Isaiah 57:14-21
New English Translation
14 He says,[a]
“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!
Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”
15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules[b] forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated,[c]
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged.[d]
16 For I will not be hostile[e] forever
or perpetually angry,
for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me,[f]
the life-giving breath I created.
17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;
I attacked them and angrily rejected them,[g]
yet they remained disobedient and stubborn.[h]
18 I have seen their behavior,[i]
but I will heal them. I will lead[j] them,
and I will provide comfort[k] to them and those who mourn with them.[l]
19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate.[m]
Complete prosperity[n] is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.
20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.
21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:14 tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ʿad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ʿad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
- Isaiah 57:16 tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 57:16 tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”
- Isaiah 57:17 tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” פָּנִים (panim, “face”) is the implied object of “hiding.”
- Isaiah 57:17 tn Heb “and he walked [as an] apostate in the way of his heart.”
- Isaiah 57:18 tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”
- Isaiah 57:18 tc The MT has וְאַנְחֵהוּ (veʾankhehu) from נָחָה (nakhah) “I will lead them,” but the consonantal text may also be read as וַאֲנִחֵהוּ (vaʾanikhehu) from נוּחַ (nuakh) “I will give them rest.” The MT is supported by Aquila and the Vulgate, though 1QIsaa omits the verb and the LXX and Targum offer mixed evidence.
- Isaiah 57:18 tn The verb וַאֲשַׁלֵּם (vaʾashallem), the Piel form of the verb שָׁלֵם (shalem), means “to make whole, make restitution, compensate, reward” (HALOT 1534, s.v.). The noun נִחֻמִים (nikhumim) uses the plural form for the abstract concept, “comfort.” The Lord will bestow comfort as restitution to Israel.
- Isaiah 57:18 tn Heb “to him and to his mourners.” Since Israel is represented by the singular pronoun “to him” (rendered as plural “them” for style throughout vv. 17-19), those who mourn for, or with, him are likely religious converts or others who sympathize with Israel (see J. D. W. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 25:835).
- Isaiah 57:19 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun אֲנִי (ʾani) should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: נוּב שְׂפָתָיִם [אֲנִי] בּוֹרֵי (boreʾ [ʾani] nuv sefatayim). “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).
- Isaiah 57:19 tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
Isaiah 57:14-21
World English Bible
14 He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way!
Remove the stumbling-block 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.
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.
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.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him.
I will lead him also,
and restore comforts 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 Yahweh; “and 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.
21 “There is no peace”, says my God,
“for the wicked.”
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