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]. ² He will enter into peace: they will rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. ³ But draw near here, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. ⁴ Against who do you sport yourselves? against who make you a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are you not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, ⁵ Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? ⁶ Among the smooth stones of the stream is your portion; they, they are your lot: even to them have you poured a drink offering, you have offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? ⁷ Upon a lofty and high mountain have you set your bed: even there went you up to offer sacrifice. ⁸ Behind the doors also and the posts have you set up your remembrance: for you have discovered yourself to another than me, and are gone up; you have enlarged your bed, and made you a covenant with them; you loved157> their bed where you saw [it]. ⁹ And you went to the king with ointment, and did increase your perfumes, and did send your messengers far off, and did debase yourself even to hell. ¹⁰ you are wearied in the greatness of your way; yet said you not, There is no hope: you have found the life of your hand; therefore you were not grieved. ¹¹ And of who have you been afraid or feared, that you have lied, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and you fears me not? ¹² I will declare your righteousness, and your works; for they will not profit you. ¹³ When you cry, let your companies deliver you; but the wind will carry them all away; vanity will take them: but he that puts his trust in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain; ¹⁴ And will say, Cast you up, cast you up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. ¹⁵ For so says the high and lofty One that inhabits 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. ¹⁶ For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always angry: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. ¹⁷ For the iniquity of his covetousness was I angry, and smote him: I hid me, and was angry, and he went on perversely in the way of his heart. ¹⁸ 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, says the LORD; and I will heal him. ²⁰ But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ²¹ There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked.