Isaiah 57

The righteous perish,^k

and no one takes it to heart;^l

the devout are taken away,

and no one understands

that the righteous are taken away

to be spared from evil.^m

Those who walk uprightlyⁿ

enter into peace;

they find rest^o as they lie in death.

“But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,^p

you offspring of adulterers^q and prostitutes!^r

Whom are you mocking?

At whom do you sneer

and stick out your tongue?

Are you not a brood of rebels,^s

the offspring of liars?

You burn with lust among the oaks^t

and under every spreading tree;^u

you sacrifice your children^v in the ravines

and under the overhanging crags.

The idols^w among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;

they, they are your lot.

Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings^x

and offered grain offerings.

In view of all this, should I relent?^y

You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;^z

there you went up to offer your sacrifices.^a

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,^b

and you looked on their nakedness.^c

You went to Molek^d with olive oil

and increased your perfumes.^e

You sent your ambassadors^f far away;

you descended to the very realm of the dead!^g

You wearied^h yourself by such going about,

but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ⁱ

You found renewal of your strength,^j

and so you did not faint.

“Whom have you so dreaded and feared^k

that you have not been true to me,

and have neither remembered^l me

nor taken this to heart?^m

Is it not because I have long been silentⁿ

that you do not fear me?

I will expose your righteousness and your works,^o

and they will not benefit you.

When you cry out^p for help,

let your collection of idols save^q you!

The wind will carry all of them off,

a mere breath will blow^r them away.

But whoever takes refuge^s in me

will inherit the land^t

and possess my holy mountain.”^u

Comfort for the Contrite

And it will be said:

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!^a

Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”^b

For this is what the high and exalted^c One says—

he who lives forever,^d whose name is holy:

“I live in a high^e and holy place,

but also with those who are contrite^f and lowly in spirit,^g

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and to revive the heart of the contrite.^h

I will not accuseⁱ them forever,

nor will I always be angry,^j

for then they would faint away because of me—

the very people^k I have created.

I was enraged by their sinful greed;^l

I punished them, and hid^m my face in anger,

yet they kept on in their willful ways.ⁿ

I have seen their ways, but I will heal^o them;

I will guide^p them and restore comfort^q to them,

creating praise on the lips^r of the mourners in Israel.

Peace, peace,^s to those far and near,”^t

says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”

But the wicked^u are like the tossing sea,^v

which cannot rest,

whose waves cast up mire^w and mud.

“There is no peace,”^x says my God, “for the wicked.”^y