[[Isaiah 56|<< Isaiah 56]] | [[Isaiah|Isaiah]] | [[Isaiah 58|Isaiah 58 >>]] ### Isaiah 57 1 THE righteous perishes, and no man lays _it_ to heart: and merciful men _are_ taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil _to_ _come_. ^1 2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, _each_ _one_ walking _in_ his uprightness. ^2 3 ¶ But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. ^3 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, _and_ draw out the tongue? _are_ ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, ^4 5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? ^5 6 Among the smooth _stones_ of the stream _is_ thy portion; they, they _are_ thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? ^6 7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. ^7 8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered _thyself_ _to_ _another_ than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee _a_ _covenant_ with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest _it_. ^8 9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase _thyself_ _even_ unto hell. ^9 10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; _yet_ saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. ^10 11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid _it_ to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not? ^11 12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee. ^12 13 ¶ When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take _them:_ but he that puts his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; ^13 14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. ^14 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, 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 ones. ^15 16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls _which_ I have made. ^16 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. ^17 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. ^18 19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to _him_ _that_ _is_ far off, and to _him_ _that_ _is_ near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him. ^19 20 But the wicked _are_ like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ^20 21 _There_ _is_ no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. ^21