This is what the Lord says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh says, “Maintain justice, and do what is right; for my salvation is near, and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
- KJV Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
- BSB This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is coming soon, and My righteousness will be revealed.
- NKJV Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.
- NASB This is what the Lord says: “Guard justice and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God commands His people to keep justice and do righteousness because His salvation and righteousness are near. It matters because the nearness of God's salvation calls for righteous living now.
Overview
As Isaiah turns toward the conduct of God's people, He links the imminent coming of salvation with the call to just and righteous behavior. Grace received is to bear fruit in upright living. This pattern endures in the gospel, where those awaiting Christ's full salvation are called to lives marked by justice and holiness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Rom 13:11–14Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.
- Ps 85:9Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
- Matt 3:2“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
- Isa 1:16–19Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
- Rom 1:17For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”
- Ps 24:4–6He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully.
- Rom 10:6–10But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down);
- Isa 55:7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
- Isa 51:5My righteousness is near. My salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples. The islands will wait for me, and they will trust my arm.
- Isa 46:13I bring my righteousness near. It is not far off, and my salvation will not wait. I will grant salvation to Zion, my glory to Israel.
- Matt 4:17From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
- Luke 3:3–9He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins.
- Isa 26:7–8The way of the just is uprightness. You who are upright make the path of the righteous level.
- John 7:17If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself.
- Mark 1:15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
- Jer 7:3–11Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says, “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
- Mal 4:4“Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances.
- Ps 50:23Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 56:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.