New Living Translation
Isaiah 59:4
4No one cares about being fair and honest. The people’s lawsuits are based on lies. They conceive evil deeds and then give birth to sin.
Isaiah 59:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
- New International Version (NIV)No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
- English Standard Version (ESV)No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
- New King James Version (NKJV)No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
Context of Isaiah 59:4
2It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. 3Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption. No one cares about being fair and honest. The people’s lawsuits are based on lies. They conceive evil deeds and then give birth to sin. 5They hatch deadly snakes and weave spiders’ webs. Whoever eats their eggs will die; whoever cracks them will hatch a viper. 6Their webs can’t be made into clothing, and nothing they do is productive. All their activity is filled with sin, and violence is their trademark.
Read all of Isaiah 59Isaiah 59:4 word by word
אֵין־קֹרֵ֣א בְצֶ֔דֶק וְאֵ֥ין נִשְׁפָּ֖ט בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה בָּט֤וֹחַ עַל־תֹּ֙הוּ֙ וְדַבֶּר־שָׁ֔וְא הָר֥וֹ עָמָ֖ל וְהוֹלֵ֥יד אָֽוֶן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- None callethקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- for justiceצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
- pleadethשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- for truthאֱמוּנָה'ĕmûnâh 'ĕmûnâh · faithfulnessH530
- they trustבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
- in vanityתֹּ֫הוּtôhû · formlessnessH8414
- and speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- liesשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: falseH7723
- they conceiveהָרָהhârâh · to conceiveH2029
- mischiefעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
- and bring forthיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- iniquityאָ֫וֶן'âven · evil: wickednessH205
Cross-references for Isaiah 59:4
- Isaiah 59:16He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him.
- Jeremiah 5:1“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city.
- Ezekiel 22:29Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.
- Micah 7:2The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murderers, setting traps even for their own brothers.
- Isaiah 30:12This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies,
- Job 15:31Let them no longer fool themselves by trusting in empty riches, for emptiness will be their only reward.
- Psalms 62:10Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life.
- Jeremiah 7:4But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!”
- Isaiah 59:3Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption.
- Psalms 62:4They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude
- Isaiah 59:13We know we have rebelled and have denied the Lord. We have turned our backs on our God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies.
- Job 15:35They conceive trouble and give birth to evil. Their womb produces deceit.”
- Psalms 7:13He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows.
- Proverbs 4:16For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
- Micah 2:1What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so.
- James 1:15These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
Commentaries on Isaiah 59:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity - There is a curious propriety in this mode of expression; a thought or purpose is compared to conception; a word or act, which is the consequence of it, to the birth of a child. From the third to the fifteenth verse inclusive may be considered a true statement of the then moral state of the Jewish people; and that they were, in the most proper sense of the word, guilty of the iniquities with which they are…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4None calleth for justice - Or rather, there is no one who brings a suit with justice; no one who goes into court for the purpose of obtaining justice. There is a love of litigation; a desire to take all the advantage which the law can give; a desire to appeal to the law, not for the sake of having strict justice done, but for the sake of doing injury to others, and to take some undue advantage. Nor any pleadeth for truth - Or, no one pleadeth with truth…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4calls for justice: Israel did not practice these qualities that are part of God’s nature and that he expects from people (Isaiah 1:21; see 25:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Rather, "No one calleth an adversary into court with justice," that is, None bringeth a just suit: "No one pleadeth with truth." they trust ... iniquity--(So Job 15:35; Psa 7:14).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 59:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 59
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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