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.
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.
2 Let peace arrive. Let he who has walked in his righteousness find rest on his bed.
His burial shall be in peace: he has been removed out of the way.
3 But come here, you sons of the prophetess, you offspring of an adulterous man and a fornicating woman.
But draw you near hither, you lawless children, the seed of adulterers and the harlot.
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,
Wherein have you been rioting? and against whom have you opened your mouth, and against whom have you loosed your tongue? are you not children of perdition? a lawless seed?
5 who are being consoled by idols under every leafy tree, immolating little children at the torrents, under the high rocks?
who call upon idols under the leafy trees, slaying your children in the valleys among 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?
That is your portion, this is your lot: and to them have you poured forth drink-offerings, and to these have you offered meat-offerings. Shall I not therefore be angry for these things?
7 Upon a high and lofty mountain, you have placed your bed, and you have ascended to that place to immolate victims.
On a lofty and high mountain, there is your bed, and there you carried up your meat-offerings:
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.
and behind the posts of your door you did place your memorials. Did you think that if you should depart from me, you would gain? you have loved those that lay with you;
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 have multiplied your whoredom with them, and you have increased the number of them that are far from you, and have sent ambassadors beyond your borders, and have been debased even to 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 has wearied yourself with your many ways; yet you said not, I will cease to strengthen myself: for you has done these things; therefore you has not supplicated me.
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.
Through dread of whom have you feared, and lied against me, and has not remembered, nor considered me, nor regarded me, yes, though when I see you I pass you by, yet you has not feared me.
12 I will announce your justice, and your works will not benefit you.
And I will declare your righteousness, and your sins, which 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 out, let them deliver you in your 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.
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 they shall say, Clear the ways before him, and take up the stumbling blocks 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.
Thus says 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:
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.
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.
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.
On account of sin for a little while I grieved him, and struck him, and turned away my face from him; and he was grieved, and he went on sorrowful in his ways.
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 healed him, and comforted him, and given him true comfort;
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.
peace upon peace to them that are far off, and to them that are near: and the Lord has said, I will heal them.
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 unrighteous shall be tossed as troubled waves, and shall not be able to rest.
21 There is no peace for the impious, says the Lord God.
There is no joy to the ungodly, said God.
