Evil Leaders Rebuked

57 The righteous person perishes, and no one (A)takes it to heart;
And devout people are taken away, while no one understands.
For the righteous person is taken away from (B)evil,
He enters into peace;
They rest in their [a]beds,
Each one who (C)walked in his upright way.
“But come here, you sons of a (D)sorceress,
(E)Offspring of an adulterer and [b]a (F)prostitute!
Of whom do you make fun?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of (G)rebellion,
Offspring of deceit,
Who inflame yourselves among the (H)oaks,
(I)Under every luxuriant tree,
Who (J)slaughter the children in the [c]ravines,
Under the clefts of the rocks?
Among the [d](K)smooth stones of the [e]ravine
Is your portion, [f]they are your lot;
Even to them you have (L)poured out a drink offering,
You have made a grain offering.
Should I [g](M)relent of these things?
On a (N)high and lofty mountain
You have (O)made your bed.
You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your sign;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have (P)uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made an agreement for yourself with them,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked at their [h]manhood.
You have journeyed to the king with oil
And increased your perfumes;
You have (Q)sent your messengers a great distance
And made them go down to [i]Sheol.
10 You were tired out by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘(R)It is hopeless!’
You found [j]renewed strength,
Therefore you did not [k]faint.

11 “Of (S)whom were you worried and fearful
When you lied, and did (T)not remember Me
[l]Nor (U)give Me a thought?
Was I not silent, even for a long time,
So you do not fear Me?
12 I will (V)declare your righteousness and your (W)deeds,
And they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out, (X)let your collection of idols save you.
But the wind will carry them all up,
And a breath will take them away.
But the one who (Y)takes refuge in Me will (Z)inherit the land
And (AA)possess My holy mountain.”

14 And it will be said,
(AB)Build up, build up, prepare the way,
Remove every obstacle from the way of My people.”
15 For this is what the (AC)high and exalted One
Who [m](AD)lives forever, whose name is Holy, says:
“I (AE)dwell in a high and holy place,
And also with the (AF)contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to (AG)revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will (AH)not contend forever,
(AI)Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the (AJ)breath of those whom I have made.
17 Because of the wrongful act of his (AK)unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on (AL)turning away, in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will (AM)heal him;
I will (AN)lead him and (AO)restore comfort to him and to his mourners,
19 Creating the [n](AP)praise of the lips.
(AQ)Peace, peace to him who is (AR)far away and to him who is near,”
Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”
20 But the (AS)wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up refuse and mud.
21 (AT)There is no peace,” says (AU)my God, “for the wicked.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:2 I.e., graves
  2. Isaiah 57:3 As in ancient versions; MT she prostitutes herself
  3. Isaiah 57:5 Or wadis
  4. Isaiah 57:6 I.e., symbols of fertility gods
  5. Isaiah 57:6 Or wadi
  6. Isaiah 57:6 Lit they, they
  7. Isaiah 57:6 Or repent
  8. Isaiah 57:8 Lit hand
  9. Isaiah 57:9 I.e., the netherworld
  10. Isaiah 57:10 Lit the life of your hand
  11. Isaiah 57:10 Or become sick
  12. Isaiah 57:11 Lit You did not set it upon your heart
  13. Isaiah 57:15 Or dwells in eternity
  14. Isaiah 57:19 Lit fruit of the lips

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!