Isaiah 57

1 The righteous man perishes, and no man lays it to heart. And merciful men are taken away; none considering that the righteous man is taken away from the evil.

Righteous people [sometimes] die [when they are still young], and no one is concerned about it. Godly people [sometimes] die because of disasters, and no one understands why. They are taken away in order that they will not endure more calamities,

2 He enters into peace. They rest in their beds, each one who walks in his uprightness.

and now they have peace. They [continually] lived righteously, and [now] they rest [peacefully] in their graves.

3 But draw near here, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.

[Yahweh says, ] “But you who practice sorcery, come here! You who worship idols [MET], [listen to me]!

4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves, against whom ye make a wide mouth, and put out the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

Do you realize [RHQ] whom you are ridiculing, and whom you are insulting? Do you realize [RHQ] to whom you are sticking out your tongues? [You are insulting me, Yahweh]! You are [RHQ] always rebelling against me and always lying.

5 ye who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree, who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

You are eager to have sex under every [big] green tree where you worship your gods. You kill your children as sacrifices [to your idols] in the dry riverbeds, and [also] offer them [as sacrifices to your idols] in the rocky caves.

6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion. They, they are thy lot, even to them thou have poured a drink offering; thou have offered an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things?

[You take big] smooth stones from the riverbeds and worship them as your gods. You pour out [wine] to be an offering to them, and you bring grain [to burn for] an offering to them. Do you think that I should not punish you for doing all those things?

7 Upon a high and lofty mountain thou have set thy bed. Thou also went up there to offer sacrifice.

You have sex [EUP] [with cult prostitutes] on every hill and mountain, and you go there to offer sacrifices [to your gods].

8 And behind the doors and the posts thou have set up thy memorial. For thou have uncovered thyself to another than me, and have gone up. Thou have enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them. Thou loved their bed where thou saw it.

You have put (fetishes/pagan symbols) behind your doors and doorposts, and you have deserted me. You have taken off your clothes [EUP] and climbed into your bed and invited more [of your lovers] to come to bed with you. You have paid them to have sex with you, and you have fondled their sexual organs.

9 And thou went to the king with oil, and increased thy perfumes, and sent thine ambassadors far off, and debased thyself even to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

You have given [fragrant] oil and lots of perfume to your god Molech, and you sent messengers to distant countries [to find other gods to worship]; you [even tried to] send [messengers] to the place of the dead [to search for new gods]. (Sheol h7585)

10 Thou were wearied with the length of thy way, yet thou did not say, It is in vain. Thou found a quickening of thy strength, therefore thou were not faint.

You became weary because of doing all those things, but you never said, ‘It is useless [for us to do that].’ You found new strength for worshiping idols, so you continued to do that [LIT].

11 And of whom have thou been afraid and in fear, that thou lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? Have I not held my peace even of long time, and thou do not fear me?

Was it because you were afraid [of those idols more than you were afraid of me] that you lied [about what you were doing], and you do not even think about [DOU, RHQ] me? Was it because I did not punish you for a long time that you are not afraid of me [RHQ]?

12 I will declare thy righteousness. And as for thy works, they shall not profit thee.

You [think that] [IRO] the things that you have done are right, but I will tell the truth. It will not help you to do any of those things.

13 When thou cry, let those whom thou have gathered deliver thee. But the wind shall take them; a breath shall carry them all away. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.

When you cry out [for help] to your collection of idols, they will not rescue you. The wind will blow them away [DOU]. But those who trust in me will live in the land [of Israel], and [they will worship me on Zion], my sacred hill.”

14 And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way. Take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.

Yahweh will say, “Prepare [yourselves to receive] me, [like] [MET] people build and prepare a road [for a king to come on]. Get rid of [the things that are causing you to sin] [like] [MET] people remove from a road (obstacles/things that cause people to stumble).

15 For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Because this is what [I], Yahweh, who am holy and greatly honored and who live forever, say: I live in the highest heaven, where [everything] is holy, but I also am with those who are humble and who are sorry for the sinful things that they have done. I will greatly encourage [DOU] those who have repented.

16 For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry, for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made.

I will not accuse [people] forever; I will not always be angry [with them], because [if I did that], people would become weak/discouraged; all the people whom I created and caused to live would die.

17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry, and smote him. I hid my face and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

I was angry [with my people] because they sinned by wanting the things that others had. So because I was angry, I punished them and turned away from them, but they continued sinning.

18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.

I have seen the evil things that they continually do, but I will restore them and lead them. I will encourage/comfort them. And to those who are mourning,

19 I create the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near, says Jehovah, and I will heal him.

I will enable them to sing songs to praise me. I will restore [all my people], those who live near [Jerusalem] and those who live far away, and I will cause things to go well for them.

20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.

Wicked [people do not have peace in their inner beings]; they are like [SIM] a sea [whose waves are] always churning up mud,

21 There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked.

and [I], Yahweh, say that things will never (go well/be peaceful) for those who are evil.”