Sin Separates Us from God (Psalm 14:1–7; Psalm 53:1–6; Romans 3:9–20)
1 WBS Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, 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 WBS But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 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 WBS For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath uttered perverseness. 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 WBS None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 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 WBS They hatch cockatrice eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. 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 WBS Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is 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 WBS Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. 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 WBS The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whoever goeth therein shall 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as 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 WBS We all roar like bears, and mourn bitterly like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, 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 WBS For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; 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 WBS In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. BSB BSB: rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart.
14 WBS And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 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 WBS Yes, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it , and it displeased him that there was no judgment. BSB BSB: Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
16 WBS And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness, it 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 WBS For he put on righteousness as a breast-plate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. 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 WBS According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the isles he will repay recompense. BSB BSB: So He will repay according to their deeds: fury to His enemies, retribution to His foes, and recompense to the islands.
19 WBS So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. 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 WBS And the Redeemer will come to Zion, and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. BSB BSB: “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.
21 WBS As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. 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.
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