--- title: "The Wicked and the Servants" description: "Come, all you beasts of the field; eat greedily, all you beasts of the forest. Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber. Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain: “Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!” The righteous" image: "" book: "Isaiah" bookId: "ISA" testament: "old" startChapter: 56 startVerse: 9 endChapter: 58 endVerse: 14 coversChapters: [56,57,58] aiTitle: "The Wicked and the Servants" aiDescription: "Come, all you beasts of the field; eat greedily, all you beasts of the forest. Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber. Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain: “Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!” The righteous" hasAiStory: true location: "" persons: ["God","Jacob","Molech"] hashtags: ["healing","idolatry","judgment","repentance","righteousness"] genre: "prophecy" readingTime: 5 type: "adaptive" slug: "ISA/the-wicked-and-the-servants" canonicalId: "ISA.56.9-58.14" chronologicalOrder: 999 relatedSlugs: ["PHP/warnings-against-false-examples","EZK/reproof-of-false-prophets","TIT/pauls-greeting-to-titus-appointing-elders-on-crete-correcting-false-teachers","EZK/ezekiels-mission","HOS/gods-case-against-his-people"] prevSlug: "ISA/salvation-for-the-nations" nextSlug: "ISA/prayer-of-repentance" --- ### Israel’s Sinful Leaders Come, all you beasts of the field;eat greedily, all you beasts of the forest. Israel’s watchmen are blind,they are all oblivious;they are all mute dogs,they cannot bark;they are dreamers lying around,loving to slumber. Like ravenous dogs,they are never satisfied.They are shepherds with no discernment;they all turn to their own way,each one seeking his own gain: “Come, let me get the wine,let us imbibe the strong drink,and tomorrow will be like today,only far better!” ### The Blessed Death of the Righteous The righteous perish,and no one takes it to heart;devout men are swept away,while no one considersthat the righteous are guidedfrom the presence of evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace;they find rest, lying down in death. ### God Condemns Idolatry “But come here, you sons of a sorceress,you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! Whom are you mocking?At whom do you snarl and stick out your tongue?Are you not children of transgression,offspring of deceit, who burn with lust among the oaks,under every luxuriant tree,who slaughter your children in the valleys,under the clefts of the rocks? Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley;indeed, they are your lot.Even to them you have poured out a drink offeringand offered a grain offering.Should I relent because of these? On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed,and there you went up to offer sacrifices. Behind the door and doorpostyou have set up your memorial.Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed;you climbed up and opened it wide.And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved;you have gazed upon their nakedness. You went to [Molech](/persons/molech) with oiland multiplied your perfumes.You have sent your envoys a great distance;you have descended even to Sheol itself. You are wearied by your many journeys,but you did not say, “There is no hope!”You found renewal of your strength;therefore you did not grow weak. Whom have you dreaded and feared,so that you lied and failedto remember Me or take this to heart?Is it not because I have long been silentthat you do not fear Me? I will expose your righteousness and your works,and they will not profit you. When you cry out,let your companies of idols deliver you!Yet the wind will carry off all of them,a breath will take them away.But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the landand possess My holy mountain.” ### Healing for the Repentant And it will be said,“Build it up, build it up, prepare the way,take every obstacle out of the way of My people.” For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:“I dwell in a high and holy place,and with the oppressed and humble in spirit,to restore the spirit of the lowlyand revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not accuse you forever,nor will I always be angry;for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me,with the breath of those I have made. I was enraged by his sinful greed,so I struck him and hid My face in anger;yet he kept turning backto the desires of his heart. I have seen his ways,but I will heal him;I will guide him and restore comfortto him and his mourners, bringing praise to their lips.Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the [LORD](/persons/god),“and I will heal them.” But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea,for it cannot be still,and its waves churn up mire and muck. “There is no peace,” says my God,“for the wicked.” ### True Fasts and Sabbaths “Cry aloud, do not hold back!Raise your voice like a ram’s horn.Declare to My people their transgressionand to the [house of Jacob](/persons/jacob) their sins. For day after day they seek Meand delight to know My ways,like a nation that does what is rightand does not forsake the justice of their God.They ask Me for righteous judgments;they delight in the nearness of God.” “Why have we fasted,and You have not seen?Why have we humbled ourselves,and You have not noticed?”“Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please,and you oppress all your workers. You fast with contention and strifeto strike viciously with your fist.You cannot fast as you do todayand have your voice be heard on high. Is this the fast I have chosen:a day for a man to deny himself,to bow his head like a reed,and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?Will you call this a fastand a day acceptable to the LORD? Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen:to break the chains of wickedness,to untie the cords of the yoke,to set the oppressed freeand tear off every yoke? Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry,to bring the poor and homeless into your home,to clothe the naked when you see him,and not to turn awayfrom your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn,and your healing will come quickly.Your righteousness will go before you,and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’If you remove the yoke from your midst,the pointing of the finger and malicious talk, and if you give yourself to the hungryand satisfy the afflicted soul,then your light will go forth in the darkness,and your night will be like noonday. The LORD will always guide you;He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched landand strengthen your frame.You will be like a well-watered garden,like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;you will restore the age-old foundations;you will be called Repairer of the Breach,Restorer of the Streets of Dwelling. If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath,from doing as you please on My holy day,if you call the Sabbath a delight,and the LORD’s holy day honorable,if you honor it by not going your own wayor seeking your own pleasure or speaking idle words, then you will delight yourself in the LORD,and I will make you ride on the heights of the landand feed you with the heritage of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

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