Isaiah · Bible in Basic English
Isaiah 57 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 The upright man goes to his death, and no one gives a thought to it; and god-fearing men are taken away, and no one is troubled by it; for the upright man is taken away because of evil-doing, and goes into peace.
1 The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from the evil.
2 They are at rest in their last resting-places, every one going straight before him.
2 He enters into peace. They rest in their beds, each one who walks in his uprightness.
3 But come near, you sons of her who is wise in secret arts, the seed of her who is false to her husband, and of the loose woman.
3 “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.
4 Of whom do you make sport? against whom is your mouth open wide and your tongue put out? are you not uncontrolled children, a false seed,
4 Whom do you mock? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience and offspring of falsehood,
5 You who are burning with evil desire among the oaks, under every green tree; putting children to death in the valleys, under the cracks of the rocks?
5 you who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is your heritage; they, even they, are your part: even to them have you made a drink offering and a meal offering. Is it possible for such things to be overlooked by me?
6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion. They, they are your lot. You have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things?
7 You have put your bed on a high mountain: there you went up to make your offering.
7 On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
8 And on the back of the doors and on the pillars you have put your sign: for you have been false to me with another; you have made your bed wide, and made an agreement with them; you had a desire for their bed where you saw it
8 You have set up your memorial behind the doors and the posts, for you have exposed yourself to someone besides me, and have gone up. You have enlarged your bed and made a covenant for yourself with them. You loved what you saw on their bed.
9 And you went to Melech with oil and much perfume, and you sent your representatives far off, and went as low as the underworld.
9 You went to the king with oil, increased your perfumes, sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even to Sheol.
10 You were tired with your long journeys; but you did not say, There is no hope: you got new strength, and so you were not feeble.
10 You were wearied with the length of your ways; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint.
11 And of whom were you in fear, so that you were false, and did not keep me in mind, or give thought to it? Have I not been quiet, keeping myself secret, and so you were not in fear of me?
11 “Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? Haven’t I held my peace for a long time, and you don’t fear me?
12 I will make clear what your righteousness is like and your works; you will have no profit in them.
12 I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.
13 Your false gods will not keep you safe in answer to your cry; but the wind will take them, they will be gone like a breath: but he who puts his hope in me will take the land, and will have my holy mountain as his heritage.
13 When you cry, let those whom you have gathered deliver you, but the wind will take them. A breath will carry them all away, but he who takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain.”
14 And I will say, Make it high, make it high, get ready the way, take the stones out of the way of my people.
14 He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”
15 For this is the word of him who is high and lifted up, whose resting-place is eternal, whose name is Holy: my resting-place is in the high and holy place, and with him who is crushed and poor in spirit, to give life to the spirit of the poor, and to make strong the heart of the crushed.
15 For the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, says: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will not give punishment for ever, or be angry without end: for from me breath goes out; and I it was who made the souls.
16 For I will not contend forever, neither will I always be angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls whom I have made.
17 I was quickly angry with his evil ways, and sent punishment on him, veiling my face in wrath: and he went on, turning his heart from me.
17 I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and I will make him well: I will give him rest, comforting him and his people who are sad.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
19 I will give the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is near and to him who is far off, says the Lord; and I will make him well.
19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal them.”
20 But the evil-doers are like the troubled sea, for which there is no rest, and its waters send up earth and waste.
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud.
21 There is no peace, says my God, for the evil-doers.
21 “There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.”
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Kings 22:20; 2 Chronicles 34:28; Psalm 12:1; Micah 7:2; Isaiah 42:25
- 2 Revelation 14:13; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Job 3:17; Luke 2:29; 2 Corinthians 5:8
- 3 Matthew 16:4; 1 John 3:10; James 4:4; Hosea 1:2; Revelation 17:1–5
- 4 2 Peter 2:13; Psalm 35:21; Exodus 9:17; Isaiah 1:4; Psalm 22:13
- 5 2 Kings 16:3–4; Isaiah 1:29; Ezekiel 16:20; Jeremiah 7:31; 2 Kings 23:10
- 6 Jeremiah 3:9; Jeremiah 7:18; Habakkuk 2:19; Jeremiah 19:13; Isaiah 66:3
- 7 Ezekiel 16:16; Ezekiel 23:41; Jeremiah 2:20; Ezekiel 16:25; Jeremiah 3:6
- 8 Ezekiel 23:41; Ezekiel 23:2–20; Ezekiel 8:8–12; Ezekiel 16:32; Ezekiel 16:25–28
- 9 Ezekiel 23:16; Isaiah 30:1–6; Ezekiel 23:40; Isaiah 31:1–3; Colossians 2:18
- 10 Jeremiah 2:25; Jeremiah 18:12; Jeremiah 5:3; Isaiah 47:13; 2 Chronicles 28:22–23
- 11 Isaiah 51:12–13; Proverbs 29:25; Psalm 50:21; Jeremiah 3:21; Jeremiah 9:3–5
- 12 Matthew 23:13; Romans 3:10–20; Micah 3:2–4; Isaiah 1:11–15; Jeremiah 7:4–11
- 13 Psalm 37:9; Psalm 37:3; Isaiah 65:25; Isaiah 56:7; Ezekiel 20:40
- 14 Isaiah 62:10; Luke 3:5–6; Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 40:3; Jeremiah 18:15
- 15 Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 66:1–2; Psalm 138:6; Psalm 147:3; Exodus 15:11
- 16 Micah 7:18; Jeremiah 10:24; Psalm 103:9–16; Psalm 85:5; Hebrews 12:9
- 17 Isaiah 56:11; Colossians 3:5; Jeremiah 6:13; 2 Peter 2:14; Ephesians 5:3–5
- 18 Jeremiah 33:6; Revelation 7:17; Jeremiah 3:22; Hosea 14:4–8; Jeremiah 31:3
- 19 Acts 2:39; Hebrews 13:15; Luke 10:5–6; Acts 10:36; Ephesians 6:19
- 20 Isaiah 3:11; Proverbs 4:16–17; Job 18:5–14; Jude 12; Job 20:11–29
- 21 Isaiah 48:22; Isaiah 3:11; 2 Kings 9:22; Isaiah 59:8; Romans 3:16–17
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
He says, "For behold how the just man perishes, and no man considers it; and righteous men are taken away, and no man layeth it to heart." These things were acted beforehand in Abel, were also previously declared by the prophets, but were accomplished in the Lord's person; and the same [is still true] with regard to us, the body …
So that the Prophet in amazement speaks of this too, Against whom have ye opened your mouth, and against whom have ye let loose your tongue?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
For as a man is said to "perish," according to that which is written, Behold, how the righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and this, though the resurrection is looked for; so we look for a resurrection, as it were, of the heavens also.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)