Isaiah 57
1 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away, while no one considers that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil.
The righteous perisheth, and no man considereth it in heart: and mercifull men are taken away, and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come.
2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death.
Peace shall come: they shall rest in their beds, euery one that walketh before him.
3 “But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
But you witches children, come hither, the seede of the adulterer and of the whore.
4 Whom are you mocking? At whom do you snarl and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deceit,
On whome haue ye iested? vpon whome haue ye gaped and thrust out your tongue? are not ye rebellious children, and a false seede?
5 who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
Inflamed with idoles vnder euery greene tree? and sacrificing the children in the valleys vnder the tops of the rocks?
6 Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. Should I relent because of these?
Thy portion is in the smooth stones of the riuer: they, they are thy lot: euen to them hast thou powred a drinke offering: thou hast offered a sacrifice. Should I delite in these?
7 On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifices.
Thou hast made thy bed vpon a very hie mountaine: thou wentest vp thither, euen thither wentest thou to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and doorpost you have set up your memorial. Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed; you climbed up and opened it wide. And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved; you have gazed upon their nakedness.
Behinde the doores also and postes hast thou set vp thy remembrance: for thou hast discouered thy selfe to another then me, and wentest vp, and diddest enlarge thy bed, and make a couenant betweene thee and them, and louedst their bed in euery place where thou sawest it.
9 You went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You have sent your envoys a great distance; you have descended even to Sheol itself. (Sheol h7585)
Thou wentest to the Kings with oyle, and diddest increase thine oyntments and sende thy messengers farre off, and diddest humble thy selfe vnto hell. (Sheol h7585)
10 You are wearied by your many journeys, but you did not say, “There is no hope!” You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak.
Thou weariedst thy selfe in thy manifolde iourneys, yet saydest thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found life by thine hand, therefore thou wast not grieued.
11 Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me?
And whome diddest thou reuerence or feare, seeing thou hast lyed vnto me, and hast not remembred me, neither set thy minde thereon? is it not because I holde my peace, and that of long time? therefore thou fearest not me.
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not profit you.
I will declare thy righteousnes and thy workes, and they shall not profite thee.
13 When you cry out, let your companies of idols deliver you! Yet the wind will carry off all of them, a breath will take them away. But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.”
When thou cryest, let them that thou hast gathered together deliuer thee: but the winde shall take them all away: vanitie shall pull them away: but he that trusteth in me, shall inherite the lande, and shall possesse mine holy Mountaine.
14 And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”
And he shall say, Cast vp, cast vp: prepare the way: take vp the stumbling blocks out of the way of my people.
15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
For thus sayth he that is hie and excellent, he that inhabiteth the eternitie, whose Name is the Holy one, I dwell in the high and holy place: with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirite to reuiue the spirite of the humble, and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart.
16 For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me, with the breath of those I have made.
For I will not contende for euer, neither will I be alwayes wroth, for the spirite should fayle before me: and I haue made the breath.
17 I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart.
For his wicked couetousnesse I am angry with him, and haue smitten him: I hid mee and was angry, yet he went away, and turned after the way of his owne heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
I haue seene his wayes, and wil heale him: I wil leade him also, and restore comfort vnto him, and to those that lament him.
19 bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”
I create the fruite of the lips, to be peace: peace vnto them that are farre off, and to them that are neere, sayth the Lord: for I will heale him.
20 But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.
But the wicked are like the raging sea, that can not rest, whose waters cast vp myre and dirt.
21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
There is no peace, sayth my God, to the wicked.
