1 ¶ The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from the 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 walks in his uprightness.

3 ¶ But come here, ye sons of the sorceress, generation of the adulterer and the whore.

“But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.

4 A gainst whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom do ye make a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? Are ye not rebellious sons, a lying seed of transgression,

Whom do you mock? Against whom do you make a wide mouth, and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience, and offspring of falsehood,

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

you who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

6 A mong the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even unto them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a present. Should I not avenge these things?

Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they are your lot. You have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things?

7 U pon the lofty and high mountain thou hast set thy bed: even there thou didst go up to offer sacrifice.

On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.

8 B ehind the doors also and the posts thou hast 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 didst love their bed wherever thou didst see it.

You have set up your memorial behind the doors and the posts; for you have exposed yourself to someone besides me, and have gone up; you have enlarged your bed, and made you a covenant with them. You loved what you saw on their bed.

9 A nd thou didst go to the king with ointment and didst multiply thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol.

You went to the king with oil, and increased your perfumes, and sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even to Sheol.

10 T hou became wearied in the multitude of thy ways; yet thou didst not say, There is no remedy: thou hast found that which thou wast searching for; therefore thou repented not.

You were wearied with the length of your ways; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint.

11 A nd of whom hast thou reverenced or feared? Why dost thou lie; that thou hast not remembered me, nor have I come to thy thought? Have I not held my peace even of old, and thou hast never feared me?

“Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? Haven’t I held my peace for a long time, and you don’t fear me?

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

I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.

13 ¶ When thou criest, let thy companions deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that waits in me shall have the land by inheritance and shall possess the mountain of my holiness.

When you cry, let those whom you have gathered deliver you; but the wind will take them. a breath will carry them all away: but he who takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain.”

14 A nd shall say, Clear away, clear away, level the way, take away the stumblingblocks out of the way of my people.

He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”

15 F or thus has said the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is The Holy One; I dwell in the high place and in holiness and with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to cause the spirit of the humble to live and to cause the heart of the contrite ones to live.

For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

16 F or I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for by me is the spirit covered by the body, and I have made the souls.

For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls whom I have made.

17 ¶ For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him: I hid my face and was wroth, and he went on rebelliously in the way of his heart.

I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness, and struck him; I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding 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, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts 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, said the LORD; and healed him.

I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal them.”

20 B ut the wicked are like the sea in tempest, that cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest, and its waters cast up mire and mud.

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

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