59:14 Justice is driven back;
godliness 1 stands far off.
Indeed, 2 honesty stumbles in the city square
and morality is not even able to enter.
59:15 Honesty has disappeared;
the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.
The Lord watches and is displeased, 3
for there is no justice.
59:16 He sees there is no advocate; 4
he is shocked 5 that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands; 6
his desire for justice drives him on. 7
59:17 He wears his desire for justice 8 like body armor, 9
and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. 10
He puts on the garments of vengeance 11
and wears zeal like a robe.
59:18 He repays them for what they have done,
dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries
and punishing his enemies. 12
He repays the coastlands. 13
59:19 In the west, people respect 14 the Lord’s reputation; 15
in the east they recognize his splendor. 16
For he comes like a rushing 17 stream
driven on by wind sent from the Lord. 18
59:20 “A protector 19 comes to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” 20 says the Lord.
59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to 21 them,” says the Lord. “My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” 22 says the Lord.
1 tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”
2 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
3 tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”
4 tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”
5 tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”
6 tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”
7 tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”
8 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”
9 tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”
10 tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”
11 tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”
12 tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”
13 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).
14 tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew
15 tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”
16 tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”
17 tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”
18 tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).
19 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
20 tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”
21 tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”
22 tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”