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 layeth it to heart: and pious men are taken away, without one considering that before the evil the righteous is taken away.
2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death.
He shall come [to his fathers] in peace: they shall repose in their resting-place, every one that walketh in his uprightness.
3 “But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
But ye draw near hither, sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
4 Whom are you mocking? At whom do you snarl and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deceit,
Over whom will you make yourselves merry? concerning whom will you open wide your mouth, stretch out your tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
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?
That are inflamed after the idols under every green tree; that slaughter the children in the valleys under the clefts 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?
Of the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured out a drink-offering, hast thou offered a meat-offering. Shall I for these things repent me [of the evil]?
7 On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifices.
Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou placed thy couch: even thither wentest thou up 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.
And behind the doors and the door-posts hast thou placed thy [mark of] remembrance; for [departing] from me, thou hast laid open, and art gone up, —hast enlarged thy couch, and made thee a covenant with some of them; thou hast loved their lying with thee, hast selected a fitting place.
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)
And thou didst show thyself unto the king without ointment, and thou didst multiply thy perfumes, and thou didst send out thy messengers even into the far-off distance, and didst debase thyself even down to the nether world. (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.
Though thou art wearied by the length of thy way, yet saidst thou not, It is useless: thou hadst found enough for thy hand; therefore didst thou feel no care.
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 of whom hadst thou dread or fear, that thou becamest false, and didst not remember me, nor lay it to thy heart? is it not so? I kept silence, and this from earliest times, and therefore thou fearest me not!
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not profit you.
I, I ever tell thee [what deeds would be] thy righteousness; but thy works—these indeed will not profit 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 criest, let thy masses of idols deliver thee; but all of them will the wind carry away, a breath will take them off; but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.
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 will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, clear out the way, lift up every stumbling block 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 hath said the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, In the high and holy place do I dwell, yet also with the contrite and humble of spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
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 not to eternity will I contend, neither will I be for ever wroth: when the spirit from before me is overwhelmed, and the souls which I have made.
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.
Because of the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and I smote him, hiding my face, and was wroth: while he went on frowardly in the way of his own 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 [now] see his ways, and I will heal him; and I will guide him, and bestow full comforts on him and on his mourners;
19 bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”
Creating the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him that is afar off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal 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 troubled sea; for it can never be at rest, but its waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
