Isaiah 57

1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth [it] to heart: and merciful men [are] taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].

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 shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, [each one] walking [in] his 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, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

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

4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, [and] draw out the tongue? [are] ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

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 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts 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 Among the smooth [stones] of the stream [is] thy portion; they, they [are] thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

[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 lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou 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 also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered [thyself to another] than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee [a covenant] with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest [it].

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 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase [thyself even] unto hell. (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 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; [yet] saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

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 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid [it] to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and 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 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall 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 companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take [them: ] 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 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of 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 for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls [which] I have made.

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 iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly 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, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto 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] near, saith the LORD; and 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 [are] like the troubled sea, when it 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, to the wicked.

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