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◄ Isaiah 59:9►

New International Version
So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

New Living Translation
So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.

English Standard Version
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness,but we walk in blackness!

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom.

NASB 1977
Therefore, justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness; For brightness, but we walk in gloom.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness, For brightness, but we walk in thick darkness.

Amplified Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us. We [expectantly] hope for light, but only see darkness;We hope for gleam of light,but we walk in darknessand gloom.

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we live in the night.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we live in the night.

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.

Contemporary English Version
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.

English Revised Version
Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but behold darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
That is why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn't reach us. We hope for light, but we walk in darkness. We hope for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

Good News Translation
The people say, "Now we know why God does not save us from those who oppress us. We hope for light to walk by, but there is only darkness,

International Standard Version
"So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We wait for light, but look—there is darkness; we wait for brightness, but we walk in deep darkness.

NET Bible
For this reason deliverance is far from us and salvation does not reach us. We wait for light, but see only darkness; we wait for a bright light, but live in deep darkness.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore is justice far from us, neither does righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, look, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Majority Text Translations

Majority Standard Bible
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.

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.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Therefore judgment has been far from us, "" And righteousness does not reach us, "" We wait for light, and behold, darkness, "" For brightness—in thick darkness we go,

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,

Smith's Literal Translation
For this judgment was far off from us, and justice shall not overtake us: we shall wait for light, and behold, darkness; for brightness, and we shall walk in thick darkness.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore is judgment far from us, and justice shall not overtake us. We looked for light, and behold darkness: brightness, and we have walked in the dark.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Because of this, judgment is far from us, and justice will not take hold of us. We waited for light, and behold, darkness; we waited for brightness, and we walked in darkness.

New American Bible
That is why judgment is far from us and justice does not reach us. We look for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, and we walk in gloom!

New Revised Standard Version
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us; we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness; and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because of this, judgment is far away from us and righteousness will not overtake us. We wait for the light and there has been darkness, and for the brightness, and in thick darkness we have walked

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore is justice far from us, Neither doth righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but behold darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Therefore has judgment departed from them, and righteousness shall not overtake them: while they waited for light, darkness came upon them; while they waited for brightness, they walked in perplexity.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Sin Separates Us from God
…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.9Therefore 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.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.…

Berean Standard Bible ·Download

Cross References

Jeremiah 13:16
Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.

Lamentations 3:2
He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light.

Micah 3:6
Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them.

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. / It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake. / Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?

Job 30:26
But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.

Proverbs 4:19
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.

Zephaniah 1:15
That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

Psalm 82:5
They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Psalm 107:10-14
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains, / because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. / He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. ...

Jeremiah 8:15
We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror.

Matthew 4:16
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”

John 3:19-20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. / Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Romans 13:12
The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

1 John 1:6
If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Treasury of Scripture

Therefore is judgment far from us, neither does justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

is judgment

Lamentations 5:16,17
The crown is fallenfrom our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! …

Habakkuk 1:13
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously,and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureththe man that is more righteous than he?

we wait

Isaiah 5:30
And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and ifone look unto the land, behold darknessand sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Job 30:26
When I looked for good, then evil cameunto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

Jeremiah 8:15
We looked for peace, but no goodcame; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!

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Brightness Cause Dark Darkness Deep Far Gloom Hope Judgment Justice Light Night Obscurity Overtake Overtaketh Reach Reacheth Right Righteousness Shining Sun Thick Wait Walk Way

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Brightness Cause Dark Darkness Deep Far Gloom Hope Judgment Justice Light Night Obscurity Overtake Overtaketh Reach Reacheth Right Righteousness Shining Sun Thick Wait Walk Way

Isaiah 59

1.Calamities are not due to lack of saving power in God, but to their own sins
16.Salvation is only of God
20.The covenant of the Redeemer

Study Bible

Book ◦ Chapter

Therefore justice is far from us
This phrase reflects the consequences of Israel's sin and rebellion against God. In the context ofIsaiah 59, the people of Israel are experiencing the absence of justice due to their iniquities. The term "justice" here refers to the fair and righteous judgment that aligns with God's law. Historically, Israel was meant to be a nation that exemplified God's justice, but their persistent disobedience led to a society where justice was absent. This absence is a direct result of their separation from God, as seen in earlier verses of the chapter.

and righteousness does not reach us
Righteousness, in this context, signifies living in a way that is morally right and justifiable according to God's standards. The phrase indicates a failure to attain the moral and ethical standards set by God. This failure is not due to God's inaccessibility but rather the people's own actions and choices. Theologically, this separation from righteousness is a common theme in the prophetic books, where the prophets call the people back to a covenant relationship with God. The lack of righteousness is a barrier to experiencing God's blessings and presence.

