Isaiah 57

¹The just man perishes, and there is no one who acknowledges it in his heart; and men of mercy are taken away, for there is no one who understands. For the just man has been taken away before the face of malice.

²Let peace arrive. Let he who has walked in his righteousness find rest on his bed.

³But come here, you sons of the prophetess, you offspring of an adulterous man and a fornicating woman.

⁴Whom are you mocking? Against whom have you opened your mouth wide and wagged your tongue? Are you not sons of wickedness, a lying offspring,

⁵who are being consoled by idols under every leafy tree, immolating little children at the torrents, under the high rocks?

⁶Your portion is in the currents of the torrent; this is your lot! And you yourselves have poured out libations to them; you have offered sacrifice. Should I not be angry over these things?

⁷Upon a high and lofty mountain, you have placed your bed, and you have ascended to that place to immolate victims.

⁸And behind the door, and beyond the post, you have set up your memorial. For you uncovered yourself next to me, and you received an adulterer. You widened your bed, and you formed a pact with them. You loved their bed with an open hand.

⁹And you have adorned yourself for the king with ointments, and you have increased your cosmetics. You have sent your representatives to distant places, and you have debased yourself all the way to Hell.

¹⁰You have been wearied by the multitude of your own ways. Yet you did not say, “I will cease.” You have found life by your own hand; because of this, you have not prayed.

¹¹For whose sake have you been anxiously afraid, so that you would lie and not be mindful of me, nor consider me in your heart? For I am silent, and I am like someone who does not see, and so you have forgotten me.

¹²I will announce your justice, and your works will not benefit you.

¹³When you cry out, let your followers free you. But the wind will carry them all away; a breeze will take them up. But he who has faith in me will inherit the earth and will possess my holy mountain.

¹⁴And I will say: “Make way! Grant passage! Move to the side of the path! Take the obstacles out of the way of my people!”

¹⁵For this is said by the Most High, the Sublime One, who dwells in eternity. And his name is Holy, for he dwells in the exalted and holy place, and he acts with a restrained and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

¹⁶For I will not contend unceasingly, and I will not be angry to the end. For I will exhale my breath, and the Spirit will go forth from my face.

¹⁷Because of the iniquity of his avarice, I was angry, and I struck him down. I concealed my face from you, and I was angry. And he went astray by wandering in his heart.

¹⁸I saw his ways, and I healed him, and I led him back again, and I restored consolations to him and to those who mourn for him.

¹⁹I created the fruit of the lips: peace, peace to him who is far away, and peace to him who is near, said the Lord, and I healed him.

²⁰But the impious are like the raging sea, which is not able to be quieted, and its waves stir up dirt and mud.

²¹There is no peace for the impious, says the Lord God.

Isaiah 57

¹The just perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and men of mercy are taken away, because there is none that understandeth; for the just man is taken away from before the face of evil.

²Let peace come, let him rest in his bed that hath walked in his uprightness.

³But draw near hither, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer, and of the harlot.

⁴Upon whom have you jested? upon whom have you opened your mouth wide, and put out your tongue? are not you wicked children, a false seed,

⁵Who seek your comfort in idols under every green tree, sacrificing children in the torrents, under the high rocks?

⁶In the parts of the torrent is thy portion, this is thy lot: and thou hast poured out libations to them, thou hast offered sacrifice. Shall I not be angry at these things?

⁷Upon a high and lofty mountain thou hast laid thy bed, and hast gone up thither to offer victims.

⁸And behind the door, and behind the post thou hast set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself near me, and hast received an adulterer: thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made a covenant with them: thou hast loved their bed with open hand.

⁹And thou hast adorned thyself for the king with ointment, and hast multiplied thy perfumes. Thou hast sent thy messengers far off, and wast debased even to hell.

¹⁰Thou hast been wearied in the multitude of thy ways: yet thou saidst not: I will rest: thou has found life of thy hand, therefore thou hast not asked.

¹¹For whom hast thou been solicitous and afraid, that thou hast lied, and hast not been mindful of me, nor thought on me in thy heart? for I am silent, and as one that seeth not, and thou hast forgotten me.

¹²I will declare thy justice, and thy works shall not profit thee.

¹³When thou shalt cry, let thy companies deliver thee, but the wind shall carry them all off, a breeze shall take them away, but he that putteth his trust in me, shall inherit the land, and shall possess my holy mount.

¹⁴And I will say: Make a way: give free passage, turn out of the path, take away the stumblingblocks out of the way of my people.

¹⁵For thus saith the High and the Eminent that inhabiteth eternity: and his name is Holy, who dwelleth in the high and holy place, and with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

¹⁶For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be angry unto the end: because the spirit shall go forth from my face, and breathings I will make.

¹⁷For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry, and I struck him: I hid my face from thee, and was angry: and he went away wandering in his own heart.

¹⁸I saw his ways, and I healed him, and brought him back, and restored comforts to him, and to them that mourn for him.

¹⁹I created the fruit of the lips, peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, said the Lord, and I healed him.

²⁰But the wicked are like the raging sea, which cannot rest, and the waves thereof cast up dirt and mire.

²¹There is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord God.