Isaiah 57
1 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.
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 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
His burial shall be in peace: he has been removed out of the way.
3 But draw near here, all of you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
But draw you near hither, you lawless children, the seed of adulterers and the harlot.
4 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.
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 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?
who call upon idols under the leafy trees, slaying your children in the valleys among the rocks?
6 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?
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 lofty and high mountain have you set your bed: even thither went you up to offer sacrifice.
On a lofty and high mountain, there is your bed, and there you carried up your meat-offerings:
8 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.
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 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)
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 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.
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 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?
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 declare your righteousness, and your works; for they shall not profit you.
And I will declare your righteousness, and your sins, which shall not profit you.
13 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;
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 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.
And they shall say, Clear the ways before him, and take up the stumbling blocks out of the way of my people.
15 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.
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 for ever, neither will I be always angry: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
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 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.
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 have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
I have seen his ways, and healed him, and comforted him, and given him true comfort;
19 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.
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 wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
But the unrighteous shall be tossed as troubled waves, and shall not be able to rest.
21 There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked.
There is no joy to the ungodly, said God.
