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Isaiah 57:1-21

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Evil Leaders Rebuked

1The righteous person perishes, and no one takes it to heart;

And devout people are taken away, while no one understands.

For the righteous person is taken away from evil,

2He enters into peace;

They rest in their beds,

Each one who walked in his upright way.

3“But come here, you sons of a sorceress,

Offspring of an adulterer and a 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 rebellion,

Offspring of deceit,

5Who inflame yourselves among the oaks,

Under every luxuriant tree,

Who slaughter the children in the ravines,

Under the clefts of the rocks?

6“Among the smooth stones of the ravine

Is your portion, they are your lot;

Even to them you have poured out a drink offering,

You have made a grain offering.

Should I relent of these things?

7“On a high and lofty mountain

You have 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 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 manhood.

9“You have journeyed to the king with oil

And increased your perfumes;

You have sent your messengers a great distance

And made them go down to Sheol.

10“You were tired out by the length of your road,

Yet you did not say, ‘It is hopeless!’

You found renewed strength,

Therefore you did not faint.

11“Of whom were you worried and fearful

When you lied, and did not remember Me

Nor give Me a thought?

Was I not silent, even for a long time,

So you do not fear Me?

12“I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,

And they will not benefit you.

13“When you cry out, 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 takes refuge in Me will inherit the land

And possess My holy mountain.”

14And it will be said,

“Build up, build up, prepare the way,

Remove every obstacle from the way of My people.”

15For this is what the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, says:

“I dwell in a high and holy place,

And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit

In order to revive the spirit of the lowly

And to revive the heart of the contrite.

16“For I will not contend forever,

Nor will I always be angry;

For the spirit would grow faint before Me,

And the breath of those whom I have made.

17“Because of the wrongful act of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him;

I hid My face and was angry,

And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.

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

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

19Creating the praise of the lips.

Peace, peace to him who is far away and to him who is near,”

Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”

20But the wicked are like the tossing sea,

For it cannot be quiet,

And its waters toss up refuse and mud.

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