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 perish, but no one considers it, and the people of covenant faithfulness are gathered away, but no one understands that the righteous is gathered away from the evil.

2 Peace shall come: they shall rest in their beds, euery one that walketh before him.

He enters into peace; they rest in their beds, those who walk in their uprightness.

3 But you witches children, come hither, the seede of the adulterer and of the whore.

But come here, you sons of the sorceress, children of the adulterer and the woman who has prostituted herself.

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?

Whom are you merrily mocking? Against whom are you opening the mouth and sticking out the tongue? Are you not children of rebellion, children of deceit?

5 Inflamed with idoles vnder euery greene tree? and sacrificing the children in the valleys vnder the tops of the rocks?

You heat yourselves up sleeping together under the oaks, under every green tree, you who kill your children in the dry riverbeds, under the rocky overhangs.

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 things of the river valley are the things that have been assigned to you. They are the object of your devotion. You pour out your drink offering to them and raise up a grain offering. In these things should I take pleasure?

7 Thou hast made thy bed vpon a very hie mountaine: thou wentest vp thither, euen thither wentest thou to offer sacrifice.

You prepared your bed on a high mountain; you also went up there to offer sacrifices.

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.

Behind the door and the doorposts you set up your symbols; you deserted me, made yourselves naked, and went up; you made your bed wide. You made a covenant with them; you loved their beds; you saw their private parts.

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 h7585)

You went to Molech with oil; you multiplied perfumes. You send your ambassadors far away; you went down to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

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.

You were tired from your long journey, but you never said, “It is hopeless.” You found life in your hand; therefore you did not weaken.

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.

“Whom are you worried about? Whom do you fear so much that has caused you to act so deceitfully, so much that you would not remember me or think about me? Because I was silent for so long, you are no longer afraid of me.

12 I will declare thy righteousnes and thy workes, and they shall not profite thee.

I will proclaim all your righteous acts and tell all that you have done, but they will not help you.

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 you cry out, let your collection of idols rescue you. Instead the wind will carry them all away, a breath will carry them all away. Yet he who takes refuge in me will inherit the land and will take possession of 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.

He will say, 'Build, build! Clear a way! Remove all the stumbling blocks from the path 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 this is what the high and elevated One says, who lives eternally, whose name is holy, “I live in the exalted and holy place, with him also that is of a crushed and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble ones, 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 accuse forever, nor will I be angry forever, for then man's spirit would faint before me, the lives that 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.

Because of the sin of his violent gain, I was angry, and I punished him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went backward 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, but I will heal him. I will lead him and comfort and console those who mourn for him,

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.

and I create the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to those who are far off and to those who are near—says Yahweh—I will heal them.

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 tossing sea, which cannot rest, and its waters churn up mire and mud.

21 There is no peace, sayth my God, to the wicked.

There is no peace for the wicked one—says God.”