Isaiah 57

1 The righteous has perished, And there is none laying [it] to heart, And men of kindness are gathered, Without any considering that from the face of evil The righteous one is gathered.

The upright man goes to his death, and no one gives a thought to it; and god-fearing men are taken away, and no one is troubled by it; for the upright man is taken away because of evil-doing, and goes into peace.

2 He enters into peace, they rest on their beds, [Each] is going straightforward.

They are at rest in their last resting-places, every one going straight before him.

3 “And you, come near here, O sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer, Even you commit whoredom.

But come near, you sons of her who is wise in secret arts, the seed of her who is false to her husband, and of the loose woman.

4 Against whom do you sport yourselves? Against whom do you enlarge the mouth [And] prolong the tongue? Are you not children of transgression? A false seed?

Of whom do you make sport? against whom is your mouth open wide and your tongue put out? are you not uncontrolled children, a false seed,

5 Who are inflamed among oaks, under every green tree, Slaughtering the children in valleys, Under clefts of the rocks.

You who are burning with evil desire among the oaks, under every green tree; putting children to death in the valleys, under the cracks of the rocks?

6 Your portion [is] among the smooth things of a brook, They [are] your lot, You have also poured out an oblation to them, You have caused a present to ascend, Am I comforted in these things?

Among the smooth stones of the valley is your heritage; they, even they, are your part: even to them have you made a drink offering and a meal offering. Is it possible for such things to be overlooked by me?

7 On a mountain, high and exalted, You have set your bed, You have also gone up there to make a sacrifice.

You have put your bed on a high mountain: there you went up to make your offering.

8 And behind the door, and the post, You have set up your memorial, For you have removed from Me, and go up, You have enlarged your bed, And cut [a covenant] with them, You have loved their bed, the station you saw,

And on the back of the doors and on the pillars you have put your sign: for you have been false to me with another; you have made your bed wide, and made an agreement with them; you had a desire for their bed where you saw it

9 And go joyfully to the king in ointment, And multiply your perfumes, And send your ambassadors far off, And humble yourself to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

And you went to Melech with oil and much perfume, and you sent your representatives far off, and went as low as the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

10 You have labored in the greatness of your way, You have not said, It is desperate. You have found the life of your hand, Therefore you have not been sick.

You were tired with your long journeys; but you did not say, There is no hope: you got new strength, and so you were not feeble.

11 And of whom have you been afraid, and fear, That you lie, and have not remembered Me? You have not laid [it] to your heart, Am I not silent, even from of old? And you do not fear Me?

And of whom were you in fear, so that you were false, and did not keep me in mind, or give thought to it? Have I not been quiet, keeping myself secret, and so you were not in fear of me?

12 I declare your righteousness, and your works, And they do not profit you.

I will make clear what your righteousness is like and your works; you will have no profit in them.

13 When you cry, let your gatherings deliver you, And wind carries all of them away, Vanity takes away, And whoever is trusting in Me inherits the land, And possesses My holy mountain.”

Your false gods will not keep you safe in answer to your cry; but the wind will take them, they will be gone like a breath: but he who puts his hope in me will take the land, and will have my holy mountain as his heritage.

14 And He has said, “Raise up, raise up, prepare a way, Lift a stumbling-block out of the way of My people.”

And I will say, Make it high, make it high, get ready the way, take the stones out of the way of my people.

15 For thus said the high and exalted One, Inhabiting eternity, and His Name [is] holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, And with the bruised and humble of spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of bruised ones,

For this is the word of him who is high and lifted up, whose resting-place is eternal, whose name is Holy: my resting-place is in the high and holy place, and with him who is crushed and poor in spirit, to give life to the spirit of the poor, and to make strong the heart of the crushed.

16 For I do not strive for all time, nor am I angry forever, For the spirit is feeble before Me, And the souls I have made.

For I will not give punishment for ever, or be angry without end: for from me breath goes out; and I it was who made the souls.

17 For the iniquity of his dishonest gain, I have been angry, and I strike him, Hiding—and am angry, And he goes on turning back in the way of his heart.

I was quickly angry with his evil ways, and sent punishment on him, veiling my face in wrath: and he went on, turning his heart from me.

18 I have seen his ways, and I heal him, indeed, I lead him, And repay comforts to him and to his mourning ones.

I have seen his ways, and I will make him well: I will give him rest, comforting him and his people who are sad.

19 Producing the fruit of the lips, Peace, peace, to the far off, and to the near, And I have healed him,” said YHWH.

I will give the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is near and to him who is far off, says the Lord; and I will make him well.

20 And the wicked [are] as the driven out sea, For it is not able to rest, And its waters cast out filth and mire.

But the evil-doers are like the troubled sea, for which there is no rest, and its waters send up earth and waste.

21 “There is no peace,” said my God, “for the wicked!”

There is no peace, says my God, for the evil-doers.