The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and {Or, godly}merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away {Or, through wickedness}from the evil to come.
He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh {Or, straight before him}in his uprightness.
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and put out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
ye that inflame yourselves {Or, with idols}among the oaks, under every green tree; that slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered {Or, a meal-offering}an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things?
Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou set thy bed; thither also wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: for thou hast uncovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them: thou lovedst their bed where {Or, thou providedst room for it}thou sawest it.
And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol.
Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not, It is in vain: thou didst find {Hebrew: the life of thy hand.}a quickening of thy strength; therefore thou wast not {Hebrew: sick.}faint.
And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and thou fearest me not?
I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee.
When thou criest, let {Or, thy rabble of idols.}them that thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he that taketh refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.
And {Or, it shall be said}he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made.
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on {Hebrew: turning away.}backsliding in the way of his heart.
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and {Hebrew: recompense.}restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Querverweise zu Jesaja 57,18 Jes 57,18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings.Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God.
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the {Or, mirage}heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water will he guide them.
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because Jehovah's flock is taken captive.
Thou hast bought me no {Or, calamus}sweet cane with money, neither hast thou {Or, satiated}filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
Jehovah appeared {Or, from afar}of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore {Or, have I continued lovingkindness unto thee}with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;He leadeth me beside {Hebrew: waters of rest.}still waters.
And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, {Or, let thine anger turn away, and comfort thou me}thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me.
{Another reading is, For who is exempted? With all &c., or, who can choose? With all &c.}For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.
Behold, I will bring it {Hebrew: a bandage.}health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal unto them abundance of peace and truth.
for the Lamb that is in the midst {Or, before See chapter 4:6; compare 5:6.}of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.
to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from of old thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou didst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have {Or, tried}chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be profaned? and my glory will I not give to another.
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him.
I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the grain, and blossom as the vine: {Or, his memorial}the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
{Or, O Ephraim, what &c.}Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered, and will regard him: I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found.
to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified.
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart {Hebrew: soundeth.}yearneth for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah.
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn over her;
that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: {Or, then shall ye suck, ye &c.}and ye shall suck thereof; ye shall be borne upon the side, and shall be dandled upon the knees.
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.
Then shalt thou remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder sisters and thy younger; and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.
And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah;
that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I have forgiven thee all that thou hast done, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;And uphold me with a willing spirit.
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: {Or, I work not for &c.}I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations, whither ye went.
And I will sanctify my great name, which hath been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, saith the Lord Jehovah, when I shall be sanctified in you before {Or, according to another reading, your}their eyes.
For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.
And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them.
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
And I will save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the grain, and will multiply it, and lay no famine upon you.
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations.
Then shall ye remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
Nor for your sake {Or, do I work}do I this, saith the Lord Jehovah, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be builded.
And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all that passed by.
And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.
Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I, Jehovah, have builded the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, Jehovah, have spoken it, and I will do it.
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock.
As the {Hebrew: flock of holy things.}flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.
And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and {Greek: kissed him much. See chapter 7:38, 45.}kissed him.
And {Or, law}the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly: