Isaiah 57

1The 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.

1Good people pass away, and no one really cares; godly people are taken away, and no one realizes that the righteous are spared from the evil that is coming.

2He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness.

2Those who live uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.

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

3But come here, you children of sorceresses, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

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

4Who are you making fun of? Who are you mocking with your mouths wide open and your tongues poking out? Aren't you rebellious children and a race of liars?

5ye that inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; that slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

5You burn with lust among the oak trees and under every green tree; you sacrifice your own children in the ravines and under the overhanging rocks.

6Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things?

6The smooth stones of the valleys are your gods; they are your fate. You have poured out drink offerings and brought grain offerings to them. Do you think I am satisfied with this?

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

7You have made your bed on a high and lofty mountain, and you went up there to offer sacrifices.

8And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: for thou hast uncovered 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.

8You put your pagan symbols behind your doors and doorposts. You have deserted me and stripped yourself naked; you climbed into bed and opened it wide. You made a deal with those whose beds you love, and you gazed at their nakedness.

9And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol.

9You went to the king with olive oil and many perfumes. You sent your messengers to far-off places; you even sent them down to the world of the dead.

10Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not, It is in vain: thou didst find a quickening of thy strength; therefore thou wast not faint.

10You wore yourself out with all your journeys, but you never said, 'It's hopeless.' You found new strength, so you did not give up.

11And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and thou fearest me not?

11Who were you so afraid of that you lied to me? You forgot me and didn't give me a thought. Is it because I have been silent for so long that you do not fear me?

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

12I will expose your so-called 'righteousness' and your deeds, and they will not help you.

13When thou criest, let them that thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he that taketh refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.

13When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will blow them all away; a simple breath will sweep them off. But whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.

14And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.

14It will be said: 'Build up the road! Prepare the way! Remove every obstacle from the path of my people.'

15For 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.

15For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with the person who is crushed and humble in spirit. I do this to give new life to the spirit of the humble and to revive the hearts of those who are crushed.'

16For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made.

16I will not accuse you forever, nor will I stay angry for all time. If I did, the human spirit would grow faint before me—the very breath of life that I created.

17For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

17I was angry because of their greedy sins; I punished them and hid my face in anger. Yet they kept on stubbornly following their own desires.

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

18I have seen their ways, but I will heal them. I will lead them and provide comfort to them and to those who mourn for them.

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

19I create praise on their lips. Peace, peace to those far away and to those nearby, says the LORD, and I will heal them.

20But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.

20But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, and whose waves churn up mud and dirt.

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

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