King James Version

Isaiah 64:6

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Isaiah 64:5.

וַנְּהִ֤יvanhiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.כַטָּמֵא֙khatameas defiledטָמֵאpreposition, with the article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “as defiled”, the ordinary formH2931foul in a religious sensedefiled, [phrase] infamous, polluted(-tion), unclean.כֻּלָּ֔נוּkulanvallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).וּכְבֶ֥גֶדukhevegedand as apparelבֶּגֶדconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and as apparel”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH899a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillageapparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag, raiment, robe, [idiom] very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.עִדִּ֖יםidimfilthyעֵדnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “filthy”, the ordinary formH5708the menstrual flux (as periodical); by implication (in plural) soilingfilthy.כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).צִדְקֹתֵ֑ינוּtsidqoteynvjusticeצְדָקָהnoun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “justice”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6666rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity)justice, moderately, right(-eous) (act, -ly, -ness).וַנָּ֤בֶלvanaveland disgraceנָבֵלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “and disgrace”, the next action in the storyH5034to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail, faint; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked; causatively, to despise, disgracedisgrace, dishounour, lightly esteem, fade (away, -ing), fall (down, -ling, off), do foolishly, come to nought, [idiom] surely, make vile, wither.כֶּֽעָלֶה֙kealehas leafעָלֶהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “as leaf”, the ordinary formH5929a leaf (as coming up on a tree); collectively, foliagebranch, leaf.כֻּלָּ֔נוּkulanvallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).וַעֲוֺנֵ֖נוּvaaonenvand faultעָוֺןconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “and fault”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5771perversity, i.e. (moral) evilfault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.כָּר֥וּחַkaruchaas angerרוּחַpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “as anger”, the ordinary formH7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).יִשָּׂאֻֽנוּyisaunvlift upנָשָׂאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “lift up”, an unfinished actionH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(64-5) And we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Young’s Literal Translation

And we are as unclean — all of us, And as a garment passing away, all our righteous acts; And we fade as a leaf — all of us. And our iniquities as wind do take us away.

World English Bible

For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Darby Translation

And we are all become as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us away;

Douay-Rheims

And we are all become as one unclean, and all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman: and we have all fallen as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(64-5) And we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and we are all become as unclean, and all our righteousness as a filthy rag: and we have fallen as leaves because of our iniquities; thus the wind shall carry us away .

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ ἐγενήθημεν ὡς ἀκάθαρτοι πάντες ἡμεῖς, ὡς ῥάκος ἀποκαθημένης πᾶσα ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἡμῶν· καὶ ἐξεῤῥύημεν ὡς φύλλα διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· οὕτως ἄνεμος οἴσει ἡμᾶς.