Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter.
Parallel translations
- WEB Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has fallen in the street, and uprightness can’t enter.
- KJV And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
- BSB So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.
- NKJV Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.
- NLT Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed.
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
Justice is driven back and truth falls in the public square. A society steeped in sin loses both justice and integrity.
Overview
The prophet pictures justice turned away and righteousness standing afar, while truth has stumbled in the street and uprightness cannot enter. The collapse of public truth and justice flows from the people's sin. This bleak portrait heightens the need for God Himself to act, foreshadowing the righteous reign that Christ will establish in fullness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Hab 1:4Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted.
- Eccl 3:16Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
- Mic 3:9–11Please listen to this, you heads of the house of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice, and pervert all equity.
- Amos 5:11Therefore, because you trample on the poor, and take taxes from him of wheat: You have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
- Isa 10:1–2Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees;
- Isa 5:23who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!
- Jer 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?
- Jer 5:27–28As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.
- Isa 1:21How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
- Isa 59:4No one sues in righteousness, and no one pleads in truth. They trust in vanity, and speak lies. They conceive mischief, and give birth to iniquity.
- Zeph 3:1–3Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city!
- Amos 5:7You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:
- Ps 82:2–5“How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah.
- Mic 7:3–5Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.
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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 59:14 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
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