ISAIAH 57 [†] The righteous man perishes,

and no one lays it to heart;

 r devout men are taken away,

while no one understands.

For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;

2  s he enters into peace;

they rest  t in their beds

who walk in their uprightness.

3[^][†] But you, draw near,

sons of the sorceress,

 u offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.

4[†] Whom are you mocking?

Against whom  v do you open your mouth wide

and stick out your tongue?

Are you not children of  w transgression,

 x the offspring of deceit,

5 you who burn with lust among  y the oaks, [1]

under every green tree,

 z who slaughter your children in the valleys,

under the clefts of the rocks?

6[†] Among the smooth stones of  a the valley is your portion;

they, they, are your lot;

to them you have poured out a drink offering,

you have brought a grain offering.

Shall I relent for these things?

7[†]  b On a high and lofty mountain

you have set your bed,

and there you went up to offer sacrifice.

8[†] Behind the door and the doorpost

you have set up your memorial;

for, deserting me,  c you have uncovered your bed,

you have gone up to it,

 d you have made it wide;

and you have made a covenant for yourself with them,

you have loved their bed,

you have looked on nakedness. [2]

9[†] You journeyed to the king with oil

and multiplied your perfumes;

 e you sent your envoys far off,

and sent down even to Sheol.

10 You were wearied with the length of your way,

 f but you did not say, “It is hopeless”;

you found new life for your strength,

and so you were not faint. [3]

11[†]  g Whom did you dread and fear,

 h so that you lied,

and did not remember me,

did not lay it to heart?

 i Have I not held my peace, even for a long time,

and you do not fear me?

12 I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,

but they will not profit you.

13  j When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!

The wind will carry them all off,

a breath will take them away.

 k But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land

and shall inherit  l my holy mountain.

14[†] And it shall be said,

 m “Build up, build up, prepare the way,

remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”

15[†] For thus says  n the One who is high and lifted up,

who inhabits eternity, whose name is  o Holy:

 p “I dwell in the high and holy place,

and also  q with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,

 r to revive the spirit of the lowly,

and to revive the heart of the contrite.

16[†]  s For I will not contend forever,

nor will I always be angry;

for the spirit would grow faint before me,

and the breath of life that I made.

17 Because of the iniquity of his  t unjust gain I was angry,

I struck him; I hid my face and was angry,

but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.

18 I have seen his ways,  u but I will heal him;

I will lead him  v and restore comfort to him and his mourners,

19[^]  w creating  x the fruit of the lips.

 y Peace, peace,  z to the far and to the near,” says the LORD,

 u “and I will heal him.

20[†]  a But the wicked are like the tossing sea;

for it cannot be quiet,

and its waters toss up mire and dirt.

21  b There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”