Isaiah
Chapter 59
PENITENTIAL LITURGY
Sin, an Obstacle to Salvation
The Lord’s arm is not too short to save nor his ear too dull to hear.
It is your sins, rather, that separates you from God. It is your iniquities that veil his face, so that he does not hear you.
For your hands are blood-stained, your fingers blotted with crimes; your lips have spoken lies, your tongues have uttered deceit.
No one fights for a right cause; no one makes a truthful plea. They all tell lies and rely on vanity; they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.
They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave spiders’ webs. Whoever eats their eggs dies; and from an egg that is crushed a venomous snake is hatched.
Their thread gives useless cloth; their works are of help to no one. Their plans are evil plots executed in deeds of violence.
Their feet rush to do evil; they are quick to shed innocent blood. Their minds are full of wicked thoughts, leaving in their wake ruin and havoc.
They do not know the way of peace; from them no one can expect justice. They have made their roads tricky and crooked so that he who follows them is lost or waylaid.
So, far away from us lies justice, and beyond reach is righteousness. We look for light but behold darkness; we long for brightness but walk in gloom.
Like the blind we grope for the wall, like those without eyes we feel our way. We stumble at noon as at twilight; we are dead amid our sins.
We are like bears that growl; we are like doves that moan. We look for justice and find none; we wait for salvation that never comes.
For our offenses before you are many, and our sins bear witness against us. We acknowledge our offenses; we know all our iniquities.
Yes, we have betrayed and deceived the Lord, turning away from following our God. We have planned violence and rebellion; we have thought and murmured lies.
Justice has been withheld, righteousness stands aloof, for truth has fallen in the public square and integrity is not allowed to enter.
There is no sincerity nor honesty. The one who turns from evil is despoiled.The Lord Intervenes The Lord has seen this and is aggrieved that justice does not exist.
Appalled at seeing none would intervene, his own arm brought about the victory, his justice giving him its support.
He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and salvation as a helmet upon his head. He wrapped himself in garments of vengeance and put on a mantle of fury.
To each he will pay his due— wrath to his enemy, reprisal to his foe.
Those in the west will hear the name of the Lord; those in the east will see his glory. For it will come like a pent-up stream driven by the breath of the Lord.
But to Zion he will come as redeemer, and to those of Jacob who turn from sin. This is the Lord speaking.
Oracle of Salvation
For my part, this is my Covenant with them, says the Lord. My spirit, which I have poured out on you, and my words, which I have put in your mouth, will never leave you, your children, or your children’s children forever and ever.
Commentaries
Sin, an Obstacle to Salvation.
Continuing from the previous chapter, we find here a kind of penitential liturgy that takes the form of a dialogue between two choirs. The central idea is that the promised salvation is slow in coming, but this is not a whim of God, rather a consequence of human sin (1f).
Verses 3-8 explain the reason for the penitential act. The people must humbly admit their faults (9-15).
The Lord Intervenes.
The Lord’s intervention, though depicted as a warrior, is not meant to destroy but to save and restore the order lost due to human irresponsibility.
Oracle of Salvation.
Promise of the everlasting Covenant with Israel. This everlasting nature relies on the ever-living and active presence of the Spirit, who manifests—and will continue to manifest—himself through the Word (cf. 40:7ff; 51:16; 61:1; Jr 1:9).