Isaiah 59:1-21 CEV

[1] The LORD hasn't lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers. [2] Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That's why he doesn't answer your prayers or let you see his face. [3] Your talk is filled with lies and plans for violence; every finger on your hands is covered with blood. [4] You falsely accuse others and tell lies in court; sin and trouble are the names of your children. [5] You eat the deadly eggs of poisonous snakes, and more snakes crawl out from the eggs left to hatch. You weave spider webs, [6] but you can't make clothes with those webs or hide behind them. You're sinful and brutal. [7] You hurry off to do wrong or murder innocent victims. All you think about is sin; you leave ruin and destruction wherever you go. [8] You don't know how to live in peace or to be fair with others. The roads you make are crooked; your followers cannot find peace. [9] No one has come to defend us or to bring about justice. We hoped for a day of sunshine, but all we found was a dark, gloomy night. [10] We feel our way along, as if we were blind; we stumble at noon, as if it were night. We can see no better than someone dead. [11] We growl like bears and mourn like doves. We hope for justice and victory, but they escape us. [12] How often have we sinned and turned against you, the LORD God? Our sins condemn us! We have done wrong. [13] We have rebelled and refused to follow you. Our hearts were deceitful, and so we lied; we planned to abuse others and turn our backs on you. [14] Injustice is everywhere; justice seems far away. Truth is chased out of court; honesty is shoved aside. [15] Everyone tells lies; those who turn from crime end up ruined. When the LORD noticed that justice had disappeared, he became very displeased. [16] It disgusted him even more to learn that no one would do a thing about it. So with his own powerful arm, he won victories for truth. [17] Justice was the LORD's armor; saving power was his helmet; anger and revenge were his clothes. [18] Now the LORD will get furious and do to his enemies, both near and far, what they did to his people. [19] He will attack like a flood in a mighty windstorm. Nations in the west and the east will then honor and praise his wonderful name. [20] The LORD has promised to rescue the city of Zion and Jacob's descendants who turn from sin. [21] The LORD says: "My people, I promise to give you my Spirit and my message. These will be my gifts to you and your families forever. I, the LORD, have spoken."