Esias 57

1 See how the just man has perished, and no one lays [it] to heart: and righteous men are taken away, and no one considers: for the righteous has been removed out of the way of injustice.

The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].

2 His burial shall be in peace: he has been removed out of the way.

He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness.

3 But draw ye near hither, ye lawless children, the seed of adulterers and the harlot.

But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

4 Wherein have ye been rioting? and against whom have ye opened your mouth, and against whom have ye loosed your tongue? are ye not children of perdition? a lawless seed?

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

5 who call upon idols under the leafy trees, slaying your children in the valleys among the rocks?

ye that inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; that slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

6 That is thy portion, this is thy lot: and to them hast thou poured forth drink-offerings, and to these hast thou offered meat-offerings. Shall I not therefore be angry for these things?

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

7 On a lofty and high mountain, there is thy bed, and thither thou carriedst up thy meat-offerings:

Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou set thy bed: thither also wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

8 and behind the posts of thy door thou didst place thy memorials. Didst thou think that if thou shouldest depart from me, thou wouldest gain? thou hast loved those that lay with thee;

And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: for thou hast discovered [thyself] to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

9 and thou hast multiplied thy whoredom with them, and thou hast increased the number of them that are far from thee, and hast sent ambassadors beyond thy borders, and hast been debased even to hell. (Sheol h7585)

And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

10 Thou has wearied thyself with thy many ways; yet thou saidst not, I will cease to strengthen myself: for thou has done these things; therefore thou has not supplicated me.

Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou didst find a quickening of thy strength; therefore thou wast not faint.

11 Through dread of whom hast thou feared, and lied against me, and has not remembered, nor considered me, nor regarded me, yea, though when I see thee I pass thee by, yet thou has not feared me.

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

12 And I will declare thy righteousness, and thy sins, which shall not profit thee.

I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee.

13 When thou criest out, let them deliver thee in thine affliction: for all these the wind shall take, and the tempest shall carry [them] away: but they that cleave to me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.

When thou criest, let them which thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.

14 And they shall say, Clear the ways before him, and take up the stumbling-blocks out of the way of my people.

And he shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

15 Thus saith the Most High, who dwells on high for ever, Holy in the holies, is his name, the Most High resting in the holies, and giving patience to the faint-hearted, and giving life to the broken-hearted:

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

16 I will not take vengeance on you for ever, neither will I be always angry with you: for my Spirit shall go forth from me, and I have created all breath.

For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

17 On account of sin for a little while I grieved him, and smote him, and turned away my face from him; and he was grieved, and he went on sorrowful in his ways.

For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him, I hid [my face] and was wroth: and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, and healed him, and comforted him, and given him true comfort;

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

19 peace upon peace to them that are far off, and to them that are nigh: and the Lord has said, I will heal them.

I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

20 But the unrighteous shall be tossed as troubled waves, and shall not be able to rest.

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

21 There is no joy to the ungodly, said God.

There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.