New American Standard Bible (1995 Update) ISAIAH:57

Evil Leaders Rebuked

1 The righteous man perishes, and no man A Is 42:25; 47:7takes it to heart;

And devout men are taken away, while no one understands.

For the righteous man is taken away from B 2 Kin 22:20; Is 47:11; Jer 18:11evil,

2 He enters into peace;

They rest in their 1 I.e. gravesbeds,

Each one who A Is 26:7walked in his upright way.

3 “But come here, you sons of a A Mal 3:5sorceress,

B Is 1:4; Matt 16:4Offspring of an adulterer and 1 So ancient versions; Heb she prostitutes herself a C Is 1:21; 57:7-9prostitute.

4 “Against whom do you jest?

Against whom do you open wide your mouth

And stick out your tongue?

Are you not children of A Is 48:8rebellion,

Offspring of deceit,

5 Who inflame yourselves among the 1 Or terebinths A Is 1:29oaks,

B 2 Kin 16:4; Jer 2:20; 3:13Under every luxuriant tree,

Who C 2 Kin 23:10; Ps 106:37, 38; Jer 7:31slaughter the children in the 2 Or wadis ravines,

Under the clefts of the crags?

6 “Among the 1 I.e. symbols of fertility godsA Jer 3:9; Hab 2:19smooth stones of the 2 Or wadi ravine

Is your portion, 3 Lit they, they they are your lot;

Even to them you have B Jer 7:18poured out a drink offering,

You have made a grain offering.

Shall I 4 Or repent C Jer 5:9, 29; 9:9relent concerning these things?

7 “Upon a A Jer 3:6; Ezek 16:16high and lofty mountain

You have B Ezek 23:41made your bed.

You also went up there to offer sacrifice.

8 “Behind the door and the doorpost

You have set up your sign;

Indeed, far removed from Me, you have A Ezek 23:18uncovered yourself,

And have gone up and made your bed wide.

And you have made an agreement for yourself with them,

You have loved their 1 Or lying down bed,

You have looked on their 2 Lit hand manhood.

9 “You have journeyed to the king with oil

And increased your perfumes;

You have A Ezek 23:16, 40sent your envoys a great distance

And made them go down to 1 I.e. the nether worldSheol.

10 “You were tired out by the length of your road,

Yet you did not say, ‘A Jer 2:25; 18:12It is hopeless.’

You found 1 Lit the life of your hand renewed strength,

Therefore you did not 2 Or become sick faint.

11 “Of A Prov 29:25; Is 51:12, 13whom were you worried and fearful

When you lied, and did B Jer 2:32; 3:21not remember Me

1 Lit You did not set it upon your heart Nor C Ps 50:21; Is 42:14give Me a thought?

Was I not silent even for a long time

So you do not fear Me?

12 “I will A Is 58:1, 2declare your righteousness and your B Is 29:15; 59:6; 65:7; 66:18; Mic 3:2-4deeds,

But they will not profit you.

13 “When you cry out, A Jer 22:20; 30:14let your collection of idols deliver you.

But the wind will carry all of them up,

And a breath will take them away.

But he who B Ps 37:3, 9; Is 25:4takes refuge in Me will C Is 49:8; 60:21inherit the land

And will D Is 65:9possess My holy mountain.”

14 And it will be said,

“A Is 62:10; Jer 18:15Build up, build up, prepare the way,

Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

15 For thus says the A Is 52:13high and exalted One

Who 1 Or dwells in eternity B Deut 33:27; Is 40:28lives forever, whose name is Holy,

“I C Is 33:5; 66:1dwell on a high and holy place,

And also with the D Ps 34:18; 51:17; Is 66:2contrite and lowly of spirit

In order to E Ps 147:3; Is 61:1-3revive the spirit of the lowly

And to revive the heart of the contrite.

16 “For I will A Gen 6:3not contend forever,

B Ps 85:5; 103:9; Mic 7:18Nor will I always be angry;

For the spirit would grow faint before Me,

And the C Is 42:5breath of those whom I have made.

17 “Because of the iniquity of his A Is 2:7; 56:11; Jer 6:13unjust gain I was angry and struck him;

I hid My face and was angry,

And he went on B Is 1:4; Jer 3:14, 22turning away, in the way of his heart.

18 “I have seen his ways, but I will A Is 19:22; 30:26; 53:5heal him;

I will B Is 52:12lead him and C Is 61:1-3restore comfort to him and to his mourners,

19 Creating the 1 Lit fruit of the lips A Is 6:7; 51:16; 59:21; Heb 13:15praise of the lips.

B Is 26:12; 32:17Peace, peace to him who is C Acts 2:39; Eph 2:17far and to him who is near,”

Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”

20 But the A Job 18:5-14; Is 3:9, 11wicked are like the tossing sea,

For it cannot be quiet,

And its waters toss up refuse and mud.

21 “A Is 48:22; 59:8There is no peace,” says B Is 49:4my God, “for the wicked.”