Chapter 57
The righteous perishes, and no man lays 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 has thou poured a drink offering, thou has offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? 7 Upon a lofty and high mountain has thou set thy bed: even thither went thou up to offer sacrifice. 8 Behind the doors also and the posts has thou set up thy remembrance: for thou has discovered thyself to another than Me, and are gone up; thou has enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou loved their bed where thou saw it. 9 And thou went to the king with ointment, and did increase thy perfumes, and did send thy messengers far off, and did debase thyself even unto hell. 10 Thou are wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet said thou not, There is no hope: thou has found the life of thine hand; therefore thou was not grieved. 11 And of whom has thou been afraid or feared, that thou has lied, and has not remembered Me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held My peace even of old, and thou fear Me not? 12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
13 When thou cry, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that puts 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 stumbling-block out of the way of My people. 15 For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabits 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 forever, 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.
