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.

See how the just man has perished, and no one lays [it] to heart: and righteous men are taken away, and no one considers: for the righteous has been removed out of the way of injustice.

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

His burial shall be in peace: he has been removed out of the way.

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

But draw ye near hither, ye lawless children, the seed of adulterers 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,

Wherein have ye been rioting? and against whom have ye opened your mouth, and against whom have ye loosed your tongue? are ye not children of perdition? a lawless seed?

5 you who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

who call upon idols under the leafy trees, slaying your children in the valleys among the rocks?

6 Among 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?

That is thy portion, this is thy lot: and to them hast thou poured forth drink-offerings, and to these hast thou offered meat-offerings. Shall I not therefore be angry for these things?

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

On a lofty and high mountain, there is thy bed, and thither thou carriedst up thy meat-offerings:

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.

and behind the posts of thy door thou didst place thy memorials. Didst thou think that if thou shouldest depart from me, thou wouldest gain? thou hast loved those that lay with thee;

9 You went to the king with oil, increased your perfumes, sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

and thou hast multiplied thy whoredom with them, and thou hast increased the number of them that are far from thee, and hast sent ambassadors beyond thy borders, and hast been debased even to hell. (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.

Thou has wearied thyself with thy many ways; yet thou saidst not, I will cease to strengthen myself: for thou has done these things; therefore thou has not supplicated me.

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?

Through dread of whom hast thou feared, and lied against me, and has not remembered, nor considered me, nor regarded me, yea, though when I see thee I pass thee by, yet thou has not feared me.

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

And I will declare thy righteousness, and thy sins, which shall 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 out, let them deliver thee in thine affliction: for all these the wind shall take, and the tempest shall carry [them] away: but they that cleave to 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.”

And they shall say, Clear the ways before him, and take up the stumbling-blocks out of 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.

Thus saith the Most High, who dwells on high for ever, Holy in the holies, is his name, the Most High resting in the holies, and giving patience to the faint-hearted, and giving life to the broken-hearted:

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.

I will not take vengeance on you for ever, neither will I be always angry with you: for my Spirit shall go forth from me, and I have created all breath.

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.

On account of sin for a little while I grieved him, and smote him, and turned away my face from him; and he was grieved, and he went on sorrowful in his ways.

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, and healed him, and comforted him, and given him true comfort;

19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal them.”

peace upon peace to them that are far off, and to them that are nigh: and the Lord has said, I will heal them.

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

But the unrighteous shall be tossed as troubled waves, and shall not be able to rest.

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

There is no joy to the ungodly, said God.