Read the Bible

¹ The 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. ² He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness.

³ "But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! ⁴ Whom 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, ⁵ Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks? ⁶ Among 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? ⁷ "On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice. ⁸ Also behind the doors and their postsYou 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 bedAnd made a covenant with them;You have loved their bed,Where you saw their nudity. [fn] ⁹ You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol. ¹⁰ You 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. 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? ¹² I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you.

¹³ When 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." ¹⁴ And one shall say, "Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people." ¹⁵ 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 who has 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, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made.

¹⁷ For 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. ¹⁸ I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. 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." 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, "for the wicked."