57 When somebody who worships God dies,
nobody else may think much about it.
An honest person may suddenly die.
Nobody really understands what is happening.
God takes away his servants,
so that evil things will not hurt them any more.
2 When somebody who has lived in a good way dies,
he goes to a place where there is peace.
In death, people like that rest on their beds.
3 The Lord says,
‘But you magicians, come here!
You use magic to learn about future times.
You are the family of an adulteress and a prostitute.
4 Who do you think you are laughing at?
Who are you insulting?
Who are you pointing at with your tongue?
You are people who have turned against God.
You love to tell lies.
5 You worship your idols among the big trees,
and you have sex at the same time. [ a ]
You kill your children as sacrifices to your false gods.
You do that beside streams
and in caves among the rocks.
6 You take big stones from the streams,
and they become your idols.
They are the gods that you love to worship.
You pour drink offerings over them.
You offer grain to them.
Because of what you do,
should I not punish you?
7 You go up to the tops of high hills,
and you lie down there to have sex.
You go there to offer sacrifices to your gods.
8 You put your images behind the doors of your rooms.
Then you turn your backs to me,
and you get into bed with your false gods.
You have made an agreement with them.
You pay money to have sex with your lovers.
You love to see their bare bodies.
9 You take olive oil as a gift to your king,
and also many perfumes. [ b ]
You send your people far away
to get news of other gods.
You even talk to the spirits of dead people.
10 You become very tired,
because you travel so far.
But you would never say,
“This is useless!”
Instead, you find new strength,
and you do not stop.
11 What idol are you so afraid of,
that you choose to deceive me?
You seem to have forgotten about me.
You do not think about me at all.
Have I been silent for too long?
Is that why you no longer respect me?
12 Now I will speak against the things that you do.
You think that they are good and right,
but those things will not help you.
13 Shout for help, if you like.
See if your group of idols can help you!
The wind will blow them all away.
Even a breath will carry them away.
But if people trust me to help them,
this land will belong to them.
They will worship me on my holy mountain.’ [ c ]
14 The Lord says,
‘Build a road! Make it ready for my people to travel on!
Remove everything that would cause them to fall.’
15 The Mighty God is far higher than all others. He rules from above and he lives for ever. His name is holy. He says,
‘I live in a high and holy place.
But I am also with anyone who is humble
and who is sorry when he does wrong things.
I will comfort people who are like that,
and I will give them hope.
16 I will not always speak against my people.
I will not be angry with them for ever.
I do not want them to lose hope completely.
I myself gave life to them.
17 I was angry with them because they were greedy,
which was a sin.
So I punished them.
I was angry and I turned away from them.
But they still refused to obey me.
They continued to do what they wanted to do.
18 I have seen what they are doing.
But I will make them well again.
I will be a guide for them,
and I will comfort them again.
Then people who are sad and they are weeping
19 will sing songs to praise me!
I will give them a reason to do that.
I will bring peace to all my people,
those who are far away,
and those who are near.
Yes, I will make them completely well again.’
That is what the Lord says.
20 ‘But wicked people are like a rough sea
with dangerous waves.
It cannot stay still.
Its waves throw up mud and dirt.
21 There will never be peace for wicked people.’
That is what my God says.
57 All the good people are gone,
and no one even noticed.
The loyal followers were gathered up,
but no one knows why.
The reason they were gathered up
is that trouble is coming.
2 But peace will come too,
and those who trust him will get to rest in their own beds.
3 “Come here, you children of witches.
Your father committed adultery,
and your mother was unfaithful.
4 You are children out of control, full of lies.
You make fun of me.
You make faces
and stick out your tongue at me. [ a ]
5 All you want is to worship false gods
under every green tree.
You kill children by every stream
and sacrifice them in the rocky places.
6 You love to worship the smooth rocks in the rivers.
You pour wine on them to worship them.
You give sacrifices to them, but those rocks are all you get.
Do you think this makes me happy?
7 You make your bed on every hill
and high mountain. [ b ]
You go up to those places
and offer sacrifices.
8 You hide the things that help you remember me
behind the doors and doorframes. [ c ]
You were with me,
but you got up to go to them.
You spread out your bed
and gave yourself to them. [ d ]
You love their beds
and enjoy looking at their naked bodies. [ e ]
9 You use your oils and perfumes
to look nice for Molech.
You sent your messengers to faraway lands,
and this will bring you down to the place of death. [ f ]
10 All of them made you tired,
but you never gave up.
You found new strength,
because you enjoyed them.
11 You did not remember me.
You did not even notice me!
So who were you worrying about?
Who were you afraid of?
Why did you lie?
Look, I have been quiet for a long time.
Is that why you didn’t honor me?
12 I could tell about your ‘good works’ and all the ‘religious’ things you do,
but that will not help you.
13 When you need help,
you cry to those false gods that you have gathered around you.
Let them help you!
But I tell you, the wind will blow them all away.
A puff of wind will blow them all away.
But the one who depends on me
will get the land I promised
and enjoy my holy mountain. [ g ] ”
14 Clear the road! Clear the road!
Make the way clear for my people!
15 God is high and lifted up.
He lives forever.
His name is holy.
He says, “I live in a high and holy place,
but I also live with people who are humble and sorry for their sins.
I will give new life to those who are humble in spirit.
I will give new life to those who are sorry for their sins.
16 I will not accuse my people forever.
I will not always be angry.
