Isaiah 57

Good people die
And no one cares.
Evil comes along
And carries them away. [1]
2But peace will come to good people.
And they’ll rest in peace when it comes. [2]

As for you,
You son of a witch,
You daughter of a whore,
4Do you have any idea who you’re trash-talking?
And you’re sticking out your tongue? Really?
Aren’t you the kids born to lying sinners?
5I’m talking about those who jump each other’s bones
Under every green tree they find? [3]
You wretched people kill children [4] in the valleys
And in the cracks and clefts of the rocky hills.
6You handpick smooth stones
That rolled down into ravines.
Then you worship them
With offerings of grain and wine.
You think that worship will stop me
From lowering the boom on you?

You have sex [5] on the hilltops.
Then you finish with a sacrifice.
8On the dark side of your doors
You hide your idols from others.
Those rocks are the proof you deserted me.
You love those sex rituals, don’t you?
And you have an eye for the naked.
9You worshiped Molech [6]
With olive oil and perfume.
You sent your ambassadors to faraway lands.
And you even consulted the dead.
10You grew tired of it all.
But you never quite quit.
Your arousal would always come back.
It kept you where you remain.

Who frightens you so much
That you turned against me
And don’t give me a second thought?
Have I been silent so long
That you have no reason to fear what I’ll do?
12I’m about to judge you.
Your idols won’t help when I do.
13You’ll cry for help, but your idols can’t hear.
See if they’ll raise a dead spirit or take a deep breath.
But I’ll tell you this, whoever comes to me for help
Gets to live with me on my holy hills.
14The LORD says:
“Build a road for my people.
Build it, then get out of their way.”
15That’s from the High and Holy God
Who lives in a high and holy place.
Yet he loves the humble people,
Revives them when they repent,
And energizes their spirits.

I’m not going to get in your face forever,
Accusing you, punishing you.
Why would I?
I’m the one who put that breath in your lungs.
17But doggone it, your greed made me angry.
So, I punished you and walked away in disgust.
But you kept on sinning, nonetheless.
18I see how they live.
But I’ll heal them.
I’ll take them by the hand and lead them.
When they cry about what they’ve done,
I’ll offer my comfort.
19I’ll speak to them with encouraging words:
“Peace to you.
Whether you’re nearby or far away,
peace to you.”
20But it won’t be like that for the wicked.
They’re like a wild sea, churning up muck and mire.
21There’s no peace on the wild sea,
No peace among the wicked.