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.”
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 57: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
Isaiah 57
57
LVII
1The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart;
And godly men are taken away, none considering
That out of the way of evil the righteous is taken away.
2He shall go in peace;
They shall rest on their beds,
Everyone that walketh in the straight path before him.
3But draw ye near hither, O sons of the sorceress!
The seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
4Of whom do ye make your sport?
At whom do ye widen the mouth, and put out the tongue?
Are ye not children of apostasy, a seed of falsehood,
5Who burn with the lust of idols under every green tree;
Who slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the 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 a meat-offering.
Can I be comforted by these things?
7Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou set thy bed:
Even thither hast thou gone up to offer sacrifice.
8Behind the door also, and the door-post, hast thou set up thy memorial,
For thou hast uncovered thyself to another than me;
Thou hast gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed;
And thou hast obtained for thee an agreement from them:
Thou hast loved their bed,
The place which thou hast chosen.
9And thou wentest to the king with ointment,
And didst multiply thy perfumes;
And didst send thy messengers far off,
And didst debase thyself even unto Hades.
10In the length of thy journeys thou didst weary thyself;
Yet thou saidst not, It is hopeless:
Thou didst find the life of thy hand;
Therefore, thou hast not been dispirited.
11And of whom hast thou been fearful or afraid, that thou shouldest deal falsely, and not remember me,
Nor lay it to thine heart?
Have I not been silent, and that for a long time?
Is that it, therefore, that thou fearedst me not?
12I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works;
But they shall not profit thee.
13When thou criest, let thine associates deliver thee:
But the wind shall carry them all away; a breath of air shall take them off.
But he that trusteth in me shall possess the land,
And shall inherit my holy mountain.
14And it shall be said: Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way;
Remove the stumbling-block from the way of my people.
15For thus saith the high and lofty One,
Who inhabiteth eternity, and 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.
16For I will not always contend,
Neither will I be angry for ever:
For the spirit would languish away from before me,
And the souls which I have made.
17For the iniquity of his avarice was I angry, and smote him;
I hid me, and I was angry:
But he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
18I have seen his ways, and I will heal him; I will also be his guide; and I will restore comforts unto him,
And to his mourners.
19I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace, peace, to him that is afar off,
And to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him.
20But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
Which cannot rest;
And whose waters cast up filth and mire.
21There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Translated by Rev John Jones (Ioan Tegid).Published at Oxford in 1830, second edition 1842.