Isaiah 57

1 The righteous man perisheth, and no one layeth it to heart; And pious men are taken away, and none considereth That because of the evil the righteous man is taken away.

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 entereth into peace; He resteth in his bed, Every one that walketh in uprightness.

His burial shall be in peace: he has been removed out of the way.

3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, Ye brood of the adulterer and the harlot!

But draw you near hither, you lawless children, the seed of adulterers and the harlot.

4 Of whom do ye make your sport, And at whom do ye make wide the mouth, And draw out the tongue? Are ye not rebellious children, a treacherous brood?

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 Burning with lust for idols Under every green tree, Slaying 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 With the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; These, these are thy lot; Here thou pourest out thy drink-offering, And presentest thy meat-offering; Can I see such things, and be at rest?

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 high and lofty mountain settest thou thy bed; Thither dost thou go 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 and the posts dost thou place thy memorial; Thou departest from me, and uncoverest, and ascendest, and enlargest thy bed. Thou makest an agreement with them; Thou desirest their bed; Thou choosest a place.

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 Thou goest to the king with oil, And takest much precious perfume; Thou sendest thine ambassadors afar, Yea, down to the under-world. (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 In the length of thy journeys thou hast wearied thyself, But thou sayest not, “I will desist”; Thou yet findest life in thy hand, Therefore thou art not discouraged.

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 On account of whom art thou anxious, and of whom art thou afraid, that thou hast proved false, And hast not remembered me, nor laid it to heart? Behold, I have been silent a long time; Therefore thou fearest 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 But now I announce thy deliverance, And thy works do not profit thee.

And I will declare your righteousness, and your sins, which shall not profit you.

13 When thou criest, let thy host of idols deliver thee! But the wind shall bear them all away; A breath shall take them off; But he that putteth 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 Men shall say, Cast up, cast up, prepare the road; Remove every obstruction from 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 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.

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 forever, Nor will I be always angry; For life would fail before me, And the souls which I created.

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 guilt of his covetousness I was angry; I smote him, I hid myself, and was angry; But yet 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, yet will I heal him; I will guide him, and I will restore comfort To 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 nigh, Saith Jehovah; 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 is like the troubled sea, Which 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, saith my God, for the wicked.

There is no joy to the ungodly, said God.