We hope for light, but there is darkness
Light often symbolizes truth, guidance, and the presence of God in the Bible. The hope for light represents a desire for divine intervention and clarity. However, the reality of darkness signifies confusion, sin, and the absence of God's guidance. This imagery is consistent with other biblical passages, such asJohn 1:5, where light and darkness are contrasted to depict the struggle between good and evil. The people's expectation of light reflects a longing for redemption and deliverance, which is ultimately fulfilled in the coming of Christ, the Light of the World.

for brightness, but we walk in gloom
Brightness here is synonymous with hope, joy, and the fulfillment of God's promises. The contrast with gloom highlights the despair and hopelessness that result from living apart from God's will. This imagery of walking in gloom suggests a continuous state of spiritual blindness and moral confusion. The prophetic message is clear: without repentance and a return to God, the people will remain in this state of gloom. This theme is echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus offers Himself as the way out of darkness, inviting believers to walk in His light.

Persons / Places / Events

1.Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is traditionally credited with writing the Book of Isaiah. He prophesied to the Kingdom of Judah during a time of moral and spiritual decline.

2.Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was facing impending judgment due to its persistent sin and rebellion against God.

3.The People of Israel
The audience of Isaiah's prophecy, who were experiencing the consequences of their collective sin, including social injustice and spiritual blindness.

Teaching Points

Recognition of Sin's Consequences
Isaiah 59:9 highlights the reality that sin leads to spiritual blindness and separation from God. Believers must recognize the impact of sin in their lives and communities.

The Need for Repentance
The verse underscores the importance of turning away from sin and seeking God's forgiveness to restore spiritual sight and understanding.

Pursuit of Justice and Righteousness
As followers of Christ, we are called to actively pursue justice and righteousness, reflecting God's character in a world often marked by injustice and moral decay.

Hope in God's Redemption
Despite the darkness described, there is hope in God's promise of redemption and restoration for those who turn to Him.

Bible Study Questions and Answers

1.What is the meaning of Isaiah 59:9?

2.How does Isaiah 59:9 reveal the consequences of sin in our lives?

3.What does "justice is far from us" teach about God's righteousness?

4.How can Isaiah 59:9 guide us in seeking God's light and truth?

5.Compare Isaiah 59:9 with John 8:12 on walking in darkness versus light.

6.How can we apply Isaiah 59:9 to recognize and repent from sin today?

7.How does Isaiah 59:9 reflect the consequences of sin in our lives today?

8.What historical context influenced the message of Isaiah 59:9?

9.How does Isaiah 59:9 challenge our understanding of justice and righteousness?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 59?

11.What is the Satisfaction Theory of the Atonement?

12.In Isaiah 63:1-3, how can the imagery of garments stained with blood be reconciled with the prophet's claim of divine justice without external historical evidence?

13.How can Psalm 144:1's portrayal of God training hands for war be reconciled with other biblical teachings on peace (e.g., Matthew 5:9)?

14.Does God love those in hell?

What Does Isaiah 59:9 Mean

Therefore justice is far from us

- The “therefore” ties this line to the catalogue of sins inIsaiah 59:3–8; it is the moral conclusion to their rebellion (Isaiah 59:2;Jeremiah 5:25).

- “Justice” here speaks of God’s righteous judgment acting on behalf of the oppressed (Isaiah 1:17;Micah 6:8). Because the people have rejected God’s ways, that just intervention is now distant.

- The verse portrays a nation that once knew covenant blessings now experiencing the withdrawal of divine protection (Deuteronomy 28:15, 29).

- Similar moments appear when Israel cried out and the Lord “did not listen” (Judges 10:13–14;Proverbs 1:28). The principle is clear: unrepentant sin removes us from the place where we can expect God’s rectifying action.

and righteousness does not reach us

- “Righteousness” often pictures God stepping in to set things right (Isaiah 46:13;Psalm 98:2). That saving power is now described as unable to reach the people, not because God is weak (Isaiah 59:1) but because iniquity has placed a barrier.

