Isaiah 57

1 The just perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and men of mercy are taken away, because there is none that understandeth; for the just man is taken away from before the face 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 Let peace come, let him rest in his bed that hath walked in his uprightness.

He shall come [to his fathers] in peace: they shall repose in their resting-place, every one that walketh in his uprightness.

3 But draw near hither, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer, and of the harlot.

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

4 Upon whom have you jested? upon whom have you opened your mouth wide, and put out your tongue? are not you wicked children, a false seed,

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 seek your comfort in idols under every green tree, sacrificing children in the torrents, under the high 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 In the parts of the torrent is thy portion, this is thy lot: and thou hast poured out libations to them, thou hast offered sacrifice. Shall I not be angry at these things?

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 Upon a high and lofty mountain thou hast laid thy bed, and hast gone up thither to offer victims.

Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou placed thy couch: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

8 And behind the door, and behind the post thou best set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself near me, and hast received an adulterer: thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made a covenant with them: thou hast loved their bed with open hand.

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 And thou hast adorned thyself for the king with ointment, and hast multiplied thy perfumes. Thou hast sent thy messengers far off, and wast debased even to hell. (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 Thou hast been wearied in the multitude of thy ways: yet thou saidst not: I will rest: thou hast found life of thy hand, therefore thou hast not asked.

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 For whom hast thou been solicitous and afraid, that thou hast lied, and hast not been mindful of me, nor thought on me in thy heart? for I am silent, and as one that seeth not, and thou hast forgotten 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 declare thy justice, and thy works shall not profit thee.

I, I ever tell thee [what deeds would be] thy righteousness; but thy works—these indeed will not profit thee.

13 When thou shalt cry, let thy companies deliver thee, but the wind shall carry them all off, a breeze shall take them away, but he that putteth his trust in me, shall inherit the land, and shall possess my holy mount.

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 I will say: Make a way: give free passage, turn out of the path, take away the stumblingblocks 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 saith the High and the Eminent that inhabiteth eternity: and his name is Holy, who dwelleth in the high and holy place, and with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to 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 contend for ever, neither will I be angry unto the end: because the spirit shall go forth from my face, and breathings I will make.

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 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry, and I struck him: I hid my face from thee, and was angry: and he went away wandering in his own 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 saw his ways, and I healed him, and brought him back, and restored comforts to him, and to them that mourn for him.

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 I created the fruit of the lips, peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, said the Lord, and I healed him.

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 raging sea, which cannot rest, and the waves thereof cast up dirt and mire.

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 to the wicked, saith the Lord God.

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