Isaiah 57
1 The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from the evil.
The righteous hath perished, And there is none laying [it] to heart, And men of kindness are gathered, Without any considering that from the face of evil Gathered is the righteous one.
2 He enters into peace. They rest in their beds, each one who walks in his uprightness.
He entereth into peace, they rest on their beds, [Each] is going straightforward.
3 “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.
And ye, come near hither, O sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer, Even thou dost commit whoredom.
4 Whom do you mock? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience and offspring of falsehood,
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom enlarge ye the mouth? Prolong ye the tongue? Are not ye children of transgression? a false seed?
5 you who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
Who are inflamed among oaks, under every green tree, Slaughtering the children in valleys, Under clefts of the rocks.
6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion. They, they are your lot. You have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things?
Among the smooth things of a brook [is] thy portion, They — they [are] thy lot, Also to them thou hast poured out an oblation, Thou hast caused a present to ascend, For these things am I comforted?
7 On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
On a mountain, high and exalted, Thou hast set thy couch, Also thither thou hast gone up to make a sacrifice.
8 You have set up your memorial behind the doors and the posts, for you have exposed yourself to someone besides me, and have gone up. You have enlarged your bed and made you a covenant with them. You loved what you saw on their bed.
And behind the door, and the post, Thou hast set up thy memorial, For from Me thou hast removed, and goest up, Thou hast enlarged thy couch, And dost covenant for thyself among them, Thou hast loved their couch, the station thou sawest,
9 You went to the king with oil, increased your perfumes, sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
And goest joyfully to the king in ointment, And dost multiply thy perfumes, And sendest thine ambassadors afar off, And humblest thyself unto Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
10 You were wearied with the length of your ways; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint.
In the greatness of thy way thou hast laboured, Thou hast not said, 'It is desperate.' The life of thy hand thou hast found, Therefore thou hast not been sick.
11 “Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? Haven’t I held my peace for a long time, and you don’t fear me?
And of whom hast thou been afraid, and fearest, That thou liest, and Me hast not remembered? Thou hast not laid [it] to thy heart, Am not I silent, even from of old? And Me thou fearest not?
12 I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.
I declare thy righteousness, and thy works, And they do not profit thee.
13 When you cry, let those whom you have gathered deliver you, but the wind will take them. A breath will carry them all away, but he who takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain.”
When thou criest, let thy gatherings deliver thee, And all of them carry away doth wind, Take away doth vanity, And whoso is trusting in Me inheriteth the land, And doth possess My holy mountain.
14 He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”
And he hath said, 'Raise up, raise up, prepare a way, Lift a stumbling-block out of the way of My people.'
15 For the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, says: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
For thus said the high and exalted One, Inhabiting eternity, and holy [is] His name: 'In the high and holy place I dwell, And with the bruised and humble of spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of bruised ones,'
16 For I will not contend forever, neither will I always be angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls whom I have made.
For, not to the age do I strive, nor for ever am I wroth, For the spirit from before Me is feeble, And the souls I have made.
17 I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
For the iniquity of his dishonest gain, I have been wroth, and I smite him, Hiding — and am wroth, And he goeth on turning back in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
His ways I have seen, and I heal him, yea, I lead him, And recompense comforts to him and to his mourning ones.
19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says the LORD; “and I will heal them.”
Producing the fruit of the lips, 'Peace, peace,' to the far off, and to the near, And I have healed him, said Jehovah.
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud.
And the wicked [are] as the driven out sea, For to rest it is not able, And its waters cast out filth and mire.
21 “There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.”
There is no peace, said my God, to the wicked!
