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.

Righteous people [sometimes] die [when they are still young], and no one is concerned about it. Godly people [sometimes] die because of disasters, and no one understands why. They are taken away in order that they will not endure more calamities,

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

and now they have peace. They [continually] lived righteously, and [now] they rest [peacefully] in their graves.

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

[Yahweh says, ] “But you who practice sorcery, come here! You who worship idols [MET], [listen to me]!

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?

Do you realize [RHQ] whom you are ridiculing, and whom you are insulting? Do you realize [RHQ] to whom you are sticking out your tongues? [You are insulting me, Yahweh]! You are [RHQ] always rebelling against me and always lying.

5 Burning with lust for idols Under every green tree, Slaying children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks?

You are eager to have sex under every [big] green tree where you worship your gods. You kill your children as sacrifices [to your idols] in the dry riverbeds, and [also] offer them [as sacrifices to your idols] in the rocky caves.

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?

[You take big] smooth stones from the riverbeds and worship them as your gods. You pour out [wine] to be an offering to them, and you bring grain [to burn for] an offering to them. Do you think that I should not punish you for doing all those things?

7 Upon a high and lofty mountain settest thou thy bed; Thither dost thou go up to offer sacrifice;

You have sex [EUP] [with cult prostitutes] on every hill and mountain, and you go there to offer sacrifices [to your gods].

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.

You have put (fetishes/pagan symbols) behind your doors and doorposts, and you have deserted me. You have taken off your clothes [EUP] and climbed into your bed and invited more [of your lovers] to come to bed with you. You have paid them to have sex with you, and you have fondled their sexual organs.

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)

You have given [fragrant] oil and lots of perfume to your god Molech, and you sent messengers to distant countries [to find other gods to worship]; you [even tried to] send [messengers] to the place of the dead [to search for new gods]. (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 became weary because of doing all those things, but you never said, ‘It is useless [for us to do that].’ You found new strength for worshiping idols, so you continued to do that [LIT].

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.

Was it because you were afraid [of those idols more than you were afraid of me] that you lied [about what you were doing], and you do not even think about [DOU, RHQ] me? Was it because I did not punish you for a long time that you are not afraid of me [RHQ]?

12 But now I announce thy deliverance, And thy works do not profit thee.

You [think that] [IRO] the things that you have done are right, but I will tell the truth. It will not help you to do any of those things.

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 [for help] to your collection of idols, they will not rescue you. The wind will blow them away [DOU]. But those who trust in me will live in the land [of Israel], and [they will worship me on Zion], my sacred hill.”

14 Men shall say, Cast up, cast up, prepare the road; Remove every obstruction from the way of my people!

Yahweh will say, “Prepare [yourselves to receive] me, [like] [MET] people build and prepare a road [for a king to come on]. Get rid of [the things that are causing you to sin] [like] [MET] people remove from a road (obstacles/things that cause people to stumble).

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.

Because this is what [I], Yahweh, who am holy and greatly honored and who live forever, say: I live in the highest heaven, where [everything] is holy, but I also am with those who are humble and who are sorry for the sinful things that they have done. I will greatly encourage [DOU] those who have repented.

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 accuse [people] forever; I will not always be angry [with them], because [if I did that], people would become weak/discouraged; all the people whom I created and caused to live would die.

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.

I was angry [with my people] because they sinned by wanting the things that others had. So because I was angry, I punished them and turned away from them, but they continued sinning.

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 the evil things that they continually do, but I will restore them and lead them. I will encourage/comfort them. And to those who are mourning,

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.

I will enable them to sing songs to praise me. I will restore [all my people], those who live near [Jerusalem] and those who live far away, and I will cause things to go well for them.

20 But the wicked is like the troubled sea, Which cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

Wicked [people do not have peace in their inner beings]; they are like [SIM] a sea [whose waves are] always churning up mud,

21 There is no peace, saith my God, for the wicked.

and [I], Yahweh, say that things will never (go well/be peaceful) for those who are evil.”