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“But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress,
    you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.
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,
you who inflame yourselves among the oaks,
    under every green tree;
who kill the children in the valleys,
    under the clefts of the rocks?
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?
On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed.
    You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
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.
You went to the king with oil,
    increased your perfumes,
    sent your ambassadors far off,
    and degraded yourself even to Sheol.[a]
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.

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

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Footnotes

  1. 57:9 Sheol is the place of the dead.

“But as for you, come here,
    you children of a sorceress,
        you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes![a]
Whom are you mocking?
    And[b] against whom do you make a wide mouth
        and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
    the offspring of lies,
you who burn with lust among the oaks,
    under every spreading tree,
who slaughter your children in the ravines,
    under the clefts of the rocks?

“Among the smooth stones[c] of the ravines is your portion—
    there they are as[d] your lot.
To them you have poured out drink offerings;
    you have brought grain offerings.
        Should I be lenient over such things?

“You have made your bed
    on a high and lofty mountain,
        and you went up to offer sacrifice there.
Behind the doors and the doorposts
    you have set up your pagan sign.”
For in deserting me you have uncovered your bed—
    you have climbed up into it
        and have opened it wide.
And you[e] have made a pact for yourself with them;
    you have loved their bed,
        you have looked on their private parts.[f]
You went to Molech[g] with olive oil
    and increased your perfumes;
you sent your ambassadors far away,
    you sent them down even to Sheol[h] itself!
10 You grew tired with your many wanderings,[i]
    but you wouldn’t say: ‘It is hopeless.’
You found new strength for your desire,
    and so you did not falter.

11 “Whom did you so dread—
    and while you feared me[j]
that you lied,
    and you did not remember me,
        and[k] did not lay to heart these things?[l]
Haven’t I remained silent for a long time,
    and still you don’t fear me?”

12 “I will denounce your righteousness[m] and your works,
    for your collections of idols[n] will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out, let your collection deliver you!
    The wind will carry them all off,
        and[o] a mere breath will sweep them all away.”

God’s Reward for the Faithful

“But whoever[p] takes refuge in me will possess the land,
    and will inherit my holy mountain.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:3 So LXX (cf. Syriac); 1QIsaa MT read she has practiced prostitution
  2. Isaiah 57:4 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT lack And
  3. Isaiah 57:6 I.e. among the idols
  4. Isaiah 57:6 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsai MT reads they—yes, they!—are; LXX reads there this is
  5. Isaiah 57:8 1QIsaa reads sing.; MT reads pl.
  6. Isaiah 57:8 Lit. their hand; i.e. a euphemism for the male sex organ
  7. Isaiah 57:9 I.e. to the Canaanite deity; or to the king
  8. Isaiah 57:9 I.e. the afterlife
  9. Isaiah 57:10 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads your wandering
  10. Isaiah 57:11 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT LXX read and fear
  11. Isaiah 57:11 So 1QIsaa 4QIsad LXX; MT lacks and
  12. Isaiah 57:11 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT lack thing; LXX reads lay me to heart
  13. Isaiah 57:12 1QIsaa MT; 4QIsad reads justice
  14. Isaiah 57:12 1QIsaa lacks of idols; 4QIsad MT LXX read for they
  15. Isaiah 57:13 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and
  16. Isaiah 57:13 Lit. But the one; so 4QIsad MT; 1QIsaa reads But one (i.e. without article)