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1 The righteous one, hath perished, And not a man, hath taken it to heart—Yea the men of lovingkindness, have been withdrawn No one considering, That from the presence of calamity, hath the righteous been withdrawn.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

2 He entereth into peace, Let them rest upon their couches, —Each one who went on a straight path.

He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his 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, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

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.

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,

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

ye that inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; that slay the 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?

Among the smooth [stones] of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things?

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 hast thou set thy bed: thither also wentest thou 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;

And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: 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.

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)

And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. (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.

Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou didst find a quickening of thy strength; therefore thou wast not faint.

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?

And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and fearest me not?

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

I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall 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 them which thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: 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.

And he shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of 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 for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

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 iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him, I hid [my face] and was wroth: and he went on frowardly 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, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto 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 near, saith the LORD; and 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 are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.

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

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