Isaiah 57
57
Israel’s Futile Idolatry
1The righteous man perishes,
and no one lays it to heart;
#
Ps. 12:1
devout men are taken away,
while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;
2 # [Luke 2:29] he enters into peace;
they rest #2 Chr. 16:14; Ezek. 32:25in their beds
who walk in their uprightness.
3But you, draw near,
sons of the sorceress,
# [John 8:41, 42] offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.
4Whom are you mocking?
Against whom #[Ps. 35:21] do you open your mouth wide
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of #ch. 46:8, 9 transgression,
# [ch. 1:4] the offspring of deceit,
5you who burn with lust among #ch. 1:29; 2 Kgs. 16:4 the oaks,#57:5 Or among the terebinths
under every green tree,
#
Ezek. 16:20, 21 who slaughter your children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?
6Among the smooth stones of #[2 Kgs. 23:10]the valley is your portion;
they, they, are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering,
you have brought a grain offering.
Shall I relent for these things?
7 #
1 Kgs. 14:23; Ezek. 16:16, 24 On a high and lofty mountain
you have set your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifice.
8Behind the door and the doorpost
you have set up your memorial;
for, deserting me, #Ezek. 16:25; [Hos. 1:2] you have uncovered your bed,
you have gone up to it,
# [Ezek. 23:17] you have made it wide;
and you have made a covenant for yourself with them,
you have loved their bed,
you have looked on nakedness.#57:8 Or on a monument (see 56:5); Hebrew on a hand
9You journeyed to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes;
#
Ezek. 16:26, 28, 29 you sent your envoys far off,
and sent down even to Sheol.
10You were wearied with the length of your way,
#
Jer. 2:25; 18:12 but you did not say, “It is hopeless”;
you found new life for your strength,
and so you were not faint.#57:10 Hebrew and so you were not sick
11 # [ch. 51:12, 13] Whom did you dread and fear,
#
Ps. 78:10, 36 so that you lied,
and did not remember me,
did not lay it to heart?
#
Ps. 50:21
Have I not held my peace, even for a long time,
and you do not fear me?
12I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
but they will not profit you.
13 #
Jer. 11:12 When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry them all off,
a breath will take them away.
#
Ps. 37:9 But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
and shall inherit #ch. 11:9; 56:7; 65:11, 25my holy mountain.
Comfort for the Contrite
14And it shall be said,
# ch. 62:10; [ch. 40:3] “Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”
15For thus says #[Mic. 6:6] the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is #Luke 1:49 Holy:
#
Ps. 113:6 “I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also #Ps. 34:18; 138:6 with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
# [ch. 42:3] to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 #
Gen. 6:3; Ps. 103:9 For I will not contend forever,
nor will I always be angry;
for the spirit would grow faint before me,
and the breath of life that I made.
17Because of the iniquity of his #ch. 56:11; Jer. 6:13unjust gain I was angry,
I struck him; I hid my face and was angry,
but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.
18I have seen his ways, #Jer. 3:22 but I will heal him;
I will lead him #ch. 61:3and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
19 # ch. 50:4 creating #Heb. 13:15 the fruit of the lips.
# [Eph. 2:17] Peace, peace, #Acts 2:39 to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
# [See ver. 18 above] “and I will heal him.
20 #
Jude 13
But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
21 # ch. 48:22 There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
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Isaiah 57: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Isaiah 57
57
Evil Leaders Rebuked
1The righteous man perishes [at the hand of evil], and no one takes it to heart;
Faithful and devout men are taken away, while no one understands
That the righteous person is taken away [to be spared] from disaster and evil.
2He enters into peace [through death];
They rest in their beds (graves),
Each one who walked uprightly [following God’s will, living with integrity].
3“But come here, you sons of a sorceress [raised in deception and superstition],
Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.
4Of whom do you make fun?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of rebellion (sin),
Offspring of deceit,
5Who inflame yourselves [with lust in pagan rites] among the oaks (terebinth trees),
Under every green and leafy tree,
Who slaughter the children [in sacrifice] in the ravines
Under the clefts of the rocks?
6Among the smooth stones of the ravine
Is your portion, they (the idols) are your lot;
Even to them you have poured out a drink offering,
You have offered a grain offering.
Should I be quiet concerning these things [leaving them unpunished—bearing them with patience]?
7Upon a high and lofty mountain
You have [openly and shamelessly] made your [idolatrous and adulterous] bed;
Even there you went up to offer sacrifice [to idols, in spiritual unfaithfulness to Me].
8Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your [pagan] symbol;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made a [new] agreement for yourself with the adulterers,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked [with passion] on their #Lit hand.manhood.
9You have gone to #Another reading is Molech, i.e. to an idol of the pagan god.the king [of a pagan land] with oil
And increased your #Lit ointments.perfumes;
You have sent your messengers a great distance
And made them go down to Sheol (the realm of the dead).
10You were wearied by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘It is no use.’
You found #Lit the life of your hand.renewed strength,
Therefore you did not grow weak.
11“About whom were you worried and fearful
That you lied and did not #Or mention.remember Me,
Nor #Lit put on your heart.give Me a thought?
Was I not silent even for a long time
And [as a result] you do not fear Me?
12I will declare your [hypocritical] righteousness and your deeds,
But they will not benefit you.
13When you cry out [for help], let your [ridiculous] collection of idols save you.
But the wind will carry them all away,
A [mere] breath will take them.
But he who takes refuge in Me will possess the land [Judea]
And will inherit My holy mountain.”
14And it will be said,
“Build up, build up, clear the way.
Remove the stumbling block out of the way [of the spiritual return] of My people.”
15For the high and exalted One
He who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy says this,
“I dwell on the high and holy place,
But also with the #Lit crushed.contrite and humble in spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the humble
And to revive the heart of the contrite [overcome with sorrow for sin].
16For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For [if I did stay angry] the spirit [of man] would grow weak before Me,
And the breath of those whom I have created.
17Because of the wickedness of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on turning away and backsliding, in the way of his [own willful] heart.
18I have seen his [willful] ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him [also] and will restore comfort to him and to those who mourn for him,
19As I create the #Lit fruit.praise of his lips,
Peace, peace, to him who is far away [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near!”
Says the Lord;
“And I will heal him [making his lips blossom anew with thankful praise].”
20But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up mire and mud.
21“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
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