Isaiah 57

One of he great lines in the KJV: for the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth. It is a shame to put aside the religious drawl of verse 17. I can still hear the King's chorister reading this lesson.

But it is not the covet we hear of in the ten words (חמד), but a synonym (בצע). I have glossed it as gain, seeking gain, extortion, and also finding the mark.

A couple of times in this chapter, the framing of direct speech has the speaker named after or in the middle of the speech. I must find a way to see how often this happens. I think it is rare. Here it reads almost pensively. E.g. verses 19 and 21 - check the music below.

Interpret for me - what is the profit of lips?

Isaiah 57		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
הַצַּדִּ֣יק אָבָ֔ד וְאֵ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ שָׂ֣ם עַל־לֵ֑ב וְאַנְשֵׁי־חֶ֤סֶד נֶֽאֱסָפִים֙ בְּאֵ֣ין מֵבִ֔ין כִּֽי־מִפְּנֵ֥י הָרָעָ֖ה נֶאֱסַ֥ף הַצַּדִּֽיק	1		The righteous one perishes and there is no one to set it to heart, and others of kindness are gathered, and there are none discerning that from the presence of the evil the righteous one is gathered.	3e	4C	11 24
יָב֣וֹא שָׁל֔וֹם יָנ֖וּחוּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם הֹלֵ֖ךְ נְכֹחֽוֹ	2		He will enter peace. They will rest when they lie down, who walk straightforward.	3e	4B	12 5
וְאַתֶּ֥ם קִרְבוּ־הֵ֖נָּה בְּנֵ֣י עֹנְנָ֑ה זֶ֥רַע מְנָאֵ֖ף וַתִּזְנֶֽה	3		And you, come near, behold, children of a fortuneteller, seed of adulterer and harlot.	3e	4B	10 8
עַל־מִי֙ תִּתְעַנָּ֔גוּ עַל־מִ֛י תַּרְחִ֥יבוּ פֶ֖ה תַּאֲרִ֣יכוּ לָשׁ֑וֹן הֲלֽוֹא־אַתֶּ֥ם יִלְדֵי־פֶ֖שַׁע זֶ֥רַע שָֽׁקֶר	4		By whom do you have exquisite delight? By whom do you enlarge a mouth and lengthen a tongue? Are you not the successions of transgression, the seed of falsehood?	3d	4B	18 11
הַנֵּֽחָמִים֙ בָּֽאֵלִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֣ץ רַעֲנָ֑ן שֹׁחֲטֵ֤י הַיְלָדִים֙ בַּנְּחָלִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת סְעִפֵ֥י הַסְּלָעִֽים	5		Comforting yourselves with gods under every green tree, butchering the juveniles in the wadis under the apex of the cliffs.	3e	4C	14 17
בְּחַלְּקֵי־נַ֣חַל חֶלְקֵ֔ךְ הֵ֥ם הֵ֖ם גּוֹרָלֵ֑ךְ גַּם־לָהֶ֞ם שָׁפַ֥כְתְּ נֶ֙סֶךְ֙ הֶעֱלִ֣ית מִנְחָ֔ה הַ֥עַל אֵ֖לֶּה אֶנָּחֵֽם	6		Among the slippery parts of the wadi you want your share. They, they are your lot. Even for them you have poured out a libation. You have brought up a gift. About these should I be comforted?	3e	4B	11 20
עַ֤ל הַר־גָּבֹ֙הַּ֙ וְנִשָּׂ֔א שַׂ֖מְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבֵ֑ךְ גַּם־שָׁ֥ם עָלִ֖ית לִזְבֹּ֥חַ זָֽבַח	7	C	On a haughty hill and lifted up, you have set up your litter. Even there, you go up to offer sacrifice.	3e	4C	13 9
וְאַחַ֤ר הַדֶּ֙לֶת֙ וְהַמְּזוּזָ֔ה שַׂ֖מְתְּ זִכְרוֹנֵ֑ךְ כִּ֣י מֵאִתִּ֞י גִּלִּ֣ית וַֽתַּעֲלִ֗י הִרְחַ֤בְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ֙ וַתִּכְרָת־לָ֣ךְ מֵהֶ֔ם אָהַ֥בְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבָ֖ם יָ֥ד חָזִֽית	8		And behind the gateway and the jambs you have set up your memorial. For away from me, you have uncovered yourself, and you have gone up. You have broadened your litter, and you have cut for yourself from them. You love their litter, a hand you can perceive.	3e	4C	15 31
וַתָּשֻׁ֤רִי לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶן וַתַּרְבִּ֖י רִקֻּחָ֑יִךְ וַתְּשַׁלְּחִ֤י צִרַ֙יִךְ֙ עַד־מֵ֣רָחֹ֔ק וַתַּשְׁפִּ֖ילִי עַד־שְׁאֽוֹל	9		And you scrutinize for the king with oil, and increase your perfumes, and you send your notifications to distant places, and debase yourself to the grave.	3e	4C	17 17
