7. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation ard destruction are in their paths.
8. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein doth not know peace.
9. Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but behold darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
10. We grope for the wall like the blind, yea, we grope as they that have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among them that are lusty we are as dead men.
11. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.
12. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:
13. in transgressing and denying the Lord, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14. And judgment is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter.
15. Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
16. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him.
17. And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.