Esaias 59
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Esaias chapter 59 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
Patristic commentary for this chapter has not yet been attached. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text. Related material may be found among the Church Fathers and the theology tables.
Esaias 59
1Has the hand of the Lord no power to save? or has he made his ear heavy, so that he should not hear?Μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ Κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαι; ἢ ἐβάρυνε τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι;
2Nay, your iniquities separate between you and God, and because of your sins has he turned away his face from you, so as not to have mercy upon you.Ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διϊστῶσιν ἀναμέσον ὑμῶν καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπέστρεψεν τὸ πρόσωπον ἀφʼ ὑμῶν τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι.
3For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins; your lips also have spoken iniquity, and your tongue meditates unrighteousness.Αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες ὑμῶν μεμολυσμέναι αἵματι, καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὑμῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, τὰ δὲ χείλη ὑμῶν ἐλάλησεν ἀνομίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ὑμῶν ἀδικίαν μελετᾷ.
4None speaks justly, neither is there true judgment: they trust in vanities, and speak empty words; for they conceive trouble, and bring forth iniquity.Οὐθεὶς λαλεῖ δίκαια, οὐδὲ ἐστι κρίσις ἀληθινή· πεποίθασιν ἐπὶ ματαίοις, καὶ λαλοῦσι κενὰ, ὅτι κύουσι πόνον, καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀνομίαν.
5They have hatched asps' eggs, and weave a spider's web: and he that is going to eat of their eggs, having crushed an addled egg, has found also in it a basilisk.Ὠὰ ἀσπίδων ἔῤῥηξαν, καὶ ἱστὸν ἀράχνης ὑφαίνουσι, καὶ ὁ μέλλων τῶν ὠῶν αὐτῶν φαγεῖν, συντρίψας οὔριον, εὗρε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ βασιλίσκου.
6Their web shall not become a garment, nor shall they at all clothe themselves with their works; for their works are works of iniquity.Ὁ ἱστὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔσται εἰς ἱμάτιον, οὐδὲ μὴ περιβάλωνται ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν· τὰ γὰρ ἔργα αὐτῶν, ἔργα ἀνομίας.
7And ✡ their feet run to wickedness, swift to shed blood; their thoughts also are thoughts * of murder; destruction and misery are in their ways;Οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσι, ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα, καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτὼν, διαλογισμοὶ ἀπὸ φόνων· σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν,
8and the way of peace they know not, neither is there judgment in their ways; for their paths by which they go are crooked, and they know not peace.καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κρίσις ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν· αἱ γὰρ τρίβοι αὐτῶν διεστραμμέναι ἃς διοδεύουσι, καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν εἰρήνην.
9Therefore 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.Διατοῦτο ἀπέστη ἡ κρίσις ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐ μὴ καταλάβῃ αὐτοὺς δικαιοσύνη· ὑπομεινάντων αὐτῶν φῶς ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς σκότος, μείναντες αὐγὴν ἐν ἀωρίᾳ περιεπάτησαν.
10They shall feel for the wall as blind men, and shall feel for it as if they had no eyes: and they shall feel at noon-day as at midnight; they shall groan as dying men.Ψηλαφήσουσιν ὡς τυφλοὶ τοῖχον, καὶ ὡς οὐχ ὑπαρχόντων ὀφθαλμῶν ψηλαφήσουσι· καὶ πεσοῦνται ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ ὡς ἐν μεσονυκτίῳ, ὡς ἀποθνήσκοντες στενάξουσιν·
11They shall proceed together as a bear and as a dove: we have waited for judgment, and there is no salvation, it is gone far from us.Ὡς ἄρκος καὶ ὡς περιστερὰ ἅμα πορεύσονται· ἀνεμείναμεν κρίσιν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι σωτηρία, μακρὰν ἀφέστηκεν ἀφʼ ἡμῶν.
12For our iniquity is great before you, and our sins have risen up against us: for our iniquities are in us, and we know our unrighteous deeds.Πολλὴ γὰρ ἡμῶν ἡ ἀνομία ἐναντίον σου, καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἡμῶν ἀντέστησαν ἡμῖν· αἱ γὰρ ἀνομίαι ἡμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ τὰ ἀδικήματα ἡμῶν ἔγνωμεν.
13We have sinned, and dealt falsely, and revolted from our God: we have spoken unrighteous words, and have been disobedient; we have conceived and uttered from our heart unrighteous words.Ἠσεβήσαμεν καὶ ἐψευσάμεθα, καὶ ἀπέστημεν ὄπισθεν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν· ἐλαλήσαμεν ἄδικα, καὶ ἠπειθήσαμεν· ἐκύομεν, καὶ ἐμελετήσαμεν ἀπὸ καρδίας ἡμῶν λόγους ἀδίκους·
14And we have turned judgment back, and righteousness has departed afar off: for truth is consumed in their ways, and they could not pass by a straight path.Καὶ ἀπεστήσαμεν ὀπίσω τὴν κρίσιν, καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη μακρὰν ἀφέστηκεν· ὅτι κατηναλώθη ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν ἡ ἀλήθεια, καὶ διʼ εὐθείας οὐκ ἐδύναντο διελθεῖν.
15And truth has been taken away, and they have turned aside their mind from understanding. And the Lord saw it, and it pleased him not that there was no judgment.Καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ᾖρται, καὶ μετέστησαν τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ συνιέναι. Καὶ εἶδε Κύριος, καὶ οὐκ ἤρεσεν αὐτῷ, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν κρίσις.
16And he looked, and there was no man, and he observed, and there was none to help: so he defended them with his arm, and established them with his mercy.Καὶ εἶδε, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἀνήρ, καὶ κατενοήσε, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἀντιληψόμενος· καὶ ἠμύνατο αὐτοὺς τῷ βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῇ ἐλεημοσύνῃ ἐστηρίσατο.
17And he put on righteousness as a breast-plate, and placed the helmet of salvation on his head; and he clothed himself with the garment of vengeance, and with his cloak,Καὶ ἐνεδύσατο δικαιοσύνην ὡς θώρακα, καὶ περιέθετο περικεφαλαίαν σωτηρίου ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς, καὶ περιεβάλετο ἱμάτιον ἐκδικήσεως, καὶ τὸ περιβόλαιον αὐτοῦ,
18as one about to render a recompence, even reproach to his adversaries.ὡς ἀνταποδώσων ἀνταπόδοσιν ὄνειδος τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις.
19So shall they of the west fear the name of the Lord, and they that come from the rising of the sun his glorious name: for the wrath of the Lord shall come as a mighty river, it shall come with fury.Καὶ φοβηθήσονται οἱ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, καὶ οἱ ἀπʼ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἔνδοξον· ἥξει γὰρ ὡς ποταμὸς βίαιος ἡ ὀργὴ παρὰ Κυρίου, ἥξει μετὰ θυμοῦ.
20And ✡ the deliverer shall come for Sion's sake, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.Καὶ ἥξει ἕνεκεν Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος, καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβ.
21And this shall be my covenant with them, said the Lord; My Spirit which is upon you, and the words which I have put in your mouth, shall never fail from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, for the Lord has spoken it, henceforth and for ever.Καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἡ παρʼ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, εἶπε Κύριος· τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐμὸν, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ σοί, καὶ τὰ ῥήματα, ἃ ἔδωκα εἰς τὸ στόμα σου, οὐ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ σπέρματός σου· εἶπε γὰρ Κύριος ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
Translator's Notes
These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.
- v. 7✡Rom 3:15-17
- v. 7*Gr. from murders, but Alex. reads ὐφρόνων.
- v. 20✡Rom 11:26