Evil Leaders Rebuked

57 The righteous person perishes, and no one (A)takes it to heart;
And devout people are taken away, while no one understands.
For the righteous person is taken away from (B)evil,
He enters into peace;
They rest in their [a]beds,
Each one who (C)walked in his upright way.
“But come here, you sons of a (D)sorceress,
(E)Offspring of an adulterer and [b]a (F)prostitute!
Of whom do you make fun?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of (G)rebellion,
Offspring of deceit,
Who inflame yourselves among the (H)oaks,
(I)Under every luxuriant tree,
Who (J)slaughter the children in the [c]ravines,
Under the clefts of the rocks?
Among the [d](K)smooth stones of the [e]ravine
Is your portion, [f]they are your lot;
Even to them you have (L)poured out a drink offering,
You have made a grain offering.
Should I [g](M)relent of these things?
On a (N)high and lofty mountain
You have (O)made your bed.
You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your sign;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have (P)uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made an agreement for yourself with them,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked at their [h]manhood.
You have journeyed to the king with oil
And increased your perfumes;
You have (Q)sent your messengers a great distance
And made them go down to [i]Sheol.
10 You were tired out by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘(R)It is hopeless!’
You found [j]renewed strength,
Therefore you did not [k]faint.

11 “Of (S)whom were you worried and fearful
When you lied, and did (T)not remember Me
[l]Nor (U)give Me a thought?
Was I not silent, even for a long time,
So you do not fear Me?
12 I will (V)declare your righteousness and your (W)deeds,
And they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out, (X)let your collection of idols save you.
But the wind will carry them all up,
And a breath will take them away.
But the one who (Y)takes refuge in Me will (Z)inherit the land
And (AA)possess My holy mountain.”

14 And it will be said,
(AB)Build up, build up, prepare the way,
Remove every obstacle from the way of My people.”
15 For this is what the (AC)high and exalted One
Who [m](AD)lives forever, whose name is Holy, says:
“I (AE)dwell in a high and holy place,
And also with the (AF)contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to (AG)revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will (AH)not contend forever,
(AI)Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the (AJ)breath of those whom I have made.
17 Because of the wrongful act of his (AK)unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on (AL)turning away, in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will (AM)heal him;
I will (AN)lead him and (AO)restore comfort to him and to his mourners,
19 Creating the [n](AP)praise of the lips.
(AQ)Peace, peace to him who is (AR)far away and to him who is near,”
Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”
20 But the (AS)wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up refuse and mud.
21 (AT)There is no peace,” says (AU)my God, “for the wicked.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:2 I.e., graves
  2. Isaiah 57:3 As in ancient versions; MT she prostitutes herself
  3. Isaiah 57:5 Or wadis
  4. Isaiah 57:6 I.e., symbols of fertility gods
  5. Isaiah 57:6 Or wadi
  6. Isaiah 57:6 Lit they, they
  7. Isaiah 57:6 Or repent
  8. Isaiah 57:8 Lit hand
  9. Isaiah 57:9 I.e., the netherworld
  10. Isaiah 57:10 Lit the life of your hand
  11. Isaiah 57:10 Or become sick
  12. Isaiah 57:11 Lit You did not set it upon your heart
  13. Isaiah 57:15 Or dwells in eternity
  14. Isaiah 57:19 Lit fruit of the lips

Israel's Futile Idolatry

57 The righteous man perishes,
    and no one lays it to heart;
(A)devout men are taken away,
    while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;
    (B)he enters into peace;
they rest (C)in their beds
    who walk in their uprightness.
But you, draw near,
    sons of the sorceress,
    (D)offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.
Whom are you mocking?
    Against whom (E)do you open your mouth wide
    and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of (F)transgression,
    (G)the offspring of deceit,
you who burn with lust among (H)the oaks,[a]
    under every green tree,
(I)who slaughter your children in the valleys,
    under the clefts of the rocks?
Among the smooth stones of (J)the valley is your portion;
    they, they, are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering,
    you have brought a grain offering.
    Shall I relent for these things?
(K)On a high and lofty mountain
    you have set your bed,
    and there you went up to offer sacrifice.
Behind the door and the doorpost
    you have set up your memorial;
for, deserting me, (L)you have uncovered your bed,
    you have gone up to it,
    (M)you have made it wide;
and you have made a covenant for yourself with them,
    you have loved their bed,
    you have looked on nakedness.[b]
You journeyed to the king with oil
    and multiplied your perfumes;
(N)you sent your envoys far off,
    and sent down even to Sheol.
10 You were wearied with the length of your way,
    (O)but you did not say, “It is hopeless”;
you found new life for your strength,
    and so you were not faint.[c]

11 (P)Whom did you dread and fear,
    (Q)so that you lied,
and did not remember me,
    did not lay it to heart?
(R)Have I not held my peace, even for a long time,
    and you do not fear me?
12 I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
    but they will not profit you.
13 (S)When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
    The wind will carry them all off,
    a breath will take them away.
(T)But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
    and shall inherit (U)my holy mountain.

Comfort for the Contrite

14 And it shall be said,
(V)“Build up, build up, prepare the way,
    remove every obstruction from my people's way.”
15 For thus says (W)the One who is high and lifted up,
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is (X)Holy:
(Y)“I dwell in the high and holy place,
    and also (Z)with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
(AA)to revive the spirit of the lowly,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 (AB)For I will not contend forever,
    nor will I always be angry;
for the spirit would grow faint before me,
    and the breath of life that I made.
17 Because of the iniquity of his (AC)unjust gain I was angry,
    I struck 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, (AD)but I will heal him;
    I will lead him (AE)and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
19     (AF)creating (AG)the fruit of the lips.
(AH)Peace, peace, (AI)to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
    (AJ)“and I will heal him.
20 (AK)But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
    for it cannot be quiet,
    and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
21 (AL)There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:5 Or among the terebinths
  2. Isaiah 57:8 Or on a monument (see 56:5); Hebrew on a hand
  3. Isaiah 57:10 Hebrew and so you were not sick