If I continued to show my anger,
then the human spirit, the life I gave them, would die before me.
17 Israel’s evil greed made me angry,
so I punished them.
I turned away from them
because I was angry.
But they continued to do wrong.
They did whatever they wanted.
18 I have seen their way of life, but I will heal them.
I will guide and comfort them and those who mourn for them.
19 I will teach them a new word: peace.
I will give peace to those who are near and to those who are far away.
I will heal them.”
The Lord himself said this.
20 But evil people are like the angry ocean.
They cannot be quiet and peaceful.
They are angry, and like the ocean,
they stir up mud.
21 My God says,
“There is no peace for evil people.”
57 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 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts 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, 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.
57 The righteous person perishes, and no one ( A ) takes it to heart;
And devout people are taken away, while no one understands.
For the righteous person is taken away from ( B ) evil,
2 He enters into peace;
They rest in their [ a ] beds,
Each one who ( C ) walked in his upright way.
3 “But come here, you sons of a ( D ) sorceress,
( E ) Offspring of an adulterer and [ b ] a ( F ) prostitute!
4 Of whom do you make fun?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of ( G ) rebellion,
Offspring of deceit,
5 Who inflame yourselves among the ( H ) oaks,
( I ) Under every luxuriant tree,
Who ( J ) slaughter the children in the [ c ] ravines,
Under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the [ d ] ( K ) smooth stones of the [ e ] ravine
Is your portion, [ f ] they are your lot;
Even to them you have ( L ) poured out a drink offering,
You have made a grain offering.
Should I [ g ] ( M ) relent of these things?
7 On a ( N ) high and lofty mountain
You have ( O ) made 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 ( P ) uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made an agreement for yourself with them,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked at their [ h ] manhood.
9 You have journeyed to the king with oil
And increased your perfumes;
You have ( Q ) sent your messengers a great distance
And made them go down to [ i ] Sheol.
10 You were tired out by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘ ( R ) It is hopeless!’
You found [ j ] renewed strength,
Therefore you did not [ k ] faint.
11 “Of ( S ) whom were you worried and fearful
When you lied, and did ( T ) not remember Me
[ l ] Nor ( U ) give Me a thought?
Was I not silent, even for a long time,
So you do not fear Me?
12 I will ( V ) declare your righteousness and your ( W ) deeds,
And they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out, ( X ) let your collection of idols save you.
But the wind will carry them all up,
And a breath will take them away .
But the one who ( Y ) takes refuge in Me will ( Z ) inherit the land
And ( AA ) possess My holy mountain.”
14 And it will be said,
“ ( AB ) Build up, build up, prepare the way,
Remove every obstacle from the way of My people.”
15 For this is what the ( AC ) high and exalted One
Who [ m ] ( AD ) lives forever, whose name is Holy, says:
“I ( AE ) dwell in a high and holy place,
And also with the ( AF ) contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to ( AG ) revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will ( AH ) not contend forever,
( AI ) Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the ( AJ ) breath of those whom I have made.
17 Because of the wrongful act of his ( AK ) unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on ( AL ) turning away, in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will ( AM ) heal him;
I will ( AN ) lead him and ( AO ) restore comfort to him and to his mourners,
19 Creating the [ n ] ( AP ) praise of the lips.
( AQ ) Peace, peace to him who is ( AR ) far away and to him who is near,”
Says the Lord , “and I will heal him.”
20 But the ( AS ) wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up refuse and mud.
21 “ ( AT ) There is no peace,” says ( AU ) my God, “for the wicked.”
57 The righteous perish, ( A )
and no one takes it to heart; ( B )
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil. ( C )
2 Those who walk uprightly ( D )
enter into peace;
they find rest ( E ) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress, ( F )
you offspring of adulterers ( G ) and prostitutes! ( H )
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels, ( I )
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks ( J )
and under every spreading tree; ( K )
you sacrifice your children ( L ) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols ( M ) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings ( N )
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent? ( O )
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; ( P )
there you went up to offer your sacrifices. ( Q )
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love, ( R )
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies. ( S )
9 You went to Molek [ a ] ( T ) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes. ( U )
You sent your ambassadors [ b ] ( V ) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead! ( W )
10 You wearied ( X ) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ ( Y )
You found renewal of your strength, ( Z )
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared ( AA )
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered ( AB ) me
nor taken this to heart? ( AC )
Is it not because I have long been silent ( AD )
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, ( AE )
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out ( AF ) for help,
let your collection of idols save ( AG ) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow ( AH ) them away.
But whoever takes refuge ( AI ) in me
will inherit the land ( AJ )
and possess my holy mountain.” ( AK )
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road! ( AL )
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” ( AM )
15 For this is what the high and exalted ( AN ) One says—
he who lives forever, ( AO ) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high ( AP ) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite ( AQ ) and lowly in spirit, ( AR )
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite. ( AS )
16 I will not accuse ( AT ) them forever,
nor will I always be angry, ( AU )
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people ( AV ) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed; ( AW )
I punished them, and hid ( AX ) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways. ( AY )
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal ( AZ ) them;
I will guide ( BA ) them and restore comfort ( BB ) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips. ( BC )
Peace, peace, ( BD ) to those far and near,” ( BE )
says the Lord . “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked ( BF ) are like the tossing sea, ( BG )
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire ( BH ) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,” ( BI ) says my God, “for the wicked.” ( BJ )
