Isaiah 57:12

12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.

Isaiah 57:12 in Other Translations

12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

12 I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you.

12 Now I will expose your so-called good deeds. None of them will help you.

12 I'll go over, detail by detail, all your 'righteous' attempts at religion, and expose the absurdity of it all.

12 I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee.

12 I'll tell you about your righteous ways and what you have done, but they won't help you.

12 I will expose your righteousness, and your works-they will not profit you.

12 You have not done what is right or good. I will let everyone know about it. And that will not be of any benefit to you.

Isaiah 57:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 57:12

I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works
For, notwithstanding all the idolatry, superstition, irreligion, and cruelty of the church of Rome, she makes large pretences to righteousness, by which she expects to be justified, and to merit eternal life, and even pretends to works of supererogation; but God will in due time make it clearly appear, both by the ministry of his faithful servants, which he has done in part already; and by his judgments that he will execute, that she has no righteousness; that what she calls so is no righteousness, but wickedness; and that her works she calls good works are bad ones, superstitious, idolatrous, and tyrannical: for they shall not profit thee;
secure from judgment here, or from wrath to come; nor justify before God, nor procure salvation and eternal life; but, on the contrary, shall bring deserved ruin and destruction, here and hereafter.

Isaiah 57:12 In-Context

10 You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint.

11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have not been true to me, and have neither remembered me nor taken this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?

12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.

13 When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.”

14 And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 29:15; Isaiah 58:1; Isaiah 59:6,12; Isaiah 65:7; Isaiah 66:18; Ezekiel 16:2; Mic 3:2-4,8