The Blessed Death of the Righteous

1  הַצַּדִּ֣יק (The righteous one) אָבָ֔ד (has perished),

וְאֵ֥ין (and no) אִ֖ישׁ (man) שָׂ֣ם (takes it) עַל־ (upon) לֵ֑ב (the heart);

וְאַנְשֵׁי־ (and men) חֶ֤סֶד (of devotion) נֶֽאֱסָפִים֙ (are gathered up),

בְּאֵ֣ין (and no one) מֵבִ֔ין (considers)

כִּֽי־ (that) מִפְּנֵ֥י (from the face) הָרָעָ֖ה (of evil)

נֶאֱסַ֥ף (is gathered up) הַצַּדִּֽיק׃ (the righteous one).

2  יָב֣וֹא (He enters into) שָׁל֔וֹם (peace); יָנ֖וּחוּ (they rest) עַל־ (in) מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם (their beds),

הֹלֵ֖ךְ (each walking) נְכֹחֽוֹ׃ (in his uprightness).

God Condemns Idolatry

3  וְאַתֶּ֥ם (And you⁺) קִרְבוּ־ (draw near) הֵ֖נָּה (here), בְּנֵ֣י (sons) עֹנְנָ֑ה (of a sorceress),

זֶ֥רַע (seed) מְנָאֵ֖ף (of an adulterer) וַתִּזְנֶֽה׃ (and prostitute).

4  עַל־ (Against) מִי֙ (whom) תִּתְעַנָּ֔גוּ (are you⁺ mocking)?

עַל־ (Against) מִ֛י (whom) תַּרְחִ֥יבוּ (do you⁺ make wide) פֶ֖ה (the mouth), תַּאֲרִ֣יכוּ (and stick out) לָשׁ֑וֹן (the tongue)?

הֲלֽוֹא־ (Are not) אַתֶּ֥ם (you⁺) יִלְדֵי־ (children) פֶ֖שַׁע (of transgression),

זֶ֥רַע (seed) שָֽׁקֶר׃ (of deception),

5  הַנֵּֽחָמִים֙ (those warming themselves) בָּֽאֵלִ֔ים (among the Oaks)

תַּ֖חַת (under) כָּל־ (every) עֵ֣ץ (tree), רַעֲנָ֑ן (green)

שֹׁחֲטֵ֤י (slaughtering) הַיְלָדִים֙ (the sons) בַּנְּחָלִ֔ים (in the valleys)

תַּ֖חַת (under) סְעִפֵ֥י (the clefts) הַסְּלָעִֽים׃ (of the cliffs)?

6  בְּחַלְּקֵי־ (Among the smooth things) נַ֣חַל (of the valley) חֶלְקֵ֔ךְ (is your portion);

הֵ֥ם (they), הֵ֖ם (they) גּוֹרָלֵ֑ךְ (are your lot);

גַּם־ (even) לָהֶ֞ם (to them) שָׁפַ֥כְתְּ (you have poured out) נֶ֙סֶךְ֙ (a drink offering),

הֶעֱלִ֣ית (and offered up) מִנְחָ֔ה (a grain offering).

הַ֥עַל (Over) אֵ֖לֶּה (these) אֶנָּחֵֽם׃ (should I relent)?

7  עַ֤ל (Upon) הַר־ (a mountain) גָּבֹ֙הַּ֙ (high) וְנִשָּׂ֔א (and lifted up) שַׂ֖מְתְּ (you have set) מִשְׁכָּבֵ֑ךְ (your bed).

גַּם־ (Also) שָׁ֥ם (there) עָלִ֖ית (you went up) לִזְבֹּ֥חַ (to offer) זָֽבַח׃ (sacrifice).

8  וְאַחַ֤ר (And behind) הַדֶּ֙לֶת֙ (the door) וְהַמְּזוּזָ֔ה (and the post)

שַׂ֖מְתְּ (you have set up) זִכְרוֹנֵ֑ךְ (your memorial);

כִּ֣י (for) מֵאִתִּ֞י (away from me) גִּלִּ֣ית (you uncovered yourself) וַֽתַּעֲלִ֗י (and went up);

הִרְחַ֤בְתְּ (you widened) מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ֙ (your bed),

וַתִּכְרָת־ (and cut) לָ֣ךְ (for yourself) מֵהֶ֔ם (with them) אָהַ֥בְתְּ (you have loved) מִשְׁכָּבָ֖ם (their bed)

יָ֥ד (a hand) חָזִֽית׃ (you have gazed upon).

9  וַתָּשֻׁ֤רִי (And you went) לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (to Molech) בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶן (with oil),

וַתַּרְבִּ֖י (and multiplied) רִקֻּחָ֑יִךְ (your perfumes),

וַתְּשַׁלְּחִ֤י (and you sent) צִרַ֙יִךְ֙ (your envoys) עַד־ (even to), מֵ֣רָחֹ֔ק (far away)

וַתַּשְׁפִּ֖ילִי (you have descended) עַד־ (even to) שְׁאֽוֹל׃ (Sheol).

10  בְּרֹ֤ב (In the greatness) דַּרְכֵּךְ֙ (of your journeying); יָגַ֔עַתְּ (you were weary)

לֹ֥א (not), אָמַ֖רְתְּ (you did say) נוֹאָ֑שׁ (It is hopeless);

חַיַּ֤ת (the life) יָדֵךְ֙ (of your hand); מָצָ֔את (you have found)

עַל־ (upon) כֵּ֖ן (thus) לֹ֥א (not) חָלִֽית׃ (did you weaken).

11  וְאֶת־ (And) מִ֞י (of whom) דָּאַ֤גְתְּ (were you in fear) וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ (and were afraid),

כִּ֣י (that) תְכַזֵּ֔בִי (you would lie), וְאוֹתִי֙ (and Me) לֹ֣א (not) זָכַ֔רְתְּ (you have remembered)

לֹא־ (and not) שַׂ֖מְתְּ (did you take it) עַל־ (upon) לִבֵּ֑ךְ (your heart)?

הֲלֹ֨א (Have not) אֲנִ֤י (I) מַחְשֶׁה֙ (been silent) וּמֵ֣עֹלָ֔ם (and from old),

וְאוֹתִ֖י (and Me) לֹ֥א (not) תִירָֽאִי׃ (you did fear)?

12  אֲנִ֥י (I) אַגִּ֖יד (will declare) צִדְקָתֵ֑ךְ (your righteousness), וְאֶֽת־ (and) מַעֲשַׂ֖יִךְ (your deeds);

וְלֹ֥א (and not) יוֹעִילֽוּךְ׃ (will they profit you).

13  בְּזַֽעֲקֵךְ֙ (In your crying out),

יַצִּילֻ֣ךְ (deliver you) קִבּוּצַ֔יִךְ (let your gathered ones)

וְאֶת־ (but) כֻּלָּ֥ם (them all away) יִשָּׂא־ (will carry) ר֖וּחַ (the wind)

יִקַּח־ (will take him) הָ֑בֶל (vanity)

וְהַחוֹסֶ֥ה (and the one taking refuge) בִי֙ (in Me) יִנְחַל־ (will inherit) אֶ֔רֶץ (the land),

וְיִירַ֖שׁ (and will possess) הַר־ (mountain); קָדְשִֽׁי׃ (My holy).

Healing for the Repentant

14  וְאָמַ֥ר (And He said),

סֹֽלּוּ־ (Build up) סֹ֖לּוּ (build up), פַּנּוּ־ (clear) דָ֑רֶךְ (the way),

הָרִ֥ימוּ (take up) מִכְשׁ֖וֹל (the stumbling block) מִדֶּ֥רֶךְ (from the way) עַמִּֽי׃ס (of My people).

15  כִּי֩ (For) כֹ֨ה (thus) אָמַ֜ר (says) רָ֣ם (the One High) וְנִשָּׂ֗א (and Lifted up)

שֹׁכֵ֥ן (dwelling in) עַד֙ (eternity), וְקָד֣וֹשׁ (and Holy); שְׁמ֔וֹ (His name)

מָר֥וֹם (On high) וְקָד֖וֹשׁ (and holy) אֶשְׁכּ֑וֹן (I dwell)

וְאֶת־ (and with) דַּכָּא֙ (the broken) וּשְׁפַל־ (and lowly) ר֔וּחַ (of spirit),

לְהַחֲיוֹת֙ (to revive) ר֣וּחַ (the spirit) שְׁפָלִ֔ים (of the lowly ones),

וּֽלְהַחֲי֖וֹת (and to revive) לֵ֥ב (the heart) נִדְכָּאִֽים׃ (of the broken ones).

16  כִּ֣י (For) לֹ֤א (not) לְעוֹלָם֙ (forever), אָרִ֔יב (I will contend)

וְלֹ֥א (and not) לָנֶ֖צַח (to the end) אֶקְּצ֑וֹף (will I be angry)

כִּי־ (for) ר֙וּחַ֙ (the spirit) מִלְּפָנַ֣י (from before My face) יַֽעֲט֔וֹף (would turn aside)

וּנְשָׁמ֖וֹת (and the souls) אֲנִ֥י (I) עָשִֽׂיתִי׃ (have made).

17  בַּעֲוֺ֥ן (With the iniquity) בִּצְע֛וֹ (of his gain) קָצַ֥פְתִּי (I was angry), וְאַכֵּ֖הוּ (and I struck him)

הַסְתֵּ֣ר (I hid) וְאֶקְצֹ֑ף (and was angry),

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (and he went on)

שׁוֹבָ֖ב (turning back) בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ (in the way) לִבּֽוֹ׃ (of his heart).

18  דְּרָכָ֥יו (His ways), רָאִ֖יתִי (I have seen)

וְאֶרְפָּאֵ֑הוּ (and I will heal him)

וְאַנְחֵ֕הוּ (and I will lead him) וַאֲשַׁלֵּ֧ם (and restore) נִֽחֻמִ֛ים (comforts)

ל֖וֹ (to him) וְלַאֲבֵלָֽיו׃ (and to his mourners).

19  בּוֹרֵ֖א (Creating) נוּב (the fruit) שְׂפָתָ֑יִם (of the lips);

שָׁל֨וֹם׀ (Peace), שָׁל֜וֹם (peace) לָרָח