Isaiah 57

Modern

Literal

The Blessed Death of the Righteous

¹The 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.

¹The righteous one has perished, and no man takes it upon the heart; and men of devotion are gathered up, and no one considers that the righteous one is gathered up from the face of evil.

²Those who walk uprightly enter into peace;

they find rest, lying down in death.

²He enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each walking in his uprightness.

God Condemns Idolatry

³“But come here, you sons of a sorceress,

you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

³“And you, draw near here, sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer and prostitute!

⁴Whom are you mocking?

At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue?

Are you not children of transgression,

offspring of deceit,

⁴Against whom are you mocking? Against whom do you make wide the mouth and stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, seed of deception—

⁵who burn with lust among the oaks,

under every luxuriant tree,

who slaughter your children in the valleys,

under the clefts of the rocks?

⁵those warming themselves among the Oaks, under every green tree, slaughtering the sons in the valleys, under the clefts of the cliffs?

⁶Your 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?

⁶Among the smooth things of the valley is your portion; they—they are your lot! Even to them you have poured out a drink offering, having offered up a grain offering. Should I relent over these?

⁷On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed,

and there you went up to offer sacrifices.

⁷Upon a mountain high and lifted up you have set your bed; also you went up there to offer sacrifice.

⁸Behind 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.

⁸And behind the door and the post you have set up your memorial; for away from me you uncovered yourself and went up; you widened your bed, and cut for yourself with them. You have loved their bed; you have gazed upon a hand!

⁹You went to Molech^a with oil

and multiplied your perfumes.

You have sent your envoys^b a great distance;

you have descended even to Sheol itself.

⁹And you went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes, and you sent your envoys even to far away; you have descended even to Sheol.

¹⁰You 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.

¹⁰In the greatness of your journeying you were weary; you did not say “It is hopeless.” The life of your hand you have found; upon thus you did not weaken.

¹¹Whom 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?

¹¹And of whom were you in fear and were afraid, that you would lie? And you have not remembered Me, and you did not take it upon your heart. And I have not been silent from old, and Me you did not fear?

¹²I will expose your righteousness and your works,

and they will not profit you.

¹²I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, and they will not profit you.

¹³When 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.”

¹³In your crying out, let your gathered ones deliver you; but the wind will carry them all away; vanity will take him. And the one taking refuge in Me will inherit the land and will possess My holy mountain.”

Healing for the Repentant

¹⁴And it will be said,

“Build it up, build it up, prepare the way,

take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

¹⁴And He said: “Build up, build up, clear the way, take up the stumbling block from the way of My people.”

¹⁵For 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.

¹⁵For thus says the One High and Lifted up, dwelling in eternity—and Holy His name: “On high and holy I dwell, with the broken and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly ones, and to revive the heart of the broken ones.

¹⁶For 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.

¹⁶For I will not contend forever, and I will not be angry to the end. For the spirit from before My face would turn aside, and the souls I have made.

¹⁷I 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.

¹⁷With the iniquity of his gain I was angry, and I struck him; I hid and was angry. And he went on, turning back in the way of his heart.

¹⁸I have seen his ways,

but I will heal him;

I will guide him and restore comfort

to him and his mourners,

¹⁸His ways I have seen, and I will heal him, and I will lead him and restore comforts to him and to his mourners,

¹⁹bringing praise to their lips.

Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD,

“and I will heal them.”

¹⁹creating the fruit of the lips. “Peace, peace to the far off one and to the near one, and I will heal him.” Says YHWH.

²⁰But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea,

for it cannot be still,

and its waves churn up mire and muck.

²⁰And the wicked are like the driven sea, for it is not able to be quiet, and its waters churn up mud and mire.

²¹“There is no peace,” says my God,

“for the wicked.”

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