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New Living Translation

Isaiah 57:1

Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Death;   Peace;   Righteous;   Thompson Chain Reference - Corruption;   Evil;   Nation, the;   Times, Evil;   The Topic Concordance - Mercy;   Peace;   Removal;   Righteousness;   Uprightness;   Wrath;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Death of Saints, the;   Mercy;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Poverty;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Age, Old;   Ahijah;   Gedaliah;   Hezekiah;   Josiah;   Law;   Manasseh (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Peace, Spiritual;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Didascalia;   Jerome (Eusebius Hieronymus Sophronius);   Yiẓḥaḳ ben Parnak;  

Parallel Translations

Complete Jewish Bible
The righteous person perishes, and nobody gives it a thought. Godly men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous person is taken away from the evil yet to come.
Darby Translation
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from before the evil.
Easy-to-Read Version
All the good people are gone, and no one even noticed. The loyal followers were gathered up, but no one knows why. The reason they were gathered up is that trouble is coming.
Hebrew Names Version
The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and godly men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
American Standard Version
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The ryghteous perisheth, and no man regardeth it in his heart: good godly people are taken away, & no man considereth it, namely, that the righteous is conueyed away from the wicked.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The righteous perisheth, and no man considereth it in heart: and mercifull men are taken away, and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come.
George Lamsa Translation
BEHOLD, the righteous man has perished, and no one lays it to heart; and pious men are taken away, none considering that the righteous man is taken away from the evil to come.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
See how the just man has perished, and no one lays it to heart: and righteous men are taken away, and no one considers: for the righteous has been removed out of the way of injustice.
English Revised Version
The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
Amplified Bible
The righteous man perishes [at the hand of evil], and no one takes it to heart; Faithful and devout men are taken away, while no one understands That the righteous person is taken away [to be spared] from disaster and evil.
World English Bible
The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].
The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away, with none considering that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil.
Contemporary English Version
God's faithful people are dragged off and killed, and no one even cares. Evil sweeps them away,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The righteous one, hath perished, And not a man, hath taken it to heart - Yea the men of lovingkindness, have been withdrawn No one considering, That from the presence of calamity, hath the righteous been withdrawn.
Good News Translation
Good people die, and no one understands or even cares. But when they die, no calamity can hurt them.
King James Version (1611)
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come.
King James Version
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
THE MESSAGE
Meanwhile, right-living people die and no one gives them a thought. God-fearing people are carted off and no one even notices. The right-living people are out of their misery, they're finally at rest. They lived well and with dignity and now they're finally at peace.
New International Version (1984)
The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
New Century Version
Those who are right with God may die, but no one pays attention. Good people are taken away, but no one understands. Those who do right are being taken away from evil
New English Translation
The godly perish, but no one cares. Honest people disappear, when no one minds that the godly disappear because of evil.
New American Standard Bible
The righteous person perishes, and no one takes it to heart; And devout people are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous person is taken away from evil,
New International Version
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
New King James Version
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 evil.
Lexham English Bible
The righteous one perishes, and there is no one who takes it to heart. And men of faithfulness are gathered, while there is no one who understands, for the righteous is gathered from the presence of wickedness.
Literal Translation
The righteous one perishes, and no one lays it to heart; yea, merciful men are gathered, with no one discerning that the righteous is gathered from the face of evil.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Bvt in the meane season ye righteous perisheth, & no ma regardeth it in his hert. Good godly people are taken awaye. & no ma cosidreth it. Namely: that the righteous is conuayed awaye thorow ye wicked:
Update Bible Version
The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].
Webster's Bible Translation
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth [it] to heart: and merciful men [are] taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].
Douay-Rheims Bible
The just perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and men of mercy are taken away, because there is none that understandeth; for the just man is taken away from before the face of evil.
Revised Standard Version
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,
New Life Bible
"The man who is right and good dies, and no one cares. Very good men are taken away, while no one understands. But the man who is right with God is taken away from what is sinful,
New Revised Standard
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous are taken away from calamity,
Christian Standard Bible®
The righteous one perishes, and no one takes it to heart; faithful men are swept away, with no one realizing that the righteous one is swept away from the presence of evil.
English Standard Version
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;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A iust man perischith, and noon is, that thenkith in his herte; and men of merci ben gaderid togidere, for noon is that vndurstondith; for whi a iust man is gaderid fro the face of malice.
Young's Literal Translation
The righteous hath perished, And there is none laying [it] to heart, And men of kindness are gathered, Without any considering that from the face of evil Gathered is the righteous one.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil,

