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¹ The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth [it] to heart: and merciful men [are] taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].² He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, [each one] walking [in] his uprightness.

³ But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the lewd.⁴ Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, [and] thrust out the tongue? [are] ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,⁵ Inflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the cliffs of the rocks?⁶ Among the smooth [stones] of the stream [is] thy portion; they, they [are] thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered a meat-offering. Should I receive comfort in these?⁷ Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither thou wentest up to offer sacrifice.⁸ Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast uncovered [thyself to another] than me, and hast gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee [a covenant] with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest [it].⁹ And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase [thyself even] to hell.¹⁰ Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; [yet] saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thy hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.¹¹ And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid [it] to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?¹² I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

¹³ When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take [them]: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;¹⁴ And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.¹⁵ For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth 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 for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit would fail before me, and the souls [which] I have made.

¹⁷ For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly 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, saith 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, saith my God, to the wicked.