Isaiah 57

1 The righteous one, hath perished, And not a man, hath taken it to heart—Yea the men of lovingkindness, have been withdrawn No one considering, That from the presence of calamity, hath the righteous been withdrawn.

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, Let them rest upon their couches, —Each one who went on a straight path.

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

3 But, ye, …draw near hither, Ye sons of divination, —Ye seed of an adulterer when your mother committed unchastity!

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

4 Against whom would ye disport yourselves? Against whom would ye widen the mouth and lengthen the tongue, —Are not, ye, Children of transgression, A Seed of falsehood.

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 inflame yourselves With the terebinths, Under every green tree—Slaying the children, In the torrent-valleys, Under the clefts of the crags:

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

6 Among the smooth stones of the torrent—valley, is thy portion. They, they, are thy lot; Even to them, hast thou Poured out a drink-offering. Caused to ascend a gift. Over these things, can I cease to grieve?

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 uplifted, hast thou set thy couch, —Even thither, hast thou gone up, to offer 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, hast thou set thy symbol, For, with another than me, hast thou uncovered thyself and gone up—Hast widened thy couch, And hast solemnised for thyself a covenant from them, Thou hast loved their couch a sign, hast thou seen;

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 hast gone to the king with oil, And hast multiplied thy perfumes, —And hast sent thy messengers afar, And…lowered thyself as far as hades! (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 With the length of thy journey, thou wast wearied, Thou didst not say, Hopeless! The reviving of thy power, thou didst find, For this cause, hast thou not become 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 Whom then hadst thou been anxious about and feared that thou shouldest speak falsely, When me, thou rememberedst not, caredst not for me? Did not, I, keep silence even from age-past times, Although me, thou wouldest not fear?

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 expose thy righteousness, —And thy works—but they will not profit thee!

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

13 When thou makest outcry, let thy gathered throngs deliver thee! But all of them, shall A wind, catch up—A breath, take away! Whereas he that seeketh refuge in me, Shall inherit the land, And 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 one said—Cast ye up—cast ye up, prepare ye a way, —Lift the 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, saith he that is high and lifted up—Inhabiting futurity, And, holy, is his name: A high and holy place, will I inhabit, Also with the crushed and lowly in spirit, To revive the spirit of the lowly, and To revive the heart of them who are crushed; —

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 age-abidingly, will I contend, Nor perpetually, will I be wroth, —For, spirit, before me, would faint, Even the breathing souls, which, I, had 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 his iniquitous gain, was I wroth—and smote him Hiding myself that I might be wroth, —But he went on turning aside in the way of his own 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, have I beheld, That I might heal him, —And guide him, And restore consolations to him and to his mourners:

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 Creating the fruit of the lips—Prosperity! Prosperity! For him that is far off and for him that is near saith Yahweh, So should I heal him.

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 lawless, are like the sea when tossed, —For, rest, it cannot! But its waters toss out mire and dirt.

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

21 No well-being, saith my God, to the lawless!

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