- Paul echoes this condition when he writes, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10–18), underscoring humanity’s universal need for grace.

- The phrase paints a desperate gap: God’s standards and deliverance stand on one side, the stubborn sinner on the other (Psalm 24:3–4). Without repentance, the gulf widens.

We hope for light, but there is darkness

- “Light” throughout Scripture signals God’s favor, guidance, and truth (Psalm 27:1;John 8:12). The people instinctively yearn for it, yet find only “darkness,” a symbol of confusion and judgment (Amos 5:18–20;John 3:19).

- This reversal illustrates the futility of presuming upon God while ignoring His word (Isaiah 8:20–22).

- The stark contrast between expectation and reality amplifies spiritual blindness; they grope for something their sin has eclipsed (Job 12:25;1 John 2:11).

for brightness, but we walk in gloom

- “Brightness” intensifies the previous image—full, radiant deliverance. Instead, they “walk in gloom,” a steady, daily existence under a cloud of alienation (Proverbs 4:19;Lamentations 3:2).

- Walking suggests a chosen path. Persisting in sin means choosing the gloom even while desiring the glow (Isaiah 30:15–16).

- Yet the wider chapter moves toward hope: God Himself will arise to bring salvation (Isaiah 59:16–20), prefiguring the Messiah who declares, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Those who turn to Him move from gloom to glory (Isaiah 60:1–2;Ephesians 5:8).

summary

Isaiah 59:9 captures the tragic consequences of unrepentant sin: justice withheld, righteousness out of reach, light longed for but replaced by darkness, and a walk shrouded in gloom. The verse exposes the self-inflicted distance between people and God, while the surrounding passage points to His gracious initiative to bridge that gap through redemption. The message is sober yet hopeful—where repentance turns us to the Lord, He restores justice, extends righteousness, and floods life with His marvelous light.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9)Therefore is judgment.--The pleading of the prophet is followed by the confession which he makes on their behalf. They admit that the delay in the manifestation of God's judgment against their enemies, and of His righteousness (i.e., bounty) towards themselves, has been caused by their own sins.

We wait for light.--The cry of the expectant Israelites is,mutatis mutandis,like that of the "How long?" ofZechariah 1:12;Revelation 6:10. On the assumption that the words come ideally from the Babylonian exiles, the first of these passages presents an interesting coincidence.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 9-15. - ISRAEL HUMBLY CONFESSES ITS SIN'S TO GOD. Isaiah, anxious to bring the people to confession and amendment, makes humble confession in their name, joining himself with them, as if he had been a participator in their iniquities.Verse 9. -Therefore -i.e. on account of these sins -is judgment far from us;i.e. "does God refrain from judging our enemies." Neither doth justice -i.e. the righting of the wrongs which we suffer at the hands of the heathen - overtake us. We are left by God unavenged, and our enemies are left unpunished on account of our many transgressions. We wait for light. We look for a bright dawn to succeed the night of our trouble; but we wait in vain - the obscurity continues.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Therefore
עַל־(‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, against

justice
מִשְׁפָּט֙(miš·pāṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941:A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

is far
רָחַ֤ק(rā·ḥaq)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7368:To be or become far or distant

from us,
מִמֶּ֔נּוּ(mim·men·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 4480:A part of, from, out of

and righteousness
צְדָקָ֑ה(ṣə·ḏā·qāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6666:Rightness, subjectively, objectively

does not
וְלֹ֥א(wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, no

reach us.
תַשִּׂיגֵ֖נוּ(ṯaś·śî·ḡê·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 5381:To reach, overtake

We hope
נְקַוֶּ֤ה(nə·qaw·weh)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 6960:To bind together, collect, to expect

for light,
לָאוֹר֙(lā·’ō·wr)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 216:Illumination, luminary

but there
וְהִנֵּה־(wə·hin·nêh-)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009:Lo! behold!

is darkness,
חֹ֔שֶׁךְ(ḥō·šeḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822:The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness

for brightness,
לִנְגֹה֖וֹת(lin·ḡō·hō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5054:Brightness

[but] we walk
נְהַלֵּֽךְ׃(nə·hal·lêḵ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 1980:To go, come, walk

in gloom.
בָּאֲפֵל֥וֹת(bā·’ă·p̄ê·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 653:Duskiness, misfortune, concealment

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OT Prophets: Isaiah 59:9 Therefore is justice far from us neither (Isa Isi Is)