Isaiah, 57

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].

1. Righteous people perish, and no one cares about it. The just one is taken off, and no one understands that he is taken away from the calamity that comes,

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

2. he enters into peace.

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

3. But all you sons of a witch, come here, you offspring of the whore and the adulterer.

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,

4. Who are you mocking? At whom are you making faces, opening wide your mouth and sticking out your tongue? You are children of sin, offspring of deceit and falsehood,

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

5. burning with lust among the bushes, under spreading branches, sacrificing your children by the streams, in the clefts of rocks.

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?

6. Your heart is with your idols, the smooth stones of the wadis to which you have poured out drink offerings and brought oblations of grain. Can I tolerate this?

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

7. You have made your bed upon a high and lofty mountain. You went up there to offer your sacrifice.

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].

8. You have set up your domestic idols behind your doorposts and your doors. Deserting me, you have uncovered your bed, climbed into it and spread it wide. You made a bargain with those whose bed you enjoy, and you had intercourse with them.

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.

9. With perfumed oil, you made yourself look your best for Molech; you sent envoys far afield - the children you sent to your pagan god through a sacrificial death.

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.

10. Although wearied with your misdeeds, you have never given up; you have never tired or weakened, but instead found your strength revived.

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?

11. Where had gone your fear of me that you should lie and disown me, refuse me a place in your heart and not remember me? Have I held my peace so long that you do not fear me any more?

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

12. But now I will tell your merits and your deeds, it will not be for your advantage.

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;

13. When you cry out in distress, let your idols save you! The wind will blow them all away; a whiff of a breeze will carry them off. But he who takes refuge in me will take possession of the land, my holy mountain his inheritance.

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

14. Then it shall be said: "Prepare, prepare, open up a way, remove all obstructions from my people's way."

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.

15. For thus says the Most High, he who is enthroned forever, he whose name is holy: "I reign exalted and holy but I am also with him who is contrite and humble in spirit, to give the contrite a heart revived and the humble in spirit a new life.

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.

16. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry, lest the spirit of man faint before me, the very breath that I have created.

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.

17. His wickedness enraged me for a time, I smote him and hid my face, for he, a rebel, wanted to go his own drive. And I have seen his ways.

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

18. But from now on I will console, I will heal and fully comfort him, - all those of his people who mourn.

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.

19. I will bring smiles to their lips. Peace! Peace to him who is far and to him who is near. I will indeed heal you," Yahweh says.

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

20. But the wicked are like a turbulent sea that finds no rest and whose waters cast up mire and slime.

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

21. "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."