Isaiah 57
57
Israel Does Not Follow God
1Those who are right with God may die,
but no one pays attention.
Good people are taken away,
but no one understands.
Those who do right are being taken away from evil
2and are given peace.
Those who live as God wants
find rest in death.
3“Come here, you magicians!
Come here, you children of prostitutes and those who take part in adultery!
4Of whom are you making fun?
Whom are you insulting?
At whom do you stick out your tongue?
You turn against God,
and you are liars.
5You have sexual relations under every green tree
to worship your gods.
You kill children in the ravines
and sacrifice them in the rocky places.
6You take the smooth rocks from the ravines
as your portion.
You pour drink offerings on them to worship them,
and you give grain offerings to them.
Do you think this makes me want to show you mercy?
7You make your bed on every hill and mountain,
and there you offer sacrifices.
8You have hidden your idols
behind your doors and doorposts.
You have left me, and you have uncovered yourself.
You have pulled back the covers and climbed into bed.
You have made an agreement with those whose beds you love,
and you have looked at their nakedness.
9You use your oils and perfumes
to look nice for Molech.
You have sent your messengers to faraway lands;
you even tried to send them to the place of the dead.
10You were tired from doing these things,
but you never gave up.
You found new strength,
so you did not quit.
11“Whom were you so afraid of
that you lied to me?
You have not remembered me
or even thought about me.
I have been quiet for a long time.
Is that why you are not afraid of me?
12I will tell about your ‘goodness’ and what you do,
and those things will do you no good.
13When you cry out for help,
let the gods you have gathered help you.
The wind will blow them all away;
just a puff of wind will take them away.
But the person who depends on me will receive the land
and own my holy mountain.”
The Lord Will Save His People
14Someone will say, “Build a road! Build a road! Prepare the way!
Make the way clear for my people.”
15And this is the reason: God lives forever and is holy.
He is high and lifted up.
He says, “I live in a high and holy place,
but I also live with people who are sad and humble.
I give new life to those who are humble
and to those whose hearts are broken.
16I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,
because then human life would grow weak.
Human beings, whom I created, would die.
17I was angry because they were dishonest in order to make money.
I punished them and turned away from them in anger,
but they continued to do evil.
18I have seen what they have done, but I will heal them.
I will guide them and comfort them and those who felt sad for them.
They will all praise me.
19I will give peace, real peace, to those far and near,
and I will heal them,” says the Lord.
20But evil people are like the angry sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves toss up waste and mud.
21“There is no peace for evil people,” says my God.
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Isaiah 57: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 57
57
The Blessed Death of the Righteous
1The righteous perish,
and no one takes it to heart;
devout men are swept away,
while no one considers
that the righteous are guided
from the presence of evil.
2Those who walk uprightly enter into peace;
they find rest, lying down in death.
God Condemns Idolatry
3“But come here, you sons of a sorceress,
you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
4Whom are you mocking?
At whom do you snarl and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
offspring of deceit,
5who burn with lust among the oaks,
under every luxuriant tree,
who slaughter your children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?
6Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley;
indeed, they are your lot.
Even to them you have poured out a drink offering
and offered a grain offering.
Should I relent because of these?
7On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifices.
8Behind the door and doorpost
you have set up your memorial.
Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed;
you climbed up and opened it wide.
And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved;
you have gazed upon their nakedness.
9You went to Molech #57:9 Or to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes.
You have sent your envoys #57:9 Or idols a great distance;
you have descended even to Sheol itself.
10You are wearied by your many journeys,
but you did not say, “There is no hope!”
You found renewal of your strength;
therefore you did not grow weak.
11Whom have you dreaded and feared,
so that you lied and failed
to remember Me or take this to heart?
Is it not because I have long been silent
that you do not fear Me?
12I will expose your righteousness and your works,
and they will not profit you.
13When you cry out,
let your companies of idols deliver you!
Yet the wind will carry off all of them,
a breath will take them away.
But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the land
and possess My holy mountain.”
Healing for the Repentant
14And it will be said,
“Build it up, build it up, prepare the way,
take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”
15For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in a high and holy place,
and with the oppressed and humble in spirit,
to restore the spirit of the lowly
and revive the heart of the contrite.
16For I will not accuse you forever,
nor will I always be angry;
for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me,
with the breath of those I have made.
17I was enraged by his sinful greed,
so I struck him and hid My face in anger;
yet he kept turning back
to the desires of his heart.
18I have seen his ways,
but I will heal him;
I will guide him and restore comfort
to him and his mourners,
19bringing praise to their lips.
Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the Lord,
“and I will heal them.”
20But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea,
for it cannot be still,
and its waves churn up mire and muck.
21“There is no peace,” says my God,
“for the wicked.”
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.