Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.
Parallel translations
- WEB Their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. desolation and destruction are in their paths.
- KJV 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.
- NKJV 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.
- NASB Their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of wrongdoing, Devastation and destruction are in their paths.
- NLT Their feet run to do evil, and they rush to commit murder. They think only about sinning. Misery and destruction always follow them.
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
Their feet rush to evil and to shed innocent blood, leaving ruin in their paths. They are eager and quick to do wrong.
Overview
God describes a people whose feet hasten toward evil and bloodshed, whose thoughts are iniquity and whose ways leave desolation. Paul cites this verse in Romans 3 to prove universal human sinfulness. It thus contributes to the biblical diagnosis that all have sinned, underscoring the need for the justification God offers through faith in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Prov 6:17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
- Rom 3:15–17“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
- Prov 1:16For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
- Mark 7:21–22For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
- Isa 59:3For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice.
- Lam 4:13But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
- Ezek 9:9He replied, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.’
- Ezek 22:6See how every prince of Israel within you has used his power to shed blood.
- Acts 8:20–22But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
- Rev 17:6I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her.
- Prov 24:9A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
- Prov 15:26The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but the words of the pure are pleasant to Him.
- Isa 60:18No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
- Jer 22:17“But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”
- Matt 23:31–37So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
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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 59:7 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.