Midrash sa Isaias 57:1: Otzar Midrashim, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer & Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael

Blessed be the name of the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, who lives and endures forever and ever. As it says "But as I live" (Numbers 14:21) and "The Lord God is truth" (Jeremiah 10:10). He sees births and knows what will happen in the future, as it says "Declaring the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). And no one can oppose Him, as it says "There is no one who can stay His hand" (Daniel 4:32).

But when Israel does not do His will, He sees any righteous person among Israel and takes him away, as it says "For the righteous is taken away from before the evil" (Isaiah 57:1).

(Fol 60) R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said in the name of R. Jonathan: "No chastisement comes upon the world unless there are wicked ones in existence, yet its first victims are the righteous, as it is said (Ib., ib) If a fire breaks out and meet with thorns. When does a fire break out? When there are thorns prepared for it. Its first victims, however, are the upright, as it is said (Ib, ib.) So that stocks of corn had been consumed. It does not say, it shall consume, but, had been consumed, to signify that the stack of corn (the upright) were consumed first." R. Joseph taught: "What is the meaning of the passage, (Ex. 12, 22) And none of you shall go out from the door of his house until the morning? As soon as permission is given to the executioner he makes no distinction between righteous and wicked; and furthermore, he picks out his first victims from among the righteous, as it is said (Ezek. 21, 8) And I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked." R. Joseph cried, remarking: "To that extent are they not considered?" Said Abaye: "It is to their advantage, as it is written (Isa. 57, 1) That the righteous is taken away from the evil to come." (That he shall not see the evil which will come in the future). Our Rabbis were taught: When pestilence is raging in town, stay indoors, as it is said (Ex. 12, 22) And none of you shall go out from the door of his house until the morning, and it is also said (Isa. 26, 20) Go, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy door behind thee; and again it is said (Deut. 32, 25) Without shall the sword destroy, and terror within the chambers. Why the citation of the two additional passages? Lest one say that the first one refers only to nighttime but not to day time, hence, Go my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy door behind thee. And lest one will say that this refers only where there is no terror within the house, but when there is terror within the house, one might think that it is advisable to go out and associate with others, hence the last quoted verse, Without shall the sword destroy and terror within the chamber, i.e., although within the house terror reigns, yet without it is still worse, for Without the sword shall destroy. Raba in times of fury used to keep the windows shut, for it is written (Jer. 9, 20) For death is come up through our windows. Our Rabbis were taught: If there is a famine in town, do not spare your feet and leave town, as it is said (Gen. 12, 19) And there arose a famine in the land: and Abraham went down into Egypt to sojourn there. And it is also said (II Kings, 7, 4) If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city; and we shall die there. For what purpose is the quotation of the additional passage necessary? Lest one say that this refers only where there is no risk of life, but where there is risk of life, it is not so, hence the quotation, which is followed by (Ib., ib.) Now therefore come, and let us fall into the host of the Arameans; if they let us live, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. Our Rabbis were taught: When there is a pestilence in town, a person shall not walk in the middle of the road; for so long as the Angel of Death has received his permission to rage, he does so high-handed. When there is peace in town, one must not walk on the sideways; for so long as the Angel has not the permission, he hides himself away.