'Right' in the Bible

Learn to do good.Seek justice,Rebuke the ruthless,Defend the fatherless,Plead for the [rights of the] widow [in court].

How the faithful city has become a prostitute [idolatrous, despicable],She who was full of justice!Right standing with God once lodged in her,But now murderers.

Zion will be redeemed with justiceAnd her repentant ones with righteousness.

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house (nation) of IsraelAnd the men of Judah are His delightful planting [which He loves].So He looked for justice, but in fact, [He saw] bloodshed and lawlessness;[He looked] for righteousness, but in fact, [He heard] a cry of distress and oppression.

They slice off [in discord] what is on the right hand but are still hungry,And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied;Each eats the flesh of his own arm.

‘What business do you have here?And whom do you have here,That you have hewn out a tomb here for yourself,You who hew a sepulcher on the height,You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock?

In the night my soul longs for You [O Lord],Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;For [only] when Your judgments are experienced on the earthWill the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions from God”;And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right!Speak to us pleasant things and smooth words,Prophesy [deceitful] illusions [that we will enjoy].

Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

As for the rogue, his weapons are evil;He conceives wicked plansTo ruin the poor with lies,Even when the plea of the needy one is just and right.

Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel,“My way is hidden from the Lord,And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?

‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you;Do not be afraid, for I am your God.I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you;I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’

“For I the Lord your God keep hold of your right hand; [I am the Lord],Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

Who [among the idols] has declared this from the beginning, so that we could know?Or from earlier times, so that we could say, “He is [unquestionably] right!”?In fact, there was no one who declared it,Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed it;There was no one at all who heard you speak [for you pagan gods are speechless].

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;My Chosen One in whom My soul delights.I have put My Spirit upon Him;He will bring forth justice to the nations.

“Remind Me [of your merits with a thorough report], let us plead and argue our case together;State your position, that you may be proved right.

That kind of man (the idolater) feeds on ashes [and is satisfied with ashes]! A deceived mind has led him astray, so that he cannot save himself, or ask, “Is this thing [that I am holding] in my right hand not a lie?”

This is what the Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus [king of Persia],Whose right hand I have heldTo subdue nations before him,And I will ungird the loins of kings [disarming them];To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

“I have stirred up Cyrus and put him into action in righteousness [to accomplish My purpose]And I will make all his ways smooth;He will build My city and let My exiles go,Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of hosts.

“I have not spoken in secret,In a corner of a land of darkness;I did not say to the descendants of Jacob,‘Seek Me in vain [with no benefit for yourselves].’I, the Lord, speak righteousness [the truth—trustworthy, a straightforward correlation between deeds and words],Declaring things that are upright.

“Listen to Me, you stiff-necked people,You who are far from righteousness (right standing with God).

“My hand founded and established the earth,And My right hand spread out the heavens;When I call to them, they stand together [in obedience to carry out My decrees].

Then I said, “I have labored in vain,I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity (pride, uselessness);However My justice is with the Lord,And My reward is with My God.”

He who declares Me in the right is near;Who will [dare to] contend with Me?Let us stand up to each other;Who is My adversary?Let him approach Me.

“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness (right standing with God),Who seek and inquire of the Lord:Look to the rock from which you were cutAnd to the excavation of the quarry from which you were dug.

“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness (right standing with God),The people in whose heart is My law and instruction;Do not fear the reproach and taunting of man,Nor be distressed at their reviling.

As a result of the anguish of His soul,He shall see it and be satisfied;By His knowledge [of what He has accomplished] the Righteous One,My Servant, shall justify the many [making them righteous—upright before God, in right standing with Him],For He shall bear [the responsibility for] their sins.

“For you will spread out to the right and to the left;And your descendants will take possession of nationsAnd will inhabit deserted cities.

Seek the Lord while He may be found;Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.

“Then your light will break out like the dawn,And your healing (restoration, new life) will quickly spring forth;Your righteousness will go before you [leading you to peace and prosperity],The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

They do not know the way of peace,And there is no justice in their tracks.They have made them into crooked paths;Whoever walks on them does not know peace.

Therefore justice is far from us,And righteousness does not overtake us.We [expectantly] hope for light, but only see darkness;We hope for gleam of light, but we walk in darkness and gloom.

Justice is pushed back,And righteous behavior stands far away;For truth has fallen in the city square,And integrity cannot enter.

He saw that there was no man,And was amazed that there was no one to intercede [on behalf of truth and right];Therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him,And His own righteousness sustained Him.

To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following:To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning],The oil of joy instead of mourning,The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God],The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

The Lord has sworn [an oath] by His right hand and by His mighty arm,“I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies,Nor will [the invading] foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.”

“I looked, but there was no one to help,And I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right].So My own arm brought salvation to Me,And My wrath sustained Me.

Who caused His glorious arm and infinite power to go at the right hand of Moses,Dividing the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,

“And [the plain of] Sharon will be a place for flocks to graze,And the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,For My people who seek Me [who long for Me and require My presence in their lives].