Isaiah 57

1 The just man perishes, and there is no one who acknowledges it in his heart; and men of mercy are taken away, for there is no one who understands. For the just man has been taken away before the face of malice.

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

2 Let peace arrive. Let he who has walked in his righteousness find rest on his bed.

He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

3 But come here, you sons of the prophetess, you offspring of an adulterous man and a fornicating woman.

But draw near here, all of you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

4 Whom are you mocking? Against whom have you opened your mouth wide and wagged your tongue? Are you not sons of wickedness, a lying offspring,

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

5 who are being consoled by idols under every leafy tree, immolating little children at the torrents, under the high rocks?

Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?

6 Your portion is in the currents of the torrent; this is your lot! And you yourselves have poured out libations to them; you have offered sacrifice. Should I not be angry over these things?

Among the smooth stones of the stream is your portion; they, they are your lot: even to them have you poured a drink offering, you have offered a food offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

7 Upon a high and lofty mountain, you have placed your bed, and you have ascended to that place to immolate victims.

Upon a lofty and high mountain have you set your bed: even thither went you up to offer sacrifice.

8 And behind the door, and beyond the post, you have set up your memorial. For you uncovered yourself next to me, and you received an adulterer. You widened your bed, and you formed a pact with them. You loved their bed with an open hand.

Behind the doors also and the posts have you set up your remembrance: for you have discovered yourself to another than me, and are gone up; you have enlarged your bed, and made you a covenant with them; you loved their bed where you saw it.

9 And you have adorned yourself for the king with ointments, and you have increased your cosmetics. You have sent your representatives to distant places, and you have debased yourself all the way to Hell. (Sheol h7585)

And you went to the king with ointment, and did increase your perfumes, and did send your messengers far off, and did debase yourself even unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

10 You have been wearied by the multitude of your own ways. Yet you did not say, “I will cease.” You have found life by your own hand; because of this, you have not prayed.

You are wearied in the greatness of your way; yet said you not, There is no hope: you have found the life of your hand; therefore you were not grieved.

11 For whose sake have you been anxiously afraid, so that you would lie and not be mindful of me, nor consider me in your heart? For I am silent, and I am like someone who does not see, and so you have forgotten me.

And of whom have you been afraid or feared, that you have lied, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and you fear me not?

12 I will announce your justice, and your works will not benefit you.

I will declare your righteousness, and your works; for they shall not profit you.

13 When you cry out, let your followers free you. But the wind will carry them all away; a breeze will take them up. But he who has faith in me will inherit the earth and will possess my holy mountain.

When you cry, let your companies deliver you; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that puts his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

14 And I will say: “Make way! Grant passage! Move to the side of the path! Take the obstacles out of the way of my people!”

And shall say, Cast all of you up, cast all of you up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.

15 For this is said by the Most High, the Sublime One, who dwells in eternity. And his name is Holy, for he dwells in the exalted and holy place, and he acts with a restrained and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits 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 For I will not contend unceasingly, and I will not be angry to the end. For I will exhale my breath, and the Spirit will go forth from my face.

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

17 Because of the iniquity of his avarice, I was angry, and I struck him down. I concealed my face from you, and I was angry. And he went astray by wandering in his heart.

For the iniquity of his covetousness was I angry, and stroke him: I hid me, and was angry, and he went on perversely in the way of his heart.

18 I saw his ways, and I healed him, and I led him back again, and I restored consolations to him and to those who mourn for him.

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

19 I created the fruit of the lips: peace, peace to him who is far away, and peace to him who is near, said the Lord, and I healed him.

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

20 But the impious are like the raging sea, which is not able to be quieted, and its waves stir up dirt and mud.

But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21 There is no peace for the impious, says the Lord God.

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