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“But[a] you, come near here, you children of a soothsayer,
    offspring of an adulterer and she who commits fornication.
At whom do you make fun?
    At whom do you open[b] your mouth and stick out[c] your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
    offspring of deception,
who burn with lust among the oaks,
    under every leafy tree,
who slaughter children in the valleys,
    under the clefts of the rocks?
Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley;
    they, they are your lot;
indeed, to them you have poured out a drink offering,
    you have brought a food offering.

Shall I relent concerning these things?

You have set your bed upon a high and lofty mountain;
    indeed, you went up there to slaughter sacrifice.
And you have set your symbol behind the door and the doorpost;
    for you depart[d] from me, and you go up;
you make your bed wide, and you make a deal with[e] them,
    you have loved their bed; you have seen their genitals.[f]
And you climbed down to the king with oil,
    and you made your perfumes numerous,
and you sent your envoys far away,[g]
    and you sent down deep[h] to Sheol.
10 You grow weary by the greatness of your way,
    but you did not say, ‘Despairing!’
You found the renewal[i] of your strength,[j]
    therefore you do not grow weak.
11 And of whom were you afraid and feared, that you deceived
    and did not remember me?
    Did you not place it on your heart?
Have I not been silent, even from long ago,
    and so you do not fear me?
12 I myself will declare your righteousness and your works,
    but[k] they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry,[l] let your collection deliver you,
    and the wind will carry all of them away;
    a breath will take them away.
But[m] he who takes refuge in me shall take possession of the land,
    and he shall inherit my holy mountain.”[n]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:3 Or “And”
  2. Isaiah 57:4 Literally “widen”
  3. Isaiah 57:4 Literally “make long”
  4. Isaiah 57:8 The reading tradition (Qere) has “uncover,” which makes no sense in context, but with different vowels it would be “depart”
  5. Isaiah 57:8 Literally “cut off for yourself from”
  6. Isaiah 57:8 Literally “hand”
  7. Isaiah 57:9 Literally “to from far”
  8. Isaiah 57:9 Literally “humiliated”
  9. Isaiah 57:10 Literally “life”
  10. Isaiah 57:10 Literally “hand;” compare the “hand” in verse 8
  11. Isaiah 57:12 Or “and”
  12. Isaiah 57:13 Literally “your crying”
  13. Isaiah 57:13 Or “And”
  14. Isaiah 57:13 Literally “mountain of holiness “

But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot. Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and put out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, ye that inflame yourselves [a]among the oaks, under every green tree; that slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered [b]an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things? Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou set thy bed; thither also wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: for thou hast uncovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them: thou lovedst their bed where [c]thou sawest it. And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol. 10 Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not, It is in vain: thou didst find [d]a quickening of thy strength; therefore thou wast not [e]faint.

11 And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and thou fearest me not? 12 I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee. 13 When thou criest, let [f]them that thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he that taketh refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:5 Or, with idols
  2. Isaiah 57:6 Or, a meal-offering
  3. Isaiah 57:8 Or, thou providedst room for it
  4. Isaiah 57:10 Hebrew the life of thy hand.
  5. Isaiah 57:10 Hebrew sick.
  6. Isaiah 57:13 Or, thy rabble of idols