Isaiah 57
57
1Righteous people die,
and no one cares.
Loyal people are taken away,
and no one understands.
Righteous people are spared when evil comes.
2When peace comes,
everyone who has lived honestly will rest on his own bed.
Israel’s Idolatry
3But you—come here,
you children of witches,
you descendants of adulterers and prostitutes!
4Whom are you making fun of?
Whom are you making a face at?
Whom are you sticking out your tongue at?
Aren’t you rebellious children,
descendants of liars?
5You burn with lust under oak trees
and under every large tree.
You slaughter children in the valleys
and under the cracks in the rocks.
6Your idols are among the smooth stones in the ravine.
They are your destiny.
You have given them wine offerings
and sacrificed grain offerings to them.
Do you think I am pleased with all this?
7You’ve made your bed on a high and lofty mountain.
You’ve gone to offer sacrifices there.
8You’ve set up your idols beside doors and doorposts.
You’ve uncovered yourself to the idols.
You’ve distanced yourself from me.
You’ve made your bed with them.
You’ve made a deal with those you have pleasure with in bed.
You’ve seen them naked.
9You’ve journeyed to the king with perfumed oils
and put on plenty of perfume.
You’ve sent your ambassadors far away
and sent them down to Sheol.
10You’ve tired yourself out with many journeys.
You didn’t think that it was hopeless.
You’ve found renewed strength,
so you didn’t faint.
11Whom did you dread and fear so much that you lied to me?
You haven’t remembered me or cared about me.
I’ve been silent for a long time.
Is that why you don’t fear me?
12I’ll tell you about your righteous ways and what you have done,
but they won’t help you.
13When you cry for help,
let your collection of idols save you.
A wind will carry them all away.
A breath will take them away.
But whoever trusts me will possess the land
and inherit my holy mountain.
14It will be said:
“Build a road! Build a road!
Prepare the way!
Remove every obstacle in the way of my people!”
15The High and Lofty One lives forever, and his name is holy.
This is what he says:
I live in a high and holy place.
But I am with those who are crushed and humble.
I will renew the spirit of those who are humble
and the courage of those who are crushed.
16I will not accuse you forever.
I will not be angry with you forever.
Otherwise, the spirits, the lives of those I’ve made,
would grow faint in my presence.
17I was angry because of their sinful greed,
so I punished them, hid ⌞from them⌟, and remained angry.
But they continued to be sinful.
18I’ve seen their ⌞sinful⌟ ways, but I’ll heal them.
I’ll guide them and give them rest.
I’ll comfort them and their mourners.
19I’ll create praise on their lips:
“Perfect peace to those both far and near.”
“I’ll heal them,” says the Lord.
20But the wicked are like the churning sea.
It isn’t quiet,
and its water throws up mud and slime.
21“There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.
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Isaiah 57: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 57
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.
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