Isaiah 57
Condemnation of
Israel's Idolatry |
1 |
The 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.
|
2 |
He shall enter into peace: they shall
rest in their beds, each one walking in his
uprightness.
|
3 |
But draw near hither, ye sons of the
sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
|
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,
|
5 |
inflaming yourselves with idols under
every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the
clefts of the rocks?
|
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?
|
7 |
Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou
set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer
sacrifice.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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?
|
12 |
I will declare thy righteousness, and thy
works; for they shall not profit thee.
|
13 |
When 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.
|
14 |
And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up,
prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my
people.
|
15 |
For 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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
18 |
I have seen his ways, and will heal him:
I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his
mourners.
|
19 |
I create the fruit of the lips; Peace,
peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, Eph.
2.17 saith the LORD; and I will heal
him.
|
20 |
But 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. Is. 48.22
|