1 T he righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil.

“The man who is right and good dies, and no one cares. Very good men are taken away, while no one understands. But the man who is right with God is taken away from what is sinful,

2 H e shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness.

and goes where there is peace. They have rest in their graves, each one who walked in the right way.

3 “ But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot!

But come here, you sons of a witch, children of a man who does sex sins and a woman who sells the use of her body.

4 W hom do you ridicule? Against whom do you make a wide mouth And stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, Offspring of falsehood,

Against whom are you making fun? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and put out your tongue? Are you not children of sin, the young ones of lies?

5 I nflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks?

You burn with desire with your false gods under every green tree. You put your children on the altar of your false gods in the valleys under high rocks that hang over.

6 A mong the smooth stones of the stream Is your portion; They, they, are your lot! Even to them you have poured a drink offering, You have offered a grain offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

Your part is among the smooth stones of the valley. They are what you get. You have poured out drink gifts to them and given grain gifts. Should I be pleased about these things?

7 “ On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice.

You have made your bed on a high mountain. And you went up there to give your gifts in worship.

8 A lso behind the doors and their posts You have set up your remembrance; For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me, And have gone up to them; You have enlarged your bed And made a covenant with them; You have loved their bed, Where you saw their nudity.

You have put up your false gods behind the door on the other side. You have turned away from Me and have taken the covering off yourself. You have gone up and made your bed wide. You have made an agreement for yourselves with them. You have loved their bed, and have looked upon their bodies.

9 Y ou went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol.

You have traveled to the king with oil and much perfume. You have sent your men with gifts a very long way, and made them go down to the place of the dead.

10 Y ou are wearied in the length of your way; Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You have found the life of your hand; Therefore you were not grieved.

You were tired because your road was so long, yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You found new strength, so you did not become weak.

11 “ And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me?

“Of whom were you afraid, when you lied, and did not remember Me or think about Me? Have I not been quiet for a long time, so you are not afraid of Me?

12 I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you.

I will make known how right you are and what you have done, but it will not help you.

13 W hen you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.” Healing for the Backslider

When you cry out, let the false gods that you have take you out of trouble. The wind will carry them away. A breath will take them away. But he who comes to Me to be safe will receive the land. My holy mountain will be his.” God’s Promise for Help

14 A nd one shall say, “Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.”

It will be said, “Build up, build up, make the way ready. Take everything out of the way of My people.”

15 F or thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

For the high and honored One Who lives forever, Whose name is Holy, says, “I live in the high and holy place. And I also live with those who are sorry for their sins and have turned from them and are not proud. I give new strength to the spirit of those without pride, and also to those whose hearts are sorry for their sins.

16 F or I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made.

I will keep on fighting against you, and will not always be angry, for then your spirit would become weak before Me, the ones to whom I gave life.

17 F or the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

Because of the sin of his desire to get more of everything, I was angry. I punished him and hid My face in anger. He went on sinning, following the way of his own heart.

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

I have seen his ways and will heal him. I will lead him and give comfort to him and to those who have sorrow for him.

19 “ I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “And I will heal him.”

I will make the lips to praise. 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 sinful are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest. Its waters throw up mud and dirt.

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

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