1 T he 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 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,

2 H e shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

He enters into peace; They rest in their beds, Each one who walked in his upright way.

3 B ut draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

“But come here, you sons of a sorceress, Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.

4 A gainst whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

“Against whom do you jest? Against whom do you open wide your mouth And stick out your tongue? Are you not children of rebellion, Offspring of deceit,

5 e nflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

Who inflame yourselves among the oaks, Under every luxuriant tree, Who slaughter the children in the ravines, Under the clefts of the crags?

6 A mong the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

“Among the smooth stones of the ravine Is your portion, they are your lot; Even to them you have poured out a drink offering, You have made a grain offering. Shall I relent concerning these things?

7 U pon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

“Upon a high and lofty mountain You have made your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.

8 B ehind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

“Behind the door and the doorpost You have set up your sign; Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself, And have gone up and made your bed wide. And you have made an agreement for yourself with them, You have loved their bed, You have looked on their manhood.

9 A nd thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

“You have journeyed to the king with oil And increased your perfumes; You have sent your envoys a great distance And made them go down to Sheol.

10 T hou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

“You were tired out by the length of your road, Yet you did not say, ‘ It is hopeless.’ You found renewed strength, Therefore you did not faint.

11 A nd of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

“Of whom were you worried and fearful When you lied, and did not remember Me Nor give Me a thought? Was I not silent even for a long time So you do not fear Me?

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

“I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, But they will not profit you.

13 W hen thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

“When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry all of them up, And a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in Me will inherit the land And will possess My holy mountain.”

14 a nd shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

And it will be said, “ Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

15 F or thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.

16 F or I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

“For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the breath of those whom I have made.

17 F or the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

“Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners,

19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.

Creating the praise of the lips. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”

20 B ut the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.

21 T here is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

“ There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”