¹ The righteous man perisheth, and no one layeth it to heart; And pious men are taken away, and none considereth That because of the evil the righteous man is taken away.

² He entereth into peace; He resteth in his bed, Every one that walketh in uprightness.

³ But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, Ye brood of the adulterer and the harlot!

⁴ Of whom do ye make your sport, And at whom do ye make wide the mouth, And draw out the tongue? Are ye not rebellious children, a treacherous brood?

⁵ Burning with lust for idols Under every green tree, Slaying children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks?

⁶ With the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; These, these are thy lot; Here thou pourest out thy drink-offering, And presentest thy meat-offering; Can I see such things, and be at rest?

⁷ Upon a high and lofty mountain settest thou thy bed; Thither dost thou go up to offer sacrifice;

⁸ Behind the doors and the posts dost thou place thy memorial; Thou departest from me, and uncoverest, and ascendest, and enlargest thy bed. Thou makest an agreement with them; Thou desirest their bed; Thou choosest a place.

⁹ Thou goest to the king with oil, And takest much precious perfume; Thou sendest thine ambassadors afar, Yea, down to the under-world.

¹⁰ In the length of thy journeys thou hast wearied thyself, But thou sayest not, "I will desist"; Thou yet findest life in thy hand, Therefore thou art not discouraged.

¹¹ On account of whom art thou anxious, and of whom art thou afraid, that thou hast proved false, And hast not remembered me, nor laid it to heart? Behold, I have been silent a long time; Therefore thou fearest me not.

¹² But now I announce thy deliverance, And thy works do not profit thee.

¹³ When thou criest, let thy host of idols deliver thee! But the wind shall bear them all away; A breath shall take them off; But he that putteth his trust in me Shall possess the land, And shall inherit my holy mountain.

¹⁴ Men shall say, Cast up, cast up, prepare the road; Remove every obstruction from 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 forever, Nor will I be always angry; For life would fail before me, And the souls which I created.

¹⁷ For the guilt of his covetousness I was angry; I smote him, I hid myself, and was angry; But yet he went on perversely in the way of his heart.

¹⁸ I have seen his ways, yet will I heal him; I will guide him, and I will restore comfort 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 nigh, Saith Jehovah; I will heal him.

²⁰ But the wicked is like the troubled sea, Which cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

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