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57 A just man perisheth, and none is that thinketh in his heart; and men of mercy be gathered together, for none there is that understandeth; for why a just man is gathered from the face of malice. (The just, or the righteous, perish, and no one thinketh about it in their hearts, or in their minds; and people of mercy be taken away, and no one understandeth, that the just, or the righteous, have been taken away, before that malice, or the evil, come.)

Peace come, rest he in his bed, that went in his (proper) direction. (Let peace come, yea, rest they in their last beds, everyone who went in their own uprightness.)

But ye, sons of the seeker of false divining by chittering of birds, nigh hither, the seed of adulteress, and of a whore. (But come ye here, ye sons and daughters of the seeker of false divining by the twittering of birds, ye children of an adulterer, and of a whore.)

On whom scorned ye? on whom made ye great the mouth, and putted out the tongue? Whether ye be not cursed sons, a seed of leasings? (Against whom mocked ye? against whom made ye great the mouth, and stuck out the tongue? Be ye not accursed sons and daughters, the children, or the descendants, of liars?)

which be comforted in gods (who be comforted with gods), under each tree full of boughs, and (who) offer little children in strands, under (the) high stones.

Thy part is in the parts of the strand, this is thy part; and to them thou sheddest out moist offering (and thou pourest out a drink offering to them), thou offeredest (a) sacrifice. Whether I shall not have indignation on these things?

Thou puttedest thy bed on an high hill and enhanced (Thou puttest thy bed on a high and exalted hill), and thither thou ascendedest to offer sacrifices;

and thou settedest thy memorial behind the door, and behind the post. For besides me, thou uncoveredest thee (to another), and tookest (in the) adulterer; thou alargedest thy bed, and madest a bond of peace with them (thou hast a large, or a big, bed, and madest a covenant, or an agreement, with them); thou lovedest the bed of them with (an) open hand,

and adornedest thee with [the] king’s ointment, and thou multipliedest thy pigments; thou sentest far thy messengers, and thou art made low till to hells (thou sentest out thy messengers, or thy procurers, far and wide, even down to hell).

10 Thou travailedest in the multitude of thy (own) way(s), and saidest not, I shall rest (I shall cease, or I shall stop now); thou hast found the way of thine hand, therefore thou prayedest not (to me).

11 For what thing dreadedest thou busy, for thou liedest, and thoughtest not on me? And thou thoughtest not in thine heart, that I am still, and as not seeing; and thou hast forgotten me. (And whom do thou busily fearest, so that thou hast lied to me, and hast not even thought about me? Yea, thou thoughtest not about me in thy heart, because I was silent, and as if not seeing, and so thou hast forgotten me.)

12 I shall tell [out] thy rightfulness, and thy works shall not profit to thee. (I shall tell out thy so-called righteousness, and thy works shall not profit thee.)

13 When thou shalt cry, thy gathered treasures deliver thee; and the wind shall take away all them, a blast shall do away them; but he that hath trust on me, shall inherit the land, and shall have in possession mine holy hill. (When thou shalt cry for help, let thy gathered treasures rescue thee; but the wind shall take them all away, yea, a puff of wind shall take them all away; but he who hath trust in me, shall inherit the land, and shall possess my holy hill.)

14 And I shall say, Make ye way, give ye journey, bow ye from the path (And I shall say, Make ye a way for the journey, clear ye the path), do ye away hurtings from the way of my people.

15 For the Lord high, and enhanced, saith these things, that dwelleth in everlastingness, and his holy name in high place, and that dwelleth in holy(ness), and with a contrite, either full sorry, and meek spirit, that he quicken the spirit of meek men, and quicken the heart of contrite men. (For the high and exalted Lord, who liveth in everlastingness, and whose name is Holy, saith these things, I live in a high and holy place, with those who have a contrite, or sorry/or broken, and meek spirit, and I desire to revive the spirit of the meek, or of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.)

16 For I shall not strive without end, neither I shall be wroth till to the end; for why a spirit shall go out from my face, and I shall make blasts. (For I shall not contend forever, nor shall I be angry forever; for a breath went out from my face, and I made living souls.)

17 I was wroth for the wickedness of his avarice, and I smote him. I hid my face from thee, and I had indignation; and he went without steadfast dwelling, in the way of his heart. (But I was angry for the wickedness of their greed, and I struck them. And I hid my face from them, and I was angry; and they went willfully, in the way of their own hearts.)

18 I saw his ways, and I healed him, and I brought him (back) again; and I gave comfortings to him, and to the mourners of him. (I saw their ways, and I healed them, and I brought them back again; and I gave comforting to them, and to their mourners.)

19 I made the fruit of (my) lips (to be) peace, peace to him that is far, and to him that is nigh, said the Lord; and I healed him. (I made peace to be the fruit of my lips, peace to those who be far away, and to those who be near, or close by, saith the Lord; and I healed them.)

20 But wicked men be as the boiling sea, that may not rest; and the waves thereof float again into defouling, and fen. (But the wicked be like the boiling sea, that cannot rest; and its waves flow again into defiling, and into fen.)

21 The Lord God said, Peace is not to wicked men. (And the Lord God said, Peace is not to wicked.)

57 The righteous perish,(A)
    and no one takes it to heart;(B)
the devout are taken away,
    and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
    to be spared from evil.(C)
Those who walk uprightly(D)
    enter into peace;
    they find rest(E) as they lie in death.

“But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(F)
    you offspring of adulterers(G) and prostitutes!(H)
Who are you mocking?
    At whom do you sneer
    and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(I)
    the offspring of liars?
You burn with lust among the oaks(J)
    and under every spreading tree;(K)
you sacrifice your children(L) in the ravines
    and under the overhanging crags.
The idols(M) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
    indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(N)
    and offered grain offerings.
    In view of all this, should I relent?(O)
You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(P)
    there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(Q)
Behind your doors and your doorposts
    you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
    you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(R)
    and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(S)
You went to Molek[a](T) with olive oil
    and increased your perfumes.(U)
You sent your ambassadors[b](V) far away;
    you descended to the very realm of the dead!(W)
10 You wearied(X) yourself by such going about,
    but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(Y)
You found renewal of your strength,(Z)
    and so you did not faint.

11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(AA)
    that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(AB) me
    nor taken this to heart?(AC)
Is it not because I have long been silent(AD)
    that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(AE)
    and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(AF) for help,
    let your collection of idols save(AG) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
    a mere breath will blow(AH) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(AI) in me
    will inherit the land(AJ)
    and possess my holy mountain.”(AK)

Comfort for the Contrite

14 And it will be said:

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(AL)
    Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(AM)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(AN) One says—
    he who lives forever,(AO) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(AP) and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite(AQ) and lowly in spirit,(AR)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.(AS)
16 I will not accuse(AT) them forever,
    nor will I always be angry,(AU)
for then they would faint away because of me—
    the very people(AV) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(AW)
    I punished them, and hid(AX) my face in anger,
    yet they kept on in their willful ways.(AY)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(AZ) them;
    I will guide(BA) them and restore comfort(BB) to Israel’s mourners,
19     creating praise on their lips.(BC)
Peace, peace,(BD) to those far and near,”(BE)
    says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(BF) are like the tossing sea,(BG)
    which cannot rest,
    whose waves cast up mire(BH) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(BI) says my God, “for the wicked.”(BJ)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
  2. Isaiah 57:9 Or idols