Isaiah 57

57The righteous one perishes,

and no one takes it to heart;

faithful men are swept away,

with no one realizing

that the righteous one is swept away

from the presence ^lof evil.

²He will enter into peace—

they will rest on their beds ^m—

everyone who lives uprightly.

Pagan Religion Denounced

³But come here,

you sons of a sorceress,

offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute! ⁿ

⁴Who is it you are mocking?

Who is it you are opening your mouth

and sticking out your tongue at?

Isn’t it you, you rebellious children, ^o

you race of liars,

⁵who burn with lust among the oaks,

under every green tree, ^p

who slaughter children in the wadis

below the clefts of the rocks? ^q

⁶Your portion is among the smooth stones of the wadi;

indeed, they are your lot.

You have even poured out a drink offering to them;

you have offered a grain offering;

should I be satisfied with these?

⁷You have placed your bed

on a high and lofty mountain; ^r

you also went up there to offer sacrifice.

⁸You have set up your memorial

behind the door and doorpost.

For away from Me, you stripped,

went up, and made your bed wide, ^s

and you have made a bargain ^tfor yourself with them.

You have loved their bed;

you have gazed on their genitals. ^uv

⁹You went to the king with oil

and multiplied your perfumes;

you sent your couriers far away ^w

and sent them down even to Sheol.

¹⁰You became weary on your many journeys,

but you did not say, “I give up!” ^x

You found a renewal of your strength; ^y

therefore you did not grow weak.

¹¹Who was it you dreaded and feared,

so that you lied and didn’t remember Me

or take it to heart?

Have I not kept silent for such a long time ^za

and you do not fear Me?

¹²I will expose your righteousness,

and your works—they will not profit you.

¹³When you cry out,

let your collection of idols deliver you!

The wind will carry all of them off,

a breath will take them away.

But whoever takes refuge in Me

will inherit the land ^b

and possess My holy mountain. ^c

Healing and Peace

¹⁴He said,

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

remove every obstacle from My people’s way.” ^d

¹⁵For the High and Exalted One

who lives forever, whose name is Holy ^esays this:

“I live in a high and holy place,

and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, ^f

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and revive the heart of the oppressed. ^g

¹⁶For I will not accuse you forever,

and I will not always be angry; ^h

for then the spirit would grow weak before Me,

even the breath of man, which I have made.

¹⁷Because of his sinful greed I was angry, ⁱ

so I struck him; I was angry and hid; ^j

but he went on turning back to the desires of his heart.

¹⁸I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;

I will lead him and restore comfort

to him and his mourners, ^k

¹⁹creating words of praise.” ^lm

The Lord says,

“Peace, peace to the one who is far or near, ⁿ

and I will heal him.

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

for it cannot be still,

and its waters churn up mire and muck.

²¹There is no peace for the wicked,”

says my God. ^p