Isaiah, 57

1. The upright person perishes and no one cares. The faithful is taken off and no one takes it to heart. Yes, because of the evil times the upright is taken off;

1. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth [it] to heart: and merciful men [are] taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].

2. he will enter peace, and those who follow the right way will find rest on their beds.

2. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, [each one] walking [in] his uprightness.

3. But you, you children of a witch, come here, adulterous race prostituting yourselves!

3. But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

4. At whom are you jeering, at whom are you making faces and sticking out your tongue? Are you not the spawn of rebellion, a lying race?

4. Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, [and] draw out the tongue? [are] ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

5. Lusting among the terebinths, and under every spreading tree, sacrificing children in the ravines, below the clefts in the rocks.

5. Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

6. The smooth stones of the ravines will be your portion, yes, these will be your lot. To these you have poured libations, have brought your cereal offering. Can all this appease me?

6. Among the smooth [stones] of the stream [is] thy portion; they, they [are] thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

7. On a mountain high and lofty you have put your bed. Thither, too, you have climbed to offer sacrifice.

7. Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

8. Behind door and doorpost you have set your reminder. Yes, far from me, you exposed yourself, climbed on to your bed, and made the most of it. You struck a profitable bargain with those whose bed you love, whoring with them often, with your eyes on the sacred symbol.

8. Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered [thyself to another] than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee [a covenant] with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest [it].

9. You went to Molech with oil, you were prodigal with your perfumes; you sent your envoys far afield, down to Sheol itself.

9. And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase [thyself even] unto hell.

10. Though tired by so much travelling, you never said, 'It is no use.' Finding your strength revive, you never gave up.

10. Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; [yet] saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

11. Who was it you dreaded, and feared, that you should betray me, no longer remember me and not spare a thought for me? Was I not silent for a long time? So you cannot have been afraid of me.

11. And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid [it] to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

12. Now I shall expose this uprightness of yours, and little good it did you.

12. I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

13. When you cry for help, let those thronging round you save you! The wind will carry them all away, one puff will take them off. But whoever trusts in me will inherit the country, he will own my holy mountain.

13. When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take [them]: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

14. Then it will be said: Level up, level up, clear the way, remove the obstacle from my people's way,

14. And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

15. for thus says the High and Exalted One who lives eternally and whose name is holy, 'I live in the holy heights but I am with the contrite and humble, to revive the spirit of the humble, to revive the heart of the contrite.

15. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

16. 'For I do not want to be forever accusing nor always to be angry, or the spirit would fail under my onslaught, the souls that I myself have made.

16. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls [which] I have made.

17. 'Angered by his wicked cupidity, I hid and struck him in anger, but he rebelliously went the way of his choice.

17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

18. 'I saw how he behaved, but I shall heal him, I shall lead him, fill him with consolation, him and those who mourn for him,

18. I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

19. bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to far and near, Yahweh says, and I shall heal him.'

19. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to [him that is] far off, and to [him that is] near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

20. The wicked, however, are like the restless sea that cannot be still, whose waters throw up mud and dirt.

20. But the wicked [are] like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21. 'No peace', says Yahweh, 'for the wicked.'

21. [There is] no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.