בְּרֹ֤ב דַּרְכֵּךְ֙ יָגַ֔עַתְּ לֹ֥א אָמַ֖רְתְּ נוֹאָ֑שׁ חַיַּ֤ת יָדֵךְ֙ מָצָ֔את עַל־כֵּ֖ן לֹ֥א חָלִֽית	10		In the largess of your way you have laboured. You not did say, Despair! The life of your hand you have found, so you are not aghast.	3e	4C	13 11
וְאֶת־מִ֞י דָּאַ֤גְתְּ וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ כִּ֣י תְכַזֵּ֔בִי וְאוֹתִי֙ לֹ֣א זָכַ֔רְתְּ לֹא־שַׂ֖מְתְּ עַל־לִבֵּ֑ךְ הֲלֹ֨א אֲנִ֤י מַחְשֶׁה֙ וּמֵ֣עֹלָ֔ם וְאוֹתִ֖י לֹ֥א תִירָֽאִי	11		And of whom are you anxious that you should fear? That you have lied? And me you have not remembered nor set upon your heart? Have I not been calm, and from eras past? And me you will not fear.	3e	4C	27 17
אֲנִ֥י אַגִּ֖יד צִדְקָתֵ֑ךְ וְאֶֽת־מַעֲשַׂ֖יִךְ וְלֹ֥א יוֹעִילֽוּךְ	12		I, I will make clear your righteousness, and your deeds, and it will not be of use to you.	3e	4A	7 11
בְּזַֽעֲקֵךְ֙ יַצִּילֻ֣ךְ קִבּוּצַ֔יִךְ וְאֶת־כֻּלָּ֥ם יִשָּׂא־ר֖וּחַ יִקַּח־הָ֑בֶל וְהַחוֹסֶ֥ה בִי֙ יִנְחַל־אֶ֔רֶץ וְיִירַ֖שׁ הַר־קָדְשִֽׁי	13		When you appeal, let your collections deliver you, and all of them wind will lift up, futility will take. But one who takes refuge in me will inherit land and possess my holy hill.	3e	4B	23 15
וְאָמַ֥ר סֹֽלּוּ־סֹ֖לּוּ פַּנּוּ־דָ֑רֶךְ הָרִ֥ימוּ מִכְשׁ֖וֹל מִדֶּ֥רֶךְ עַמִּֽי	14		And will say, Extol, extol. Face the way. Lift high the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.	3e	4A	9 10
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר רָ֣ם וְנִשָּׂ֗א שֹׁכֵ֥ן עַד֙ וְקָד֣וֹשׁ שְׁמ֔וֹ מָר֥וֹם וְקָד֖וֹשׁ אֶשְׁכּ֑וֹן וְאֶת־דַּכָּא֙ וּשְׁפַל־ר֔וּחַ לְהַחֲיוֹת֙ ר֣וּחַ שְׁפָלִ֔ים וּֽלְהַחֲי֖וֹת לֵ֥ב נִדְכָּאִֽים	15		For thus says one who is high and lifted up, dwelling endlessly, and Holy his name, On high and holy, I dwell, and with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.	3e	4B	23 25
כִּ֣י לֹ֤א לְעוֹלָם֙ אָרִ֔יב וְלֹ֥א לָנֶ֖צַח אֶקְּצ֑וֹף כִּי־ר֙וּחַ֙ מִלְּפָנַ֣י יַֽעֲט֔וֹף וּנְשָׁמ֖וֹת אֲנִ֥י עָשִֽׂיתִי	16	B	For not forever will I contend, nor in perpetuity will I rage, for the spirit in my presence will be overwhelmed, and the breath-bearing I, I have made.	3e	4C	14 16
בַּעֲוֺ֥ן בִּצְע֛וֹ קָצַ֥פְתִּי וְאַכֵּ֖הוּ הַסְתֵּ֣ר וְאֶקְצֹ֑ף וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ שׁוֹבָ֖ב בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ לִבּֽוֹ	17		In the iniquity of his extortion I was enraged, and I struck him, hiding, and I was enraged, and he went, returning into the way of his heart.	3d	4B	17 10
דְּרָכָ֥יו רָאִ֖יתִי וְאֶרְפָּאֵ֑הוּ וְאַנְחֵ֕הוּ וַאֲשַׁלֵּ֧ם נִֽחֻמִ֛ים ל֖וֹ וְלַאֲבֵלָֽיו	18		His ways I have seen, and I will heal him, and I will guide him, and I will repay him with comforts for him, and to those who lament.	3c	4A	11 17
בּוֹרֵ֖א נִ֣יב שְׂפָתָ֑יִם שָׁל֨וֹם ׀ שָׁל֜וֹם לָרָח֧וֹק וְלַקָּר֛וֹב אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה וּרְפָאתִֽיו	19		Creating the profit of lips, Peace, peace to the far off and to the near, says Yahweh. And I will heal him.	3c	4B	7 18
וְהָרְשָׁעִ֖ים כַּיָּ֣ם נִגְרָ֑שׁ כִּ֤י הַשְׁקֵט֙ לֹ֣א יוּכָ֔ל וַיִּגְרְשׁ֥וּ מֵימָ֖יו רֶ֥פֶשׁ וָטִֽיט	20		But the wicked are like the sea expelled, for to be quiet he is not able, and his waters expel slime and dirt.	3e	4C	8 16
אֵ֣ין שָׁל֔וֹם אָמַ֥ר אֱלֹהַ֖י לָרְשָׁעִֽים	21	B	There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.	3e	4B	11