Isaiah 57

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

57 The righteous man perishes,
and no one lays it to heart;
devout men are taken away,
    while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity,
²     he enters into peace;
they rest in their beds
    who walk in their uprightness.
³ But you, draw near hither,
    sons of the sorceress,
    offspring of the adulterer and the harlot.
⁴ Of whom are you making sport?
    Against whom do you open your mouth wide
    and put out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
    the offspring of deceit,
⁵ you who burn with lust among the oaks,
    under every green tree;
who slay your children in the valleys,
    under the clefts of the rocks?
⁶ Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion;
    they, they, are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering,
    you have brought a cereal offering.
    Shall I be appeased for these things?
⁷ Upon a high and lofty mountain
    you have set your bed,
    and thither you went up to offer sacrifice.
⁸ Behind the door and the doorpost
    you have set up your symbol;
for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed,
    you have gone up to it,
    you have made it wide;
and you have made a bargain for yourself with them,
    you have loved their bed,
    you have looked on nakedness.^[a]
9 You journeyed to Molech^[b] with oil
    and multiplied your perfumes;
you sent your envoys far off,
    and sent down even to Sheol.
¹⁰ You were wearied with the length of your way,
    but you did not say, “It is hopeless”;
you found new life for your strength,
    and so you were not faint.

¹⁴ And it shall be said,
“Build up, build up, prepare the way,
    remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”
¹⁵ For thus says the high and lofty One
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
    and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.
¹⁶ For I will not contend for ever,
    nor will I always be angry;
for from me proceeds the spirit,
    and I have made the breath of life.
¹⁷ Because of the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry,
    I smote him, I hid my face and was angry;
    but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.
¹⁸ I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
    I will lead him and requite him with comfort,
    creating for his mourners the fruit of the lips.
¹⁹ Peace, peace, to the far and to the near, says the Lord;
    and I will heal him.
²⁰ But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
    for it cannot rest,
    and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
²¹ There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.”