Isaiah 59:9 “Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us.…”

Isaiah 59:9

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.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

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.

World English Bible

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.

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.

Geneva Bible 1599

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.

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.

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,

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.

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Cross references

“is judgment”

Habakkuk 1:13 Lamentations 5:16 Lamentations 5:17

Habakkuk 1:13 · BSB

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?

Lamentations 5:16 · BSB

The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!

Lamentations 5:17 · BSB

Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim—

“we wait”

Isaiah 5:30 Job 30:26 Jeremiah 8:15 Jeremiah 14:19 Amos 5:18–20 Micah 1:12

Isaiah 5:30 · BSB

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.

Job 30:26 · BSB

But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.

Jeremiah 8:15 · BSB

We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror.

Jeremiah 14:19 · BSB

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.

Amos 5:18–20 · BSB

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.

Micah 1:12 · BSB

For the dwellers of Maroth pined for good, but calamity came down from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

8The 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.

10Like 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.

Read Isaiah 59