Isaiah 57:3-21

3“But come here, you sons of a 1sorceress, 2Offspring of an adulterer and 3a 4prostitute!4Of whom do you make fun? 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 6oaks, 7Under every luxuriant tree, Who 8slaughter the children in the 9ravines, Under the clefts of the rocks?6Among the 1011smooth stones of the 12ravine Is your portion, 13they are your lot; Even to them you have 14poured out a drink offering, You have made a grain offering. Should I 1516relent of these things?7On a 17high and lofty mountain You have 18made 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 19uncovered 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 20manhood.9You have journeyed to the king with oil And increased your perfumes; You have 21sent your messengers a great distance And made them go down to 22Sheol.10You were tired out by the length of your road, Yet you did not say, ‘23It is hopeless!’ You found 24renewed strength, Therefore you did not 25faint.

11“Of 26whom were you worried and fearful When you lied, and did 27not remember Me 28Nor 29give Me a thought? Was I not silent, even for a long time, So you do not fear Me?12I will 30declare your righteousness and your 31deeds, And they will not benefit you.13When you cry out, 32let 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 33takes refuge in Me will 34inherit the land And 35possess My holy mountain.”

14And it will be said, “36Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle from the way of My people.”15For this is what the 37high and exalted One Who 3839lives forever, whose name is Holy, says: “I 40dwell in a high and holy place, And also with the 41contrite and lowly of spirit In order to 42revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.16For I will 43not contend forever, 44Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the 45breath of those whom I have made.17Because of the wrongful act of his 46unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on 47turning away, in the way of his heart.18I have seen his ways, but I will 48heal him; I will 49lead him and 50restore comfort to him and to his mourners,19Creating the 5152praise of the lips. 53Peace, peace to him who is 54far away and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”20But the 55wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.21“56There is no peace,” says 57my God, “for the wicked.”