Social Injustice Is Condemned

1The Lord hasn't lost

his powerful strength;

he can still hear

and answer prayers.

2Your sins are the roadblock

between you and your God.

That's why he doesn't answer

your prayers

or let you see his face.

3Your talk is filled with lies

and plans for violence;

every finger on your hands

is covered with blood.

4You falsely accuse others

and tell lies in court;

sin and trouble are the names

of your children.

5You eat the deadly eggs

of poisonous snakes,

and more snakes crawl out

from the eggs left to hatch.

You weave spider webs,

6but you can't make clothes

with those webs

or hide behind them.

You're sinful and brutal.

7 You hurry off to do wrong

or murder innocent victims.

All you think about is sin;

you leave ruin and destruction

wherever you go.

8You don't know how

to live in peace

or to be fair with others.

The roads you make are crooked;

your followers cannot find peace.

The People Confess Their Sins

9No one has come to defend us

or to bring about justice.

We hoped for a day of sunshine,

but all we found

was a dark, gloomy night.

10We feel our way along,

as if we were blind;

we stumble at noon,

as if it were night.

We can see no better

than someone dead.+

11We growl like bears

and mourn like doves.

We hope for justice and victory,

but they escape us.

12How often have we sinned

and turned against you,

the Lord God?

Our sins condemn us!

We have done wrong.

13We have rebelled and refused

to follow you.

Our hearts were deceitful,

and so we lied;

we planned to abuse others

and turn our backs on you.

14Injustice is everywhere;

justice seems far away.

Truth is chased out of court;

honesty is shoved aside.

15Everyone tells lies;

those who turn from crime

end up ruined.

The Lord Will Rescue His People

When the Lord noticed

that justice had disappeared,

he became very displeased.

16 It disgusted him even more

to learn that no one

would do a thing about it.

So with his own powerful arm,

he won victories for truth.

17 Justice was the Lord's armor;

saving power was his helmet;

anger and revenge

were his clothes.

18Now the Lord will get furious

and do to his enemies,

both near and far,

what they did to his people.

19He will attack like a flood

in a mighty windstorm.

Nations in the west and the east

will then honor and praise

his wonderful name.

20 The Lord has promised to rescue

the city of Zion

and Jacob's descendants

who turn from sin.

21The Lord says: “My people,

I promise to give you my Spirit

and my message.

These will be my gifts to you

and your families forever.

I, the Lord, have spoken.”