Isaiah 57

1The righteous person perishes,

and no one takes it to heart;

the faithful are taken away,

with no one realizing

that the righteous person is taken away

because of#57:1 Or taken away from the presence of evil.

2He will enter into peace —

they will rest on their beds#57:2 Either their deathbeds or their graves —

everyone who lives uprightly.

Pagan Religion Denounced

3But come here,

you witch’s sons,

offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute!#57:3 Lit and she acted as a prostitute

4Who are you mocking?

Who are you opening your mouth

and sticking out your tongue at?

Isn’t it you, you rebellious children,#Is 30:1,9

you offspring of liars,

5who burn with lust among the oaks,

under every green tree,#2Kg 16:4; Jr 2:20; 3:13

who slaughter children in the wadis

below the clefts of the rocks?#2Kg 23:10; Ps 106:37–38; Jr 7:31; Ezk 16:20–21

6Your portion is among the smooth stones of the wadi;

indeed, they are your lot.

You have even poured out a drink offering to them;

you have offered a grain offering;

should I be satisfied with these?

7You have placed your bed

on a high and lofty mountain;#Jr 3:6; Ezk 16:16

you also went up there to offer sacrifice.

8You have set up your memorial

behind the door and doorpost.

For away from me, you stripped,

went up, and made your bed wide,#Ezk 23:17–18

and you have made a bargain#57:8 Lit you cut for yourself with them.

You have loved their bed;

you have gazed on their genitals.#57:8 Lit hand#57:8 In Hb, the word “hand” is probably a euphemism for genitals.

9You went to the king with oil

and multiplied your perfumes;

you sent your envoys far away#Ezk 16:26–29

and sent them down even to Sheol.

10You became weary on your many journeys,

but you did not say, “It’s hopeless!” #Jr 2:25; 18:12

You found a renewal of your strength;#57:10 Lit found life of your hand

therefore you did not grow weak.

11Who was it you dreaded and feared,

so that you lied and didn’t remember me

or take it to heart?

I have kept silent for a long time, haven’t I?#57:11 LXX reads And I, when I see you, I pass by#Ps 50:21; Is 42:14

So you do not fear me.

12I will announce your righteousness,

and your works — they will not profit you.

13When you cry out,

let your collection of idols rescue you!

The wind will carry all of them off,

a breath will take them away.

But whoever takes refuge in me

will inherit the land#Ps 37:3,9; Is 25:4

and possess my holy mountain.#Is 65:9

Healing and Peace

14He said,

“Build it up, build it up, prepare the way,

remove every obstacle from my people’s way.”#Is 62:10; Jr 18:15

15For the High and Exalted One,

who lives forever, whose name is holy,#Lk 1:49 says this:

“I live in a high and holy place,

and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit,#Ps 34:18; 51:17; Is 66:2

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and revive the heart of the oppressed.#Ps 147:3; Is 61:1–3

16For I will not accuse you forever,

and I will not always be angry;#Gn 6:3; Ps 103:9; Jr 3:12

for then the spirit would grow weak before me,

even the breath, which I have made.

17Because of his sinful greed I was angry,#Is 2:7; 56:11; Jr 6:13

so I struck him; I was angry and hid;

but he went on turning back to the desires of his heart.

18I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;

I will lead him and restore comfort

to him and his mourners,#Is 61:1–3

19creating words of praise.”#57:19 Lit creating fruit of the lips#Is 6:7; 51:16; 59:21; Heb 13:15

The Lord says,

“Peace, peace to the one who is far or near,#Ac 2:39; Eph 2:17

and I will heal him.

20But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea,#Ps 107:29

for it cannot be still,

and its water churns up mire and muck.

21There is no peace for the wicked,”

says my God.#Is 48:22; 59:8

Currently Selected:

Isaiah 57: CSB

Highlight

Copy

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

Learn More About Christian Standard Bible

Isaiah 57

1Good people pass away;

the godly often die before their time.

But no one seems to care or wonder why.

No one seems to understand

that God is protecting them from the evil to come.

2For those who follow godly paths

will rest in peace when they die.

Idolatrous Worship Condemned

3“But you—come here, you witches’ children,

you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

4Whom do you mock,

making faces and sticking out your tongues?

You children of sinners and liars!

5You worship your idols with great passion

beneath the oaks and under every green tree.

You sacrifice your children down in the valleys,

among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.

6Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys.

You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings.

They, not I, are your inheritance.

Do you think all this makes me happy?

7You have committed adultery on every high mountain.

There you have worshiped idols

and have been unfaithful to me.

8You have put pagan symbols

on your doorposts and behind your doors.

You have left me

and climbed into bed with these detestable gods.

You have committed yourselves to them.

You love to look at their naked bodies.

9You have gone to Molech#57:9a Or to the king.

with olive oil and many perfumes,

sending your agents far and wide,

even to the world of the dead.#57:9b Hebrew to Sheol.

10You grew weary in your search,

but you never gave up.

Desire gave you renewed strength,

and you did not grow weary.

11“Are you afraid of these idols?

Do they terrify you?

Is that why you have lied to me

and forgotten me and my words?

Is it because of my long silence

that you no longer fear me?

12Now I will expose your so-called good deeds.

None of them will help you.

13Let’s see if your idols can save you

when you cry to them for help.

Why, a puff of wind can knock them down!

If you just breathe on them, they fall over!

But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land

and possess my holy mountain.”

God Forgives the Repentant

14God says, “Rebuild the road!

Clear away the rocks and stones

so my people can return from captivity.”

15The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,

the Holy One, says this:

“I live in the high and holy place

with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.

I restore the crushed spirit of the humble

and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.

16For I will not fight against you forever;

I will not always be angry.

If I were, all people would pass away—

all the souls I have made.

17I was angry,

so I punished these greedy people.

I withdrew from them,

but they kept going on their own stubborn way.

18I have seen what they do,

but I will heal them anyway!

I will lead them.

I will comfort those who mourn,

19bringing words of praise to their lips.

May they have abundant peace, both near and far,”

says the Lord, who heals them.

20“But those who still reject me are like the restless sea,

which is never still

but continually churns up mud and dirt.

21There is no peace for the wicked,”

says my God.

Currently Selected:

Highlight

Copy

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

For more information about the NLT:

Learn More About New Living Translation