Sin Separates Us from God (Psalm 14:1–7; Psalm 53:1–6; Romans 3:9–20)
1 UEB Look, Yahweh's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor his ear so dull, that it cannot hear. BSB BSB: Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
2 UEB Your sinful acts, however, have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face from you and from hearing you. BSB BSB: But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.
3 UEB For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin. Your lips speak lies and your tongue speaks maliciously. BSB BSB: For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice.
4 UEB No one calls in righteousness, and none pleads his case in truth. They trust in empty words, and tell lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to sin. BSB BSB: No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
5 UEB They hatch eggs of a poisonous snake and weave a spider's web. Whoever eats of their eggs dies, and if an egg is crushed, it hatches into a poisonous snake. BSB BSB: They hatch the eggs of vipers and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.
6 UEB Their webs cannot be used for garments, nor can they cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of sin, and deeds of violence are in their hands. BSB BSB: Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands.
7 UEB Their feet run to evil, and they run to pour out innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of sin; violence and destruction are their roads. BSB BSB: Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.
8 UEB The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths. They have made crooked paths; whoever travels these paths does not know peace. BSB BSB: The 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.
9 UEB Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness reach us. We wait for light, but see darkness; we look for brightness, but we walk in darkness. BSB BSB: 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.
10 UEB We grope for the wall like the blind, like those who cannot see. We stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among the strong we are like dead men. BSB BSB: Like 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.
11 UEB We growl like bears and moan like doves; we wait for justice, but there is none; for rescue, but it is far from us. BSB BSB: We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but find none, for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 UEB For our many transgressions are before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our sins. BSB BSB: For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions are indeed with us, and we know our iniquities:
13 UEB We have rebelled, denying Yahweh and turning away from following our God. We have spoken extortion and turning aside, conceived complaining from the heart and words of lying. BSB BSB: rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart.
14 UEB Justice is driven back, and righteousness stands far off; for truth stumbles in the public square, and right cannot come. BSB BSB: So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.
15 UEB Trustworthiness has gone away, and he who turns away from evil makes himself a victim. Yahweh saw it and was displeased that there was no justice. BSB BSB: Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
16 UEB He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intervene. Therefore his own arm brought salvation for him, and his righteousness sustained him. BSB BSB: He saw that there was no man; He was amazed that there was no one to intercede. So His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained Him.
17 UEB He put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation upon his head. He clothed himself with garments of vengeance and wore zeal as a mantle. BSB BSB: He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.
The Covenant of the Redeemer 18 UEB He repaid them for what they had done, angry judgment to his adversaries, vengeance to his enemies, to the islands punishment as their reward. BSB BSB: So He will repay according to their deeds: fury to His enemies, retribution to His foes, and recompense to the islands.
19 UEB So they will fear the name of Yahweh from the west, and his glory from the sun's rising; for he will come as a rushing stream, driven by the breath of Yahweh. BSB BSB: So shall they fear the name of the LORD where the sun sets, and His glory where it rises. For He will come like a raging flood, driven by the breath of the LORD.
20 UEB "A redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn from their rebellious deeds in Jacob—this is Yahweh's declaration. BSB BSB: “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.
21 UEB As for me, this is my covenant with them—says Yahweh—my spirit who is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, will not leave your mouth, or go out of the mouth of your children, or go out of the mouth of your children's children—says Yahweh—from this time and forever." BSB BSB: “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and grandchildren, from now on and forevermore,” says the LORD.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.