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Isaiah 57
Expanded Bible
Isaiah 57
Expanded Bible
Israel Does Not Follow God
57 ·Those who are right with God [The righteous] ·may die [perish; pass away],
but no one ·pays attention [cares; L sets/takes it to heart].
·Good people [The devout; People of lovingkindness/loyalty/covenant love] are taken away [C by death],
but no one understands.
·Those who do right [The righteous] are being taken away ·from [to be spared from; or by the power of] evil
2 and are given peace.
Those who ·live [walk] ·as God wants [uprightly]
·find rest in death [L rest on their beds].
3 “Come here, you ·magicians [L sons/children of a sorceress]!
Come here, you ·children [offspring; seed] of prostitutes and adulterers!
4 Of whom are you ·making fun [mocking; ridiculing]?
Whom are you ·insulting [sneering at; L opening your mouth at]?
At whom do you stick out your tongue?
You ·turn against God [L are children of rebellion],
and you are ·liars [L the offspring/seed of liars].
5 You ·have sexual relations [burn with lust; L inflame yourselves] beneath the oaks and under every green tree [C a reference to pagan fertility rites].
You ·kill [slaughter] children in the ·ravines [valleys]
and ·sacrifice them in the rocky places [L under the rocky clefts; C child sacrifices, like those associated with the Phoenician god Molech; Lev. 18:21; 2 Kin. 23:19; Jer. 32:35].
6 You take the smooth rocks from the ·ravines [valleys]
as your portion.
·To them you are devoted [L They, they are your lot].
You pour drink offerings ·on them to worship them [L out to them],
and you give grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1] to them.
·Do you think this makes me want to show you mercy [Should I relent because of these things; or Should I be happy about these things]?
7 You make your bed on every hill and mountain,
and there you offer sacrifices.
8 You have hidden your ·idols [signs; pagan symbols; memorials]
behind your doors and doorposts.
You have ·left [deserted] me, and you have uncovered ·yourself [or your bed].
You have ·pulled back the covers [opened it] and climbed into bed.
You have made an ·agreement [pact; covenant] with those whose beds you love,
and you have looked at their nakedness [C euphemisms for sexual relations, here referring to pagan worship].
9 You ·use your oils and perfumes
to look nice for [L went with oil and increased your perfumes for] ·Molech [or the king].
You have sent your messengers to faraway lands;
you even tried to send them to ·the place of the dead [or the grave; L Sheol].
10 You were tired from doing these things,
but you never ·gave up [L said, “It is hopeless”].
You found ·new strength [L the life of your hand],
so you did not ·quit [faint; grow weary].
11 “Whom ·were you so afraid of [L did you fear or dread]
that you lied to me?
You have not remembered me
or even ·thought about me [L set/taken it to heart].
·I [or Is It because I…?] have been quiet for a long time.
Is that why you are not afraid of me?
12 I will tell about your ‘·goodness [righteousness]’ and ·what you do [your works],
and those things will ·do you no good [not profit/help you].
13 When you cry out for help,
let ·the gods you have gathered [your collection of idols] ·help [save; rescue] you.
The wind will blow them all away;
just a ·puff of wind [breath] will take them away.
But the person who depends on me will ·receive [inherit] the land
and ·own [possess] my holy mountain.”
The Lord Will Save His People
14 Someone will say, “Build ·a road [up; or it]! Build ·a road [up; or it]! Prepare the way [40:3; 62:10]!
·Make the way clear [Remove the obstacles] for my people.”
15 And this is the reason: God lives forever and is holy.
He is high and ·lifted up [exalted].
He says, “I live in a high and holy place,
but I also live with people who are ·sad [contrite] and ·humble [lowly in spirit].
I ·give new life to [revive the spirit of] those who are ·humble [lowly]
and to those whose hearts are ·broken [contrite; repentant].
16 I will not ·accuse [or contend/fight against them] forever,
nor will I always be angry,
because then ·human life [the spirit] would grow weak.
·Human beings [L The breath], whom I created, would die.
17 I was angry because ·they were dishonest in order to make money [of their sinful greed].
I punished them and ·turned away from them [L hid my face] in anger,
but they ·continued to do evil [L turned away in the way of their heart].
18 I have seen ·what they have done [their ways], but I will heal them.
I will guide them and comfort them and those who ·felt sad for them [mourn].
·They will all praise me [I will create praise on their lips; L …creating fruit of lips].
19 ·I will give peace, real peace [L Peace, peace], to those far and near,
and I will heal them,” says the Lord.
20 But ·evil people [the wicked] are like the ·angry [surging; tossing] sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves toss up ·waste [mire; muck] and mud.
21 “There is no peace for ·evil people [the wicked],” says my God.
