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57 The righteous hath perished, And there is none laying [it] to heart, And men of kindness are gathered, Without any considering that from the face of evil Gathered is the righteous one.

He entereth into peace, they rest on their beds, [Each] is going straightforward.

And ye, come near hither, O sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer, Even thou dost commit whoredom.

Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom enlarge ye the mouth? Prolong ye the tongue? Are not ye children of transgression? a false seed?

Who are inflamed among oaks, under every green tree, Slaughtering the children in valleys, Under clefts of the rocks.

Among the smooth things of a brook [is] thy portion, They -- they [are] thy lot, Also to them thou hast poured out an oblation, Thou hast caused a present to ascend, For these things am I comforted?

On a mountain, high and exalted, Thou hast set thy couch, Also thither thou hast gone up to make a sacrifice.

And behind the door, and the post, Thou hast set up thy memorial, For from Me thou hast removed, and goest up, Thou hast enlarged thy couch, And dost covenant for thyself among them, Thou hast loved their couch, the station thou sawest,

And goest joyfully to the king in ointment, And dost multiply thy perfumes, And sendest thine ambassadors afar off, And humblest thyself unto Sheol.

10 In the greatness of thy way thou hast laboured, Thou hast not said, `It is desperate.' The life of thy hand thou hast found, Therefore thou hast not been sick.

11 And of whom hast thou been afraid, and fearest, That thou liest, and Me hast not remembered? Thou hast not laid [it] to thy heart, Am not I silent, even from of old? And Me thou fearest not?

12 I declare thy righteousness, and thy works, And they do not profit thee.

13 When thou criest, let thy gatherings deliver thee, And all of them carry away doth wind, Take away doth vanity, And whoso is trusting in Me inheriteth the land, And doth possess My holy mountain.

14 And he hath said, `Raise up, raise up, prepare a way, Lift a stumbling-block out of the way of My people.'

15 For thus said the high and exalted One, Inhabiting eternity, and holy [is] His name: `In the high and holy place I dwell, And with the bruised and humble of spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of bruised ones,'

16 For, not to the age do I strive, nor for ever am I wroth, For the spirit from before Me is feeble, And the souls I have made.

17 For the iniquity of his dishonest gain, I have been wroth, and I smite him, Hiding -- and am wroth, And he goeth on turning back in the way of his heart.

18 His ways I have seen, and I heal him, yea, I lead him, And recompense comforts to him and to his mourning ones.

19 Producing the fruit of the lips, `Peace, peace,' to the far off, and to the near, And I have healed him, said Jehovah.

20 And the wicked [are] as the driven out sea, For to rest it is not able, And its waters cast out filth and mire.

21 There is no peace, said my God, to the 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