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 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 enters into peace. They rest in their beds, each one who walks in his uprightness.

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

3 “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.

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

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,

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 you who inflame yourselves amongst the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the 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 Amongst 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?

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 high and lofty mountain you have set your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.

Upon a high and lofty mountain settest thou thy bed; Thither dost thou go up to offer 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.

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 You went to the king with oil, increased your perfumes, sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even to 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 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 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 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?

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 declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.

But now I announce thy deliverance, And thy works 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 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 He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove 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 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 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 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 I will not contend forever, Nor will I be always angry; For life would fail before me, And the souls which I created.

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 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 I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts 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 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.”

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 wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud.

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

21 “There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.”

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