Contextual Overview

1 Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. 2 For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
righteous 2 Chronicles 32:33; 35:24
no man
11; 42:25; 47:7; Malachi 2:2
merciful men
Heb. men of kindness, or godliness.
Psalms 12:1; Micah 7:2
the righteous
1 Kings 14:13; 2 Kings 22:20; 2 Chronicles 34:28
the evil to come
or, that which is evil.
Reciprocal: Genesis 15:15 - in peace;  Genesis 18:25 - that the;  Genesis 49:33 - and yielded;  Numbers 23:10 - the death;  Deuteronomy 34:8 - wept for Moses;  Joshua 24:33 - died;  1 Samuel 28:3 - Samuel;  2 Kings 2:12 - rent them;  2 Kings 13:14 - he died;  2 Kings 23:29 - slew him;  1 Chronicles 10:2 - Jonathan;  Job 3:17 - at rest;  Job 14:13 - hide me;  Job 23:17 - cut off;  Psalm 18:25 - With the;  Proverbs 11:17 - merciful;  Ecclesiastes 7:1 - the day;  Ecclesiastes 10:15 - labour;  Song of Solomon 6:2 - and to;  Jeremiah 12:11 - layeth;  Jeremiah 22:10 - Weep ye;  Daniel 12:13 - rest;  Hosea 7:9 - devoured;  Micah 6:8 - love;  Matthew 5:7 - are;  Matthew 22:29 - not;  Mark 4:29 - he putteth;  Luke 2:29 - now;  Luke 16:22 - that;  John 17:15 - take;  Acts 8:2 - made;  2 Corinthians 4:16 - though;  Ephesians 4:32 - kind;  Philippians 1:21 - to die;  Hebrews 11:38 - whom;  2 Peter 1:6 - godliness;  Revelation 14:13 - Blessed

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The righteous perisheth,.... Not eternally; he may fear he shall, by reason of sin and temptation; he may say his strength and hope are perished; and his peace and comfort may perish for a time; but he cannot perish everlastingly, because he is one that believes in Christ, and is justified by his righteousness, from whence he is denominated righteous; and such shall never perish, but have everlasting life: but the meaning is, that he perisheth as to his outward man, or dies corporeally, which is called perishing, Ecclesiastes 7:15 and so the Targum renders it,

"the righteous die.'

Or it may be rendered, "the righteous man is lost"; not to himself, his death is a gain to him; but to the church, and to the world, which yet is not considered:

and no man layeth it to heart; takes any notice of it, thinks at all about it, far from being concerned or grieved; instead of that, rather rejoice, and are pleased that they are rid of such persons; which will be the case when the witnesses are slain, Revelation 11:10. The Targum is,

"and no man lays my fear to heart;'

or on his heart; whereas such providences should lead men to fear the Lord, and seek to him, and serve him, as it did David, Psalm 12:1,

and merciful men are taken away; or "gathered"; out of the world, to their own people, to heaven; these are such who obtain mercy of the Lord, and show mercy to others, holy good men: the former character may respect the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, this his grace implanted in them, discovered by acts of mercy and goodness; for one and the same persons are intended:

none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come; that there are evil times coming, great calamities, and sore judgments upon men; and therefore these righteous ones are gathered out of the world, and are gathered home, and safely housed in heaven, that they may escape the evil coming upon a wicked generation; and who yet have no thought about it, nor are they led to observe it as they might, from the removal of good men out of the world; see 2 Kings 22:20. All this may be applied to the martyrs of Jesus in times of Popish persecution; or to the removal of good men by an ordinary death before those times came.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The righteous perisheth - This refers, as I suppose, to the time of Manasseh (see the Introduction, Section 3). Grotius supposes, that it refers to king Josiah; Vitringa, that it refers to martyrs in general. But it seems probable to me that the prophet designs to describe the state of stupidity which prevailed in his own time, and to urge as one proof of it, that the pious part of the nation was taken away by violent death, and that the nation was not affected by it. Such was the guilt of Manasseh; so violent was the persecution which he excited against the just, that it is said of him that he ‹shed innocent blood very much, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another‘ 2 Kings 22:16. There is evidence (see the Introduction, Section 2), that Isaiah lived to his time, and it is probable that he himself ultimately fell a victim to the race of Manasseh. Though he had, on account of his great age, retired from the public functions of the prophetic office, yet he could not be insensible to the existence of these evils, and his spirit would not suffer him to be silent even though bowed down by age, when the land was filled with abominations, and when the best blood of the nation was poured out like water. The word rendered ‹perisheth‘ (אבד 'ābad ) as well as the word rendered ‹taken away‘ (אסף 'âsaph ) denotes violence, and is indicative of the fact that they were removed by a premature death.

