Isaiah 57

Israel's Futile Idolatry

1  The righteous man perishes,
and no one lays it to heart;
devout men are taken away,
while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;
2  he enters into peace;
they rest in their beds
who walk in their uprightness.
3  But you, draw near,
sons of the sorceress,
offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.
4  Whom are you mocking?
Against whom do you open your mouth wide
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
the offspring of deceit,
5  you who burn with lust among the oaks,t
under every green tree,
who slaughter your children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?
6  Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion;
they, they, are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering,
you have brought a grain offering.
Shall I relent for these things?
7  On a high and lofty mountain
you have set your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifice.
8  Behind the door and the doorpost
you have set up your memorial;
for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed,
you have gone up to it,
you have made it wide;
and you have made a covenant for yourself with them,
you have loved their bed,
you have looked on nakedness.t
9  You journeyed to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes;
you sent your envoys far off,
and sent down even to Sheol.
10  You were wearied with the length of your way,
but you did not say, "It is hopeless";
you found new life for your strength,
and so you were not faint.t

11  Whom did you dread and fear,
so that you lied,
and did not remember me,
did not lay it to heart?
Have I not held my peace, even for a long time,
and you do not fear me?
12  I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
but they will not profit you.
13  When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry them off,
a breath will take them away.
But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
and shall inherit my holy mountain.

Comfort for the Contrite

14  And it shall be said,
"Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every obstruction from my people's way."
15  For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16  For I will not contend forever,
nor will I always be angry;
for the spirit would grow faint before me,
and the breath of life that I made.
17  Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry,
I struck him; I hid my face and was angry,
but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.
18  I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
19  creating the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and to the near," says the Lord,
"and I will heal him.
20  But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
21  There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

Isaiah 57

1 The godlyt perish,
but no one cares.t
Honest people disappear,t
when no onet mindst
that the godlyt disappeart because oft evil.t

2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their beds.t

3 But approach, you sons of omen readers,
you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes!s

4 At whom are you laughing?
At whom are you opening your mouth
and sticking out your tongue?
You are the children of rebels,
the offspring of liars,t

5 you who practice ritual sext under the oaks and every green tree,
who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs.s

6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;
they, they are the object of your devotion.t
You pour out liquid offerings to them,
you make an offering.
Because of these things I will seek vengeance.t

7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;
you go up there to offer sacrifices.

8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols.t
Indeed,t you depart from mes and go up
and invite them into bed with you.t
You purchase favors from them,s
you love their bed,
and gaze longinglyt on their genitals.t

9 You take olive oil as tributet to your king,t
along with many perfumes.t
You send your messengers to a distant place;
you go all the way to Sheol.s

10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired,t
but you do not say, ‘I give up.’t
You get renewed energy,t
so you don’t collapse.t

11 Whom are you worried about?
Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully
and not remember me
or think about me?t
Because I have been silent for so long,t
you are not afraid of me.s

12 I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds,t
but they will not help you.

13 When you cry out for help, let your idolst help you!
The wind blows them all away,t
a breeze carries them away.t
But the one who looks to me for helpt will inherit the land
and will have access tot my holy mountain.”

14 He says,t
“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!
Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”

15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rulest forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated,t
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged.t

16 For I will not be hostilet forever
or perpetually angry,
for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me,t
the life-giving breath I created.

17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;
I attacked them and angrily rejected them,t
yet they remained disobedient and stubborn.t

18 I have seen their behavior,t
but I will heal them and give them rest,
and I will once again console those who mourn.t

19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate.s
Complete prosperityt is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.

20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.

21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”