Isaiah
Chapter 57
1 Good people die, and nobody cares: and kind-hearted people are taken away, with no one understanding that they were spared from coming evil.
2 He will find peace: they will rest in their beds, each living righteously.
3 Come close, you children of the witch, born of the cheater and the prostitute.
4 Who are you mocking? Who are you opening your mouth wide and sticking out your tongue at? Aren’t you children of rebellion, offspring of lies?
5 Getting excited about idols under every green tree and killing the children in the valleys under the cliffs of the rocks?
6 Your share is among the stream’s smooth stones; these are your lot. You have poured out a drink to them and offered food. Why should I be comforted by this?
7 You put your bed on a tall and high mountain: you even went up there to make a sacrifice.
8 You have put up your memorials behind doors and doorposts. You have shown yourself to others, not me, and climbed into bed with them. You made your bed bigger and agreed to be with them; you loved their bed when you saw it.
9 You went to the king with oil, added more perfumes, sent your messengers far away, and lowered yourself down to hell.
10 You are tired from your long journey, but you didn’t say there is no hope; you found strength in your own hands, so you were not sad.
11 Who have you been so afraid of that you lied and forgot about me, and didn’t care? Haven’t I been silent for a long time, yet you still don’t fear me?
12 I will tell about your goodness and your actions, because they will not help you.
13 When you call for help, let your groups save you; but the wind will carry them all off, emptiness will take them. But anyone who trusts in me will own the land and will receive my sacred mountain.
14 They will say, “Build up, build up, clear the path, remove the obstacles from my people’s way.”
15 God, the high and eternal one who is called Holy, says: I live in a high and holy place, and also with the person who is sorry and humble, to give new life to the humble spirit and to the hearts of those who are sorry.
16 I will not argue forever, nor stay angry always: because the spirit would grow weak before me, and the souls I created would die.
17 Because of his greed, I was angry and punished him. I hid myself and was angry, but he kept on doing wrong according to his desires.
18 I have seen his actions and will heal him; I will guide him and give peace to him and his mourners.
19 I make the words that people say; peace, peace to the one who is far away and to the one who is close, says God; and I will heal him.
20 Evil people are like a restless sea that stirs up mud and dirt.
21 My God says the bad have no peace.