Isaiah 57-61

New International Version

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)

“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)

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please^(BU)
    and exploit all your workers.
⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,^(BV)
    and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and expect your voice to be heard^(BW) on high.
⁵ Is this the kind of fast^(BX) I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble^(BY) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed^(BZ)
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?^(CA)
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting^(CB) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice^(CC)
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed^(CD) free
    and break every yoke?^(CE)
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry^(CF)
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter^(CG)—
when you see the naked, to clothe^(CH) them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?^(CI)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,^(CJ)
    and your healing^(CK) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[c](CL) will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.^(CM)
9 Then you will call,^(CN) and the Lord will answer;^(CO)
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger^(CP) and malicious talk,^(CQ)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,^(CR)
then your light^(CS) will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.^(CT)
11 The Lord will guide^(CU) you always;
    he will satisfy your needs^(CV) in a sun-scorched land^(CW)
    and will strengthen^(CX) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,^(CY)
    like a spring^(CZ) whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins^(DA)
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;^(DB)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,^(DC)
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath^(DD)
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight^(DE)
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,^(DF)
14 then you will find your joy^(DG) in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights^(DH) of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance^(DI) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.^(DJ)

⁹ So justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;^(EG)
    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
¹⁰ Like the blind^(EH) we grope along the wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble^(EI) as if it were twilight;
    among the strong, we are like the dead.^(EJ)
11 We all growl like bears;
    we moan mournfully like doves.^(EK)
We look for justice, but find none;
    for deliverance, but it is far away.

¹² For our offenses^(EL) are many in your sight,
    and our sins testify^(EM) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
    and we acknowledge our iniquities:^(EN)
13 rebellion^(EO) and treachery against the Lord,
    turning our backs^(EP) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,^(EQ)
    uttering lies^(ER) our hearts have conceived.
¹⁴ So justice^(ES) is driven back,
    and righteousness^(ET) stands at a distance;
truth^(EU) has stumbled in the streets,
    honesty cannot enter.
¹⁵ Truth^(EV) is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no justice.^(EW)
16 He saw that there was no one,^(EX)
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;^(EY)
so his own arm achieved salvation^(EZ) for him,
    and his own righteousness^(FA) sustained him.
¹⁷ He put on righteousness as his breastplate,^(FB)
    and the helmet^(FC) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments^(FD) of vengeance^(FE)
    and wrapped himself in zeal^(FF) as in a cloak.
¹⁸ According to what they have done,
    so will he repay^(FG)
wrath to his enemies
    and retribution to his foes;
    he will repay the islands^(FH) their due.
¹⁹ From the west,^(FI) people will fear the name of the Lord,
    and from the rising of the sun,^(FJ) they will revere his glory.^(FK)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
    that the breath^(FL) of the Lord drives along.^[d]

²⁰ “The Redeemer^(FM) will come to Zion,^(FN)
    to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”^(FO)
declares the Lord.

⁴ “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble^(GB) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,^(GC)
    and your daughters^(GD) are carried on the hip.^(GE)
5 Then you will look and be radiant,^(GF)
    your heart will throb and swell with joy;^(GG)
the wealth^(GH) on the seas will be brought to you,
    to you the riches of the nations will come.
⁶ Herds of camels^(GI) will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian^(GJ) and Ephah.^(GK)
And all from Sheba^(GL) will come,
    bearing gold and incense^(GM)
    and proclaiming the praise^(GN) of the Lord.
⁷ All Kedar’s^(GO) flocks will be gathered to you,
    the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings^(GP) on my altar,^(GQ)
    and I will adorn my glorious temple.^(GR)

⁸ “Who are these^(GS) that fly along like clouds,^(GT)
    like doves to their nests?
⁹ Surely the islands^(GU) look to me;
    in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,^[e](GV)
bringing^(GW) your children from afar,
    with their silver and gold,^(GX)
to the honor^(GY) of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One^(GZ) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.^(HA)

¹⁰ “Foreigners^(HB) will rebuild your walls,
    and their kings^(HC) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
    in favor^(HD) I will show you compassion.^(HE)
11 Your gates^(HF) will always stand open,
    they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations^(HG)—
    their kings^(HH) led in triumphal procession.
¹² For the nation or kingdom that will not serve^(HI) you will perish;
    it will be utterly ruined.^(HJ)

¹³ “The glory of Lebanon^(HK) will come to you,
    the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,^(HL)
to adorn my sanctuary;^(HM)
    and I will glorify the place for my feet.^(HN)
14 The children of your oppressors^(HO) will come bowing before you;
    all who despise you will bow down^(HP) at your feet
and will call you the City^(HQ) of the Lord,
    Zion^(HR) of the Holy One^(HS) of Israel.

¹⁵ “Although you have been forsaken^(HT) and hated,
    with no one traveling^(HU) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride^(HV)
    and the joy^(HW) of all generations.
¹⁶ You will drink the milk of nations
    and be nursed^(HX) at royal breasts.
Then you will know^(HY) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,^(HZ)
    your Redeemer,^(IA) the Mighty One of Jacob.^(IB)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,^(IC)
    and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
    and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace^(ID) your governor
    and well-being your ruler.^(IE)
18 No longer will violence^(IF) be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction^(IG) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation^(IH)
    and your gates Praise.^(II)
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,^(IJ)
    and your God will be your glory.^(IK)
20 Your sun^(IL) will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow^(IM) will end.
²¹ Then all your people will be righteous^(IN)
    and they will possess^(IO) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,^(IP)
    the work of my hands,^(IQ)
    for the display of my splendor.^(IR)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.^(IS)
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”^(IT)

⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins^(JM)
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
⁵ Strangers^(JN) will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
⁶ And you will be called priests^(JO) of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth^(JP) of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

⁷ Instead of your shame^(JQ)
    you will receive a double^(JR) portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit^(JS) a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy^(JT) will be yours.

⁸ “For I, the Lord, love justice;^(JU)
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant^(JV) with them.
⁹ Their descendants^(JW) will be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
    that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”^(JX)

¹⁰ I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices^(JY) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,^(JZ)
as a bridegroom adorns his head^(KA) like a priest,
    and as a bride^(KB) adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden^(KC) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness^(KD)
    and praise spring up before all nations.