Isaiah 57

1 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil.

2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death.

3 “But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

4 Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deceit,

5 who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

6 Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. Should I relent because of these?

7 On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifices.

8 Behind the door and doorpost you have set up your memorial. Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed; you climbed up and opened it wide. And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved; you have gazed upon their nakedness.

9 You went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You have sent your envoys a great distance; you have descended even to Sheol itself.

10 You are wearied by your many journeys, but you did not say, “There is no hope!” You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak.

11 Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me?

12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not profit you.

13 When you cry out, let your companies of idols deliver you! Yet the wind will carry off all of them, a breath will take them away. But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.”

14 And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.

16 For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me—the breath of life I have made.

17 I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,

19 bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”

20 But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.

21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

1 ¶ The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth [it] to heart: and merciful men [are] taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].

2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, [each one] walking [in] his uprightness.

3 ¶ But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, [and] draw out the tongue? [are] ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

6 Among the smooth [stones] of the stream [is] thy portion; they, they [are] thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered [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 thou sawest [it].

9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase [thyself even] unto hell.

10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; [yet] saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid [it] to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

13 ¶ When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take [them]: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls [which] I have made.

17 ¶ For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to [him that is] far off, and to [him that is] near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

20 But the wicked [are] like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21 [There is] no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

3 And ye, come near, ye children of the day-widower, ye seed of the adulterer and the whore!

4 In whom will ye now have your pleasure? Over whom will ye now open your mouths, and stick out your tongues? Are ye not the children of transgression, and a false seed?

5 Ye that run in heat unto idols under every green tree, and slay the children by the rivers under the tops of the rocks?

6 Thy substance is in the smooth stones of the brook; they are thy portion: thou pourest out thy drink offering unto them, when thou offerest meat offerings. Shall I be comforted in this?

7 Thou makest thy camp upon a high and lofty mountain, and goest up there also to sacrifice.

8 And behind the door and the posts thou shalt set thy memorial. For thou rollest away from me, and goest up, and makest thy camp wide, and joinest thyself to them: thou lovest their camp, where thou seest them.

9 Thou hast burned with oil unto the king, and hast many spices: thou hast sent thy message afar off, and hast been humbled unto hell.

10 Thou didst labour in the multitude of thy ways, and saidst not, I leave it: but because thou findest life in thine hand, thou art not weary.

11 Of whom art thou so careful, and so afraid, when thou dealest in lies, and rememberest me not, and takest not to heart? Thinkest thou that I will keep silence all the way, that thou fearest me not at all?

12 But I will shew thy righteousness, and thy works, that they shall not profit thee.

13 If thou shalt call, let thy multitudes help thee. But the wind shall carry them all away, And vanity shall take them away. But he that trusteth in me shall inherit the land, And possess my holy mountain.

14 And he shall say, Make way, make way, clear the way, remove the stumblingblocks out of the way of my people.

15 For thus saith he that is high and exalted, which dwelleth for ever, whose name is holy, who dwelleth on high, and in the sanctuary, and with them that are of a contrite and a humble spirit; that I may quicken the spirit of the humble, and the heart of the contrite:

16 I will not always contend, neither will I be wroth for ever: but a spirit shall move from my face, and I will breathe.

17 I was wroth with the iniquity of their covetousness, and smote them, and hid myself, and was wroth: and they went to and fro in the way of their heart.

18 But when I saw their ways, I healed them, and guided them, and restored comfort unto them, and to them that mourned over them.

19 I will make fruit of the lips that preach: Peace, peace, both to them that are afar off, and to them that are nigh, saith the LORD; and I will heal them.

20 But the wicked are like a turbulent sea, which cannot be still, and the waves thereof cast out mire and filth.

21 The wicked have not peace, saith my God.