Isaiah 57
1 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.
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.
2 He enters into peace; they rest in their beds, those who walk in their uprightness.
He entereth into peace; He resteth in his bed, Every one that walketh in uprightness.
3 But come here, you sons of the sorceress, children of the adulterer and the woman who has prostituted herself.
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, Ye brood of the adulterer and the harlot!
4 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?
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?
5 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.
Burning with lust for idols Under every green tree, Slaying children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks?
6 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?
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?
7 You prepared your bed on a high mountain; you also went up there to offer sacrifices.
Upon a high and lofty mountain settest thou thy bed; Thither dost thou go up to offer sacrifice;
8 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.
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.
9 You went to Molech with oil; you multiplied perfumes. You send your ambassadors far away; you went down to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
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)
10 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.
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.
11 “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.
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.
12 I will proclaim all your righteous acts and tell all that you have done, but they will not help you.
But now I announce thy deliverance, And thy works do not profit thee.
13 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.
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.
14 He will say, 'Build, build! Clear a way! Remove all the stumbling blocks from the path of my people!'”
Men shall say, Cast up, cast up, prepare the road; Remove every obstruction from the way of my people!
15 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.
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.
16 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.
For I will not contend forever, Nor will I be always angry; For life would fail before me, And the souls which I created.
17 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.
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.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him. I will lead him and comfort and console those who mourn for him,
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;
19 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.
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.
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, and its waters churn up mire and mud.
But the wicked is like the troubled sea, Which cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace for the wicked one—says God.”
There is no peace, saith my God, for the wicked.
