Isaiah 57:3-21

3“But come here, you sons of a 1sorceress, 2Offspring of an adulterer and 3a 4prostitute.4Against whom do you jest? Against whom do you open wide your mouth And stick out your tongue? Are you not children of 5rebellion, Offspring of deceit,5Who inflame yourselves among the 67oaks, 8Under every luxuriant tree, Who 9slaughter the children in the 10ravines, Under the clefts of the crags?6Among the 1112smooth stones of the 13ravine Is your portion, 14they are your lot; Even to them you have 15poured out a drink offering, You have made a grain offering. Shall I 1617relent concerning these things?7Upon a 18high and lofty mountain You have 19made your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.8Behind the door and the doorpost You have set up your sign; Indeed, far removed from Me, you have 20uncovered yourself, And have gone up and made your bed wide. And you have made an agreement for yourself with them, You have loved their 21bed, You have looked on their 22manhood.9You have journeyed to the king with oil And increased your perfumes; You have 23sent your envoys a great distance And made them go down to 24Sheol.10You were tired out by the length of your road, Yet you did not say, ‘25It is hopeless.’ You found 26renewed strength, Therefore you did not 27faint.

11“Of 28whom were you worried and fearful When you lied, and did 29not remember Me 30Nor 31give Me a thought? Was I not silent even for a long time So you do not fear Me?12I will 32declare your righteousness and your 33deeds, But they will not profit you.13When you cry out, 34let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry all of them up, And a breath will take them away. But he who 35takes refuge in Me will 36inherit the land And will 37possess My holy mountain.”

14And it will be said, “38Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”15For thus says the 39high and exalted One Who 4041lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I 42dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the 43contrite and lowly of spirit In order to 44revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.16For I will 45not contend forever, 46Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the 47breath of those whom I have made.17Because of the iniquity of his 48unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on 49turning away, in the way of his heart.18I have seen his ways, but I will 50heal him; I will 51lead him and 52restore comfort to him and to his mourners,19Creating the 5354praise of the lips. 55Peace, peace to him who is 56far and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”20But the 57wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.21“58There is no peace,” says 59my God, “for the wicked.”