Isaiah 57

Chapter 57

1 Good people pass away;
the godly often die before their time.
But no one seems to care or wonder why.
No one seems to understand
that God is protecting them from the evil to come.2 For those who follow godly paths
will rest in peace when they die.

Idolatrous Worship Condemned

3 “But you—come here, you witches’ children,
you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!4 Whom do you mock,
making faces and sticking out your tongues?
You children of sinners and liars!5 You worship your idols with great passion
beneath the oaks and under every green tree.
You sacrifice your children down in the valleys,
among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.6 Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys.
You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings.
They, not I, are your inheritance.
Do you think all this makes me happy?7 You have committed adultery on every high mountain.
There you have worshiped idols
and have been unfaithful to me.8 You have put pagan symbols
on your doorposts and behind your doors.
You have left me
and climbed into bed with these detestable gods.
You have committed yourselves to them.
You love to look at their naked bodies.9 You have given olive oil to Molecht
with many gifts of perfume.
You have traveled far,
even into the world of the dead,t
to find new gods to love.10 You grew weary in your search,
but you never gave up.
Desire gave you renewed strength,
and you did not grow weary.11 “Are you afraid of these idols?
Do they terrify you?
Is that why you have lied to me
and forgotten me and my words?
Is it because of my long silence
that you no longer fear me?12 Now I will expose your so-called good deeds.
None of them will help you.13 Let’s see if your idols can save you
when you cry to them for help.
Why, a puff of wind can knock them down!
If you just breathe on them, they fall over!
But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land
and possess my holy mountain.”

God Forgives the Repentant

14 God says, “Rebuild the road!
Clear away the rocks and stones
so my people can return from captivity.”15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,
the Holy One, says this:
“I live in the high and holy place
with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble
and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.16 For I will not fight against you forever;
I will not always be angry.
If I were, all people would pass away—
all the souls I have made.17 I was angry,
so I punished these greedy people.
I withdrew from them,
but they kept going on their own stubborn way.18 I have seen what they do,
but I will heal them anyway!
I will lead them.
I will comfort those who mourn,19 bringing words of praise to their lips.
May they have abundant peace, both near and far,”
says the LORD, who heals them.20 “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea,
which is never still
but continually churns up mud and dirt.21 There is no peace for the wicked,”
says my God.

Isaiah 57

1 The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.

2 Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.

3 “But you—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 a brood of rebels,
the offspring of liars?

5 You burn with lust among the oaks
and under every spreading tree;
you sacrifice your children in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.

6  The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
they, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings
and offered grain offerings.
In the light of these things, should I relent?

7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.

8 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,
and you looked on their nakedness.

9 You went to Molech with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.
You sent your ambassadors far away;
you descended to the grave itself!

10 You were wearied by all your ways,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’
You found renewal of your strength,
and so you did not faint.

11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared
that you have been false to me,
and have neither remembered me
nor pondered this in your hearts?
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 benefit you.

13 When you cry out for help,
let your collection of idols save you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow them away.
But the man who makes me his refuge
will inherit the land
and possess my holy mountain.”

Comfort for the Contrite

14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”

15 For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.

16 I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me—
the breath of man that I have created.

17 I was enraged by his sinful greed;
I punished him, and hid my face in anger,
yet he kept on in his willful ways.

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

19 creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”

20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.

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