New King James Version

English Standard Version

Israel’s Futile Idolatry

The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
Merciful men are taken away,
While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from [a]evil.

1

Israel’s Futile Idolatry

The righteous man perishes,
and no one lays it to heart;
devout men are taken away,
while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;

2

He shall enter into peace;
They shall rest in their beds,
Each one walking in his uprightness.

2

he enters into peace;
they rest in their beds
who walk in their uprightness.

3

“But come here,
You sons of the sorceress,
You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot!

3

But you, draw near,
sons of the sorceress,
offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.

4

Whom do you ridicule?
Against whom do you make a wide mouth
And stick out the tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
Offspring of falsehood,

4

Whom are you mocking?
Against whom do you open your mouth wide
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
the offspring of deceit,

5

Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree,
Slaying the children in the valleys,
Under the clefts of the rocks?

5

you who burn with lust among the oaks,a
under every green tree,
who slaughter your children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?

6

Among the smooth stones of the stream
Is your portion;
They, they, are your lot!
Even to them you have poured a drink offering,
You have offered a grain offering.
Should I receive comfort in these?

6

Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion;
they, they, are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering,
you have brought a grain offering.
Shall I relent for these things?

7

“On a lofty and high mountain
You have set your bed;
Even there you went up
To offer sacrifice.

7

On a high and lofty mountain
you have set your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifice.

8

Also behind the doors and their posts
You have set up your remembrance;
For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me,
And have gone up to them;
You have enlarged your bed
And [b]made a covenant with them;
You have loved their bed,
Where you saw their [c]nudity.

8

Behind the door and the doorpost
you have set up your memorial;
for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed,
you have gone up to it,
you have made it wide;
and you have made a covenant for yourself with them,
you have loved their bed,
you have looked on nakedness.b

9

You went to the king with ointment,
And increased your perfumes;
You sent your messengers far off,
And even descended to Sheol.

9

You journeyed to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes;
you sent your envoys far off,
and sent down even to Sheol.

10

You are wearied in the length of your way;
Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’
You have found the life of your hand;
Therefore you were not grieved.

10

You were wearied with the length of your way,
but you did not say, “It is hopeless”;
you found new life for your strength,
and so you were not faint.c

11

“And of whom have you been afraid, or feared,
That you have lied
And not remembered Me,
Nor taken it to your heart?
Is it not because I have [d]held My peace from of old
That you do not fear Me?

11

Whom did you dread and fear,
so that you lied,
and did not remember me,
did not lay it to heart?
Have I not held my peace, even for a long time,
and you do not fear me?

12

I will declare your righteousness
And your works,
For they will not profit you.

12

I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
but they will not profit you.

13

When you cry out,
Let your collection of idols deliver you.
But the wind will carry them all away,
A breath will take them.
But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land,
And shall inherit My holy mountain.”

13

When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry them all off,
a breath will take them away.
But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
and shall inherit my holy mountain.

14

Healing for the Backslider

And one shall say,
“Heap it up! Heap it up!
Prepare the way,
Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.”

14

Comfort for the Contrite

And it shall be said,
“Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”

15

For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

15

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
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 fail before Me,
And the souls which I have made.

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 life that I made.

17

For the iniquity of his covetousness
I was angry and struck him;
I hid and was angry,
And he went on [e]backsliding in the way of his heart.

17

Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry,
I struck him; I hid my face and was angry,
but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.

18

I have seen his ways, and will heal him;
I will also lead him,
And restore comforts to him
And to his mourners.

18

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,

19

“I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,”
Says the Lord,
“And I will heal him.”

19

creating the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
“and I will heal him.

20

But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
When it cannot rest,
Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

20

But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.

21

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

21

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

Parallel

New King James Version

English Standard Version

Isaiah 57

Isaiah 57