Isaiah 57
1 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.
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 entereth into peace, they rest on their beds, [Each] is going straightforward.
He entereth into peace; He resteth in his bed, Every one that walketh in uprightness.
3 And ye, come near hither, O sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer, Even thou dost commit whoredom.
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, Ye brood of the adulterer and the harlot!
4 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?
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 Who are inflamed among oaks, under every green tree, Slaughtering the children in valleys, Under clefts of the rocks.
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 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?
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 On a mountain, high and exalted, Thou hast set thy couch, Also thither thou hast gone up to make a sacrifice.
Upon a high and lofty mountain settest thou thy bed; Thither dost thou go up to offer sacrifice;
8 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,
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 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)
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 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.
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 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?
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 declare thy righteousness, and thy works, And they do not profit thee.
But now I announce thy deliverance, And thy works do not profit thee.
13 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.
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 And he hath said, 'Raise up, raise up, prepare a way, Lift a stumbling-block out of the way of My people.'
Men shall say, Cast up, cast up, prepare the road; Remove every obstruction from the way of my people!
15 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,'
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, 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.
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 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.
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 His ways I have seen, and I heal him, yea, I lead him, And recompense comforts to him and to his mourning ones.
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 Producing the fruit of the lips, 'Peace, peace,' to the far off, and to the near, And I have healed him, said Jehovah.
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 And the wicked [are] as the driven out sea, For to rest it is not able, And its waters cast out filth and mire.
But the wicked is like the troubled sea, Which cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, said my God, to the wicked!
There is no peace, saith my God, for the wicked.
