the dark.
Revised Standard Version
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we look for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And this is the cause that equitie is so farre from vs, and that righteousnesse commeth not nie vs: We loke for light, lo it is darknesse: for the morning shine, see, we walke in the darke.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore has judgment departed from them, and righteousness shall not overtake them: while they waited for light, darkness came upon them; while they waited for brightness, they walked in perplexity.
Good News Translation
The people say, "Now we know why God does not save us from those who oppress us. We hope for light to walk by, but there is only darkness,
Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore justice is far from us,and righteousness does not reach us.We hope for light, but there is darkness;for brightness, but we live in the night.
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore is justice far from us, neither does righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We wait for light, but look! there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
Literal Translation
For this reason justice is far from us; and righteousness does not overtake us. We wait for light, but, behold, dimness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
Young's Literal Translation
Therefore hath judgment been far from us, And righteousness reacheth us not, We wait for light, and lo, darkness, For brightness -- in thick darkness we go,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And this is ye cause yt equite is so farre fro vs, & yt rightuousnes cometh not nye vs. We loke for light, lo, it is darknesse: for ye mornynge shyne, se, we walke in ye darke.
THE MESSAGE
Which means that we're a far cry from fair dealing, and we're not even close to right living. We long for light but sink into darkness, long for brightness but stumble through the night. Like the blind, we inch along a wall, groping eyeless in the dark. We shuffle our way in broad daylight, like the dead, but somehow walking. We're no better off than bears, groaning, and no worse off than doves, moaning. We look for justice—not a sign of it; for salvation—not so much as a hint.
New American Standard Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not reach us; We hope for light, but there is darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
New King James Version
Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore justice is far from us,And righteousness does not overtake us;We hope for light, but behold, darkness,For brightness, but we walk in thick darkness.

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

is judgment: Lamentations 5:16, Lamentations 5:17, Habakkuk 1:13

we wait: Isaiah 5:30, Job 30:26, Jeremiah 8:15, Jeremiah 14:19, Amos 5:18-20, Micah 1:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Reciprocal: Proverbs 4:19 - General Isaiah 50:10 - that walketh Jeremiah 13:16 - before Lamentations 3:2 - brought Lamentations 4:14 - have wandered Amos 8:9 - that I Zephaniah 1:17 - they shall

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore is judgment far from us,.... These are the words of the few godly persons in those times, taking notice of prevailing sins, confessing and lamenting them, and observing that these were the source of their calamities under which they groaned; "therefore", because of the above mentioned sins, and in just retaliation, no justice or judgment being among men; therefore, in great righteousness "judgment is far from us"; or God does not appear to right our wrongs, and avenge us of our enemies, but suffers them to afflict and distress us:

neither doth justice overtake us; the righteousness of God inflicting vengeance on our enemies, and saving and protecting us; this does not come up with us, nor do we enjoy the benefit of it, but walk on without it unprotected, and exposed to the insults of men:

we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness; or "for brightnesses" y; for much clear light; but

we walk in mists z; in thick fogs, and have scarce any light at all. The meaning is, they waited for deliverance and salvation; but instead of that had the darkness of affliction and distress; or they were expecting latter day light and glory, the clear and bright shining of Gospel truths; but, instead of that, were surrounded with the darkness of ignorance and infidelity, superstition and will worship, and walked in the mists and fogs of error and heresy of all sorts: this seems to respect the same time as in Zechariah 14:6.

y לנגהות "in splendores", Pagninus, Montanus; "magnum splendorem", Vitringa. z באפלות "in ealiginibus", Montanus, Cocceius; "in summa caligine", Junius Tremellius, Piscator "in densa caligine", Vitringa.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Therefore is judgment far from us - This is the confession of the people that they were suffering not unjustly on account of their crimes. The word ‘judgment’ here is evidently to be taken in the sense of vengeance or vindication. The idea is this, ‘we are subjected to calamities and to oppressions by our enemies. In our distresses we cry unto God, but on account of our sins he does not hear us, nor does he come to vindicate our cause.’

Neither doth justice overtake us - That is, God does not interpose to save us from our calamities, and to deliver us from the hand of our enemies. The word justice here is not to be regarded as used in the sense that they had a claim on God, or that they were now suffering unjustly, but it is used to denote the attribute of justice in God; and the idea is, that the just God, the avenger of wrongs, did not come forth to vindicate their cause, and to save them from the power of their foes.

We wait for light - The idea here is, that they anxiously waited for returning prosperity.

But behold obscurity - Darkness. Our calamities continue, and relief is not afforded us.

For brightness - That is, for brightness or splendor like the shining of the sun an emblem of happiness and prosperity.


 
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