Today’s Scripture:

Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak[a] to deliver you;his ear is not too deaf to hear you.[b]2 But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.[c]3 For your hands are stained with bloodand your fingers with sin;your lips speak lies,your tongue utters malicious words.4 No one is concerned about justice;[d]no one sets forth his case truthfully.They depend on false words[e] and tell lies;they conceive of oppression[f]and give birth to sin.5 They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snakeand spin a spider’s web.Whoever eats their eggs will die,a poisonous snake is hatched.[g]6 Their webs cannot be used for clothing;they cannot cover themselves with what they make.Their deeds are sinful;they commit violent crimes.[h]7 They are eager to do evil,[i]quick to shed innocent blood.[j]Their thoughts are sinful;they crush and destroy.[k]8 They are unfamiliar with peace;their deeds are unjust.[l]They use deceitful methods,and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.[m]

9 For this reason deliverance[n] is far from us[o]and salvation does not reach us.We wait for light,[p] but see only darkness;[q]we wait for[r] a bright light,[s] but live[t] in deep darkness.[u]10 We grope along the wall like the blind,we grope like those who cannot see;[v]we stumble at noontime as if it were evening.Though others are strong, we are like dead men.[w]11 We all growl like bears,we coo mournfully like doves;we wait for deliverance,[