Isaiah 57
Amplified Bible
Isaiah 57
Amplified Bible
Evil Leaders Rebuked
57 The righteous man perishes [at the hand of evil], and no one takes it to heart;
Faithful and devout men are taken away, while no one understands
That the righteous person is taken away [to be spared] from disaster and evil.
2
He enters into peace [through death];
They rest in their beds (graves),
Each one who walked uprightly [following God’s will, living with integrity].
3
“But come here, you sons of a sorceress [raised in deception and superstition],
Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.
4
“Of whom do you make fun?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of rebellion (sin),
Offspring of deceit,
5
Who inflame yourselves [with lust in pagan rites] among the oaks (terebinth trees),
Under every green and leafy tree,
Who slaughter the children [in sacrifice] in the ravines
Under the clefts of the rocks?
6
“Among the smooth stones of the ravine
Is your portion, they (the idols) are your lot;
Even to them you have poured out a drink offering,
You have offered a grain offering.
Should I be quiet concerning these things [leaving them unpunished—bearing them with patience]?
7
“Upon a high and lofty mountain
You have [openly and shamelessly] made your [idolatrous and adulterous] bed;
Even there you went up to offer sacrifice [to idols, in spiritual unfaithfulness to Me].
8
“Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your [pagan] symbol;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made a [new] agreement for yourself with the adulterers,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked [with passion] on their [a]manhood.(A)
9
“You have gone to [b]the king [of a pagan land] with oil
And increased your [c]perfumes;
You have sent your messengers a great distance
And made them go down to Sheol (the realm of the dead).
10
“You were wearied by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘It is no use.’
You found [d]renewed strength,
Therefore you did not grow weak.
11
“About whom were you worried and fearful
That you lied and did not [e]remember Me,
Nor [f]give Me a thought?
Was I not silent even for a long time
And [as a result] you do not fear Me?
12
“I will declare your [hypocritical] righteousness and your deeds,
But they will not benefit you.
13
“When you cry out [for help], let your [ridiculous] collection of idols save you.
But the wind will carry them all away,
A [mere] breath will take them.
But he who takes refuge in Me will possess the land [Judea]
And will inherit My holy mountain.”(B)
14
And it will be said,
“Build up, build up, clear the way.
Remove the stumbling block out of the way [of the spiritual return] of My people.”
15
For the high and exalted One
He who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy says this,
“I dwell on the high and holy place,
But also with the [g]contrite and humble in spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the humble
And to revive the heart of the contrite [overcome with sorrow for sin].(C)
16
“For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For [if I did stay angry] the spirit [of man] would grow weak before Me,
And the breath of those whom I have created.
17
“Because of the wickedness of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on turning away and backsliding, in the way of his [own willful] heart.
18
“I have seen his [willful] ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him [also] and will restore comfort to him and to those who mourn for him,(D)
19
As I create the [h]praise of his lips,
Peace, peace, to him who is far away [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near!”
Says the Lord;
“And I will heal him [making his lips blossom anew with thankful praise].”(E)
20
But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up mire and mud.
21
“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:8 Lit hand.
- Isaiah 57:9 Another reading is Molech, i.e. to an idol of the pagan god.
- Isaiah 57:9 Lit ointments.
- Isaiah 57:10 Lit the life of your hand.
- Isaiah 57:11 Or mention.
- Isaiah 57:11 Lit put on your heart.
- Isaiah 57:15 Lit crushed.
- Isaiah 57:19 Lit fruit.
Isaiah 57
New International Version
Isaiah 57
New International Version
57 The righteous perish,(A)
and no one takes it to heart;(B)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(C)
2 Those who walk uprightly(D)
enter into peace;
they find rest(E) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(F)
you offspring of adulterers(G) and prostitutes!(H)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(I)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(J)
and under every spreading tree;(K)
you sacrifice your children(L) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(M) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(N)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(O)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(P)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(Q)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(R)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(S)
9 You went to Molek[a](T) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(U)
You sent your ambassadors[b](V) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(W)
10 You wearied(X) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(Y)
You found renewal of your strength,(Z)
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(AA)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(AB) me
nor taken this to heart?(AC)
Is it not because I have long been silent(AD)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(AE)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(AF) for help,
let your collection of idols save(AG) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(AH) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(AI) in me
will inherit the land(AJ)
and possess my holy mountain.”(AK)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(AL)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(AM)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(AN) One says—
he who lives forever,(AO) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(AP) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(AQ) and lowly in spirit,(AR)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(AS)
16 I will not accuse(AT) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(AU)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(AV) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(AW)
I punished them, and hid(AX) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(AY)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(AZ) them;
I will guide(BA) them and restore comfort(BB) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.(BC)
Peace, peace,(BD) to those far and near,”(BE)
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(BF) are like the tossing sea,(BG)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(BH) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(BI) says my God, “for the wicked.”(BJ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
- Isaiah 57:9 Or idols
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