Isaiah 59:9

Justice Discouragement and depression

⁷ Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.

⁸ The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their tracks. They have turned them into crooked paths; no one who treads on them will know peace.

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.

¹⁰ Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead.

¹¹ We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but find none, for salvation, but it is far from us.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: 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.
KJV: 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.
WEB: Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn’t overtake us. We look for light, but see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: 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.
BLB: Upon thus justice is far from us and righteousness does not reach us; we wait for the light, and behold, darkness; for brightness—in the darkness we walk.

ÅB: Derfor er retten[^1] langt borte fra oss, og rettferdigheten når oss ikke; vi venter på lys, og se, det er mørke, vi venter på bare solskinn, og i dypeste natt må vi ferdes.
OTB: Derfor er rettferdighet langt fra oss, og rettferd når oss ikke. Vi håper på lys, men se, det er mørke; på lysglans, men vi vandrer i skumring.
B1930: Derfor er retten langt borte fra oss, og rettferdigheten når oss ikke; vi venter på lys, og se, det er mørke, vi venter på bare solskinn, og i dypeste natt må vi ferdes. / < JES 59, 11.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 5:30
In that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. If one looks over the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be obscured by clouds.
Read in context
Job 30:26
But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.
Read in context
Micah 1:12
For the dwellers of Maroth pined for good, but calamity came down from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem.
Read in context
Jeremiah 14:19
Have You rejected Judah completely? Do You despise Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We hoped for peace, but no good has come, and for the time of healing, but there was only terror.
Read in context
Lamentations 5:16–17
The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
Read in context
Amos 5:18–20
Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light.
Read in context
Habakkuk 1:13
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
Read in context
Jeremiah 8:15
We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror.
Read in context