1 ¶ Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.

2 B ut your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

But 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.

3 F or your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips pronounce lies; your tongue speaks evil.

For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness.

4 N o one calls for righteousness, nor do any judge by the truth; they trust in vanity, and speak vanities; they conceive trouble and bring forth iniquity.

No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

5 T hey hatch cockatrice’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; whosoever shall eat of their eggs shall die, and if they should squeeze them, a viper shall come out.

They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth.

6 T heir cloth is unfit to be a garment, neither shall they cover themselves with their works; their works are works of violence, and the work of iniquity is in their hands.

Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands.

7 T heir feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are their paths.

Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways.

8 T he way of peace they did not know; nor is there anything straight about their ways; they have wilfully made themselves crooked paths; whosoever goes therein shall not know peace.

They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace. A Confession of Wickedness

9 ¶ Therefore judgment has withdrawn from us, and righteousness has never overtaken us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

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.

10 W e grope for the wall like the blind, and as if we had no eyes we walk by touch; we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in graves as dead men.

We grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We stumble at midday as in the twilight, Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men.

11 W e all roar like bears and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for saving health, but it has withdrawn from us.

All of us growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, but it is far from us.

12 F or our rebellions are multiplied before thee, and our sins have testified against us; for our iniquities are with us; and we know our sins:

For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities:

13 T o rebel and to lie against the LORD, and to depart away from our God; the speaking of libel and rebellion, to conceive, and to speak from the heart words of falsehood,

Transgressing and denying the Lord, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words.

14 a nd that which is right has departed, and righteousness withdrew afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity could not enter.

Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter.

15 A nd the truth was taken captive; and he that departed from evil was imprisoned: and the LORD saw it, and it was displeasing in his eyes because that which is right was lost.

Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the Lord saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.

16 ¶ And he saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteous ness, it sustained him.

And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.

17 F or he put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and a helmet of saving health upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak,

He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.

18 s o as to give payment, so as to repay the vengeance of his enemies, and repay his adversaries; to the islands he will give recompense.

According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.

19 S o shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he shall come like a violent river impelled by the breath of the LORD.

So they will 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 Which the wind of the Lord drives.

20 A nd the Redeemer shall come to Zion and unto those that turn from the rebellion in Jacob, said the LORD.

“A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord.

21 A nd this shall be my covenant with them, said the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words, which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from now on and for ever.

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”