< Isaiah 57 >
1 The righteous perisheth, and no man considereth it in heart: and mercifull men are taken away, and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come.
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and godly men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
2 Peace shall come: they shall rest in their beds, euery one that walketh before him.
He entereth into peace, they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness.
3 But you witches children, come hither, the seede of the adulterer and of the whore.
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
4 On whome haue ye iested? vpon whome haue ye gaped and thrust out your tongue? are not ye rebellious children, and a false seede?
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 Inflamed with idoles vnder euery greene tree? and sacrificing the children in the valleys vnder the tops of the rocks?
Ye that inflame yourselves among the terebinths, under every leafy tree; that slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Thy portion is in the smooth stones of the riuer: they, they are thy lot: euen to them hast thou powred a drinke offering: thou hast offered a sacrifice. Should I delite in these?
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 a meal-offering. Should I pacify Myself for these things?
7 Thou hast made thy bed vpon a very hie mountaine: thou wentest vp thither, euen thither wentest thou to offer sacrifice.
Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou set thy bed; thither also wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
8 Behinde the doores also and postes hast thou set vp thy remembrance: for thou hast discouered thy selfe to another then me, and wentest vp, and diddest enlarge thy bed, and make a couenant betweene thee and them, and louedst their bed in euery place where thou sawest it.
And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy symbol; for thou hast uncovered, and art gone up from Me, thou hast enlarged thy bed, and chosen thee of them whose bed thou lovedst, whose hand thou sawest.
9 Thou wentest to the Kings with oyle, and diddest increase thine oyntments and sende thy messengers farre off, and diddest humble thy selfe vnto hell. (Sheol )
And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, even down to the nether-world. (Sheol )
10 Thou weariedst thy selfe in thy manifolde iourneys, yet saydest thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found life by thine hand, therefore thou wast not grieued.
Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not: 'There is no hope'; thou didst find a renewal of thy strength, therefore thou wast not affected.
11 And whome diddest thou reuerence or feare, seeing thou hast lyed vnto me, and hast not remembred me, neither set thy minde thereon? is it not because I holde my peace, and that of long time? therefore thou fearest not me.
And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou wouldest fail? And as for Me, thou hast not remembered Me, nor laid it to thy heart. Have not I held My peace even of long time? Therefore thou fearest Me not.
12 I will declare thy righteousnes and thy workes, and they shall not profite thee.
I will declare thy righteousness; thy works also — they shall not profit thee.
13 When thou cryest, let them that thou hast gathered together deliuer thee: but the winde shall take them all away: vanitie shall pull them away: but he that trusteth in me, shall inherite the lande, and shall possesse mine holy Mountaine.
When thou criest, let them that thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away, a breath shall bear them off; but he that taketh refuge in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain.
14 And he shall say, Cast vp, cast vp: prepare the way: take vp the stumbling blocks out of the way of my people.
And He will say: cast ye up, cast ye up, clear the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of My people.
15 For thus sayth he that is hie and excellent, he that inhabiteth the eternitie, whose Name is the Holy one, I dwell in the high and holy place: with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirite to reuiue the spirite of the humble, and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart.
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 For I will not contende for euer, neither will I be alwayes wroth, for the spirite should fayle before me: and I haue made the breath.
For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit that enwrappeth itself is from Me, and the souls which I have made.
17 For his wicked couetousnesse I am angry with him, and haue smitten him: I hid mee and was angry, yet he went away, and turned after the way of his owne heart.
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him, I hid Me and was wroth; and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
18 I haue seene his wayes, and wil heale him: I wil leade him also, and restore comfort vnto him, and to those that lament him.
I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will lead him also, and requite with comforts him and his mourners.
19 I create the fruite of the lips, to be peace: peace vnto them that are farre off, and to them that are neere, sayth the Lord: for I will heale him.
Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith the LORD that createth the fruit of the lips; and I will heal him.
20 But the wicked are like the raging sea, that can not rest, whose waters cast vp myre and dirt.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, sayth my God, to the wicked.
There is no peace, saith my God concerning the wicked.