Isaiah (Douay: Isaias) 57

¹ The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from the evil.

² He enters into peace. They rest in their beds, each one who walks in his uprightness.

³ “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.

⁴ Whom do you mock? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience and offspring of falsehood,

⁵ you who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

⁶ Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion. They, they are your lot. You have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things?

⁷ On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.

⁸ You have set up your memorial behind the doors and the posts, for you have exposed yourself to someone besides me, and have gone up. You have enlarged your bed and made a covenant for yourself with them. You loved what you saw on their bed.

⁹ You went to the king with oil, increased your perfumes, sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even to Sheol.

¹⁰ You were wearied with the length of your ways; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint.

¹¹ “Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? Haven’t I held my peace for a long time, and you don’t fear me?

¹² I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.

¹³ When you cry, let those whom you have gathered deliver you, but the wind will take them. A breath will carry them all away, but he who takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain.”

¹⁴ He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”

¹⁵ For the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, says: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

¹⁶ For I will not contend forever, neither will I always be angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls whom I have made.

¹⁷ I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

¹⁸ I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.

¹⁹ I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says the LORD; “and I will heal them.”

²⁰ But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud.

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

¹ TThe just perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and men of mercy are taken away, because there is none that understandeth; for the just man is taken away from before the face of evil.

² Let peace come, let him rest in his bed that hath walked in his uprightness.

³ But draw near hither, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer, and of the harlot.

⁴ Upon whom have you jested? upon whom have you opened your mouth wide, and put out your tongue? are not you wicked children, a false seed,

⁵ Who seek your comfort in idols under every green tree, sacrificing children in the torrents, under the high rocks?

⁶ In the parts of the torrent is thy portion, this is thy lot: and thou hast poured out libations to them, thou hast offered sacrifice. Shall I not be angry at these things?

⁷ Upon a high and lofty mountain thou hast laid thy bed, and hast gone up thither to offer victims.

⁸ And behind the door, and behind the post thou hast set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself near me, and hast received an adulterer: thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made a covenant with them: thou hast loved their bed with open hand.

⁹ And thou hast adorned thyself for the king with ointment, and hast multiplied thy perfumes. Thou hast sent thy messengers far off, and wast debased even to hell.

¹⁰ Thou hast been wearied in the multitude of thy ways: yet thou saidst not: I will rest: thou hast found life of thy hand, therefore thou hast not asked.

¹¹ For whom hast thou been solicitous and afraid, that thou hast lied, and hast not been mindful of me, nor thought on me in thy heart? for I am silent, and as one that seeth not, and thou hast forgotten me.

¹² I will declare thy justice, and thy works shall not profit thee.

¹³ When thou shalt cry, let thy companies deliver thee, but the wind shall carry them all off, a breeze shall take them away, but he that putteth his trust in me, shall inherit the land, and shall possess my holy mount.

¹⁴ And I will say: Make a way: give free passage, turn out of the path, take away the stumblingblocks out of the way of my people.

¹⁵ For thus saith the High and the Eminent that inhabiteth eternity: and his name is Holy, who dwelleth in the high and holy place, and with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

¹⁶ For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be angry unto the end: because the spirit shall go forth from my face, and breathings I will make.

¹⁷ For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry, and I struck him: I hid my face from thee, and was angry: and he went away wandering in his own heart.

¹⁸ I saw his ways, and I healed him, and brought him back, and restored comforts to him, and to them that mourn for him.

¹⁹ I created the fruit of the lips, peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, said the Lord, and I healed him.

²⁰ But the wicked are like the raging sea, which cannot rest, and the waves thereof cast up dirt and mire.

²¹ There is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord God.