And no man layeth it to heart - No one is aroused by it, or is concerned about it. The sentiment of the passage is, that it is proof of great stupidity and guilt when people see the righteous die without concern. If the pious die by persecution and others are not aroused, it shows that they acquiesce in it, or have no confidence in God, and no desire that his people should be preserved; if they die in the ordinary mode and the people are unaffected, it shows their stupidity. The withdrawment of a pious man from the earth is a public calamity. His prayers, his example, his life, were among the richest blessings of the world, and people should be deeply affected when they are withdrawn; and it shows their guilt and stupidity when they see this with indifference. It increases the evidence of this guilt when, as is sometimes the case, the removal of the righteous by death is an occasion of joy. The wicked hate the secret rebuke which is furnished by a holy life, and they often feel a secret exultation when such people die.

And merciful men - Margin, ‹Men of kindness,‘ or ‹godliness.‘ Lowth and Noyes render it, ‹Pious men.‘ The Septuagint, Ἄνδρες δίκαιοι Andres dikaioi - ‹Just men.‘ The Hebrew word denotes “mercy” or “kindness” (חסד chesed ). Here it probably means, ‹Men of mercy;‘ that is, people who are the subjects of mercy; people who are pious, or devoted to God.

Are taken away - Hebrew, ‹Are gathered.‘ That is, they are gathered to their fathers by death.

None considering - They were not anxious to know what was the design of Divine Providence in permitting it.

From the evil to come - Margin, ‹That which is evil.‘ The idea here evidently is, that severe calamities were coming upon the nation. God was about to give them up to foreign invasion (Isaiah 56:9 ff); and the true reason why the just were removed was, that they may not be subject to the divine wrath which should come upon the nation; they were not to be required to contemplate the painful state of things when an enemy should fire the cities, the palaces, and the temple, and cause the sacred services of religion to cease. It was a less evil for them to be removed by death - even by the painful death of persecution - than to be compelled to participate in these coming sorrows. At the same time this passage may be regarded as inculcating a more general truth still. It is, that the pious are often removed in order that they may not be exposed to evils which they would experience should they live. There might be the pains and sorrows of persecution; there might be long and lingering disease; there might be poverty and want; there might be the prevalence of iniquity and infidelity over which their hearts would bleed; there might be long and painful conflicts with their own evil hearts, or there might be danger that they would fall into sin, and dishonor their high calling. For some or all these reasons the righteous may be withdrawn from the world; and could we see those reasons as God does, nothing more would be necessary to induce us to acquiesce entirely in the justice of his dealings.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

The righteous perisheth - אבד הצדק hatstsadik abad . There is an emphasis here which seems intended to point out a particular person. See below. Perisheth - As the root אבד abad signifies the straying of cattle, their passing away from one pasture to another, I feel inclined to follow the grammatical meaning of the word "perish," pereo. So the Vulgate, justus periit, from per, By or Through, and eo, to Go. In his death the righteous man may be said to have passed through life, and to have passed by men, i.e., gone or passed before them into the eternal world. A similar mode of speech is used by our Saxon ancestors to express death: he went out of sight; and he went away; and to fare forth, to die.

There are very few places in Isaiah where Jesus Christ is not intended; and I am inclined to think that He is intended here, That Just One; and perhaps Stephen had this place in view, when he thus charged the Jews, "Ye denied τον ἁγιον και δικαιον, that Holy and Just One," Acts 3:14. That his death was not laid to heart by the wicked Jewish people, needs no proof.

Merciful men - If the first refers to Christ, this may well refer to the apostles. and to others of the primitive Christians, who were taken away, some by death and martyrdom, and others by a providential escape from the city that they knew was devoted to destruction.

The evil to come - That destruction which was to come upon this disobedient people by the Romans.


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