1 T he righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; and merciful and devout men are taken away, with no one considering that the uncompromisingly upright and godly person is taken away from the calamity and evil to come.

The righteous hath perished, And there is none laying to heart, And men of kindness are gathered, Without any considering that from the face of evil Gathered is the righteous one.

2 H e enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each one who walks straight and in his uprightness.

He entereth into peace, they rest on their beds, is going straightforward.

3 B ut come close, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of an adulterer and a harlot.

And ye, come near hither, O sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer, Even thou dost commit whoredom.

4 A gainst whom do you make sport and take your delight? Against whom do you open wide your mouth and put out your tongue? Are you not yourselves the children of transgression, the offspring of deceit—

Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom enlarge ye the mouth? Prolong ye the tongue? Are not ye children of transgression? a false seed?

5 Y ou who burn with lust among the oaks, under every green tree, you who slay the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?

Who are inflamed among oaks, under every green tree, Slaughtering the children in valleys, Under clefts of the rocks.

6 A mong the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have offered a cereal offering. Should I be quiet in spite of all these things ?

Among the smooth things of a brook thy portion, They -- they thy lot, Also to them thou hast poured out an oblation, Thou hast caused a present to ascend, For these things am I comforted?

7 U pon a lofty and high mountain you have openly and shamelessly set your bed; even there you went up to offer sacrifice.

On a mountain, high and exalted, Thou hast set thy couch, Also thither thou hast gone up to make a sacrifice.

8 B ehind the door and the doorpost you have set up your symbol. Deserting Me, you have uncovered and ascended and enlarged your bed; and you have made a bargain for yourself with, and you loved their bed, where you saw.

And behind the door, and the post, Thou hast set up thy memorial, For from Me thou hast removed, and goest up, Thou hast enlarged thy couch, And dost covenant for thyself among them, Thou hast loved their couch, the station thou sawest,

9 A nd you went to the king or to Molech with oil and increased your perfumes and ointments; you sent your messengers far off and debased yourself even to Sheol (Hades).

And goest joyfully to the king in ointment, And dost multiply thy perfumes, And sendest thine ambassadors afar off, And humblest thyself unto Sheol.

10 Y ou were wearied with the length of your way, yet you did not say, There is no result or profit. You found quickened strength; therefore you were not faint or heartsick.

In the greatness of thy way thou hast laboured, Thou hast not said, `It is desperate.' The life of thy hand thou hast found, Therefore thou hast not been sick.

11 O f whom have you been so afraid and in dread that you lied and were treacherous and did not remember Me, did not even give Me a thought? Have I not been silent, even for a long time, and so you do not fear Me?

And of whom hast thou been afraid, and fearest, That thou liest, and Me hast not remembered? Thou hast not laid to thy heart, Am not I silent, even from of old? And Me thou fearest not?

12 I will expose your righteousness and your doings, but they will not help you.

I declare thy righteousness, and thy works, And they do not profit thee.

13 W hen you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you! But the wind shall take them all, a breath shall carry them away. But he who takes refuge in Me shall possess the land and shall inherit My holy mountain.

When thou criest, let thy gatherings deliver thee, And all of them carry away doth wind, Take away doth vanity, And whoso is trusting in Me inheriteth the land, And doth possess My holy mountain.

14 A nd the word of One shall go forth, Cast up, cast up, prepare the way! Take up the stumbling block out of the way of My people.

And he hath said, `Raise up, raise up, prepare a way, Lift a stumbling-block out of the way of My people.'

15 F or thus says the high and lofty One—He Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, but with him also who is of a thoroughly penitent and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the thoroughly penitent.

For thus said the high and exalted One, Inhabiting eternity, and holy His name: `In the high and holy place I dwell, And with the bruised and humble of spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of bruised ones,'

16 F or I will not contend forever, neither will I be angry always, for the spirit would faint and be consumed before Me, and creating the souls of men would be frustrated.

For, not to the age do I strive, nor for ever am I wroth, For the spirit from before Me is feeble, And the souls I have made.

17 B ecause of the iniquity of his covetousness and unjust gain I was angry and smote him. I hid my face and was angry, and he went on turning away and backsliding in the way of his heart.

For the iniquity of his dishonest gain, I have been wroth, and I smite him, Hiding -- and am wroth, And he goeth on turning back in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him also and will recompense him and restore comfort to him and to those who mourn for him.

His ways I have seen, and I heal him, yea, I lead him, And recompense comforts to him and to his mourning ones.

19 P eace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near! says the Lord; I create the fruit of his lips, and I will heal him.

Producing the fruit of the lips, `Peace, peace,' to the far off, and to the near, And I have healed him, said Jehovah.

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

And the wicked as the driven out sea, For to rest it is not able, And its waters cast out filth and mire.

21 T here is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.

There is no peace, said my God, to the wicked!