Isaiah 57

1The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth {it} to heart: and merciful men {are} taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil {to come}. {merciful...: Heb. men of kindness, or, godliness} {from...: or, from that which is evil}● 2He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, {each one} walking {in} his uprightness. {enter into: or, go in} {in his...: or, before him}● 3But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.● 4Against 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,● 5Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? {with...: or, among the oaks}● 6Among 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?● 7Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.● 8Behind 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}. {made...: or, hewed it for thyself larger than theirs} {where...: or, thou providedst room}● 9And 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. {thou...: or, thou respectedst}● 10Thou 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. {life: or, living}● 11And 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?● 12I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.● 13When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take {them}: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;● 14And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.● 15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth 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.● 16For 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.● 17For 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. {frowardly: Heb. turning away}● 18I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.● 19I 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.● 20But the wicked {are} like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.● 21{There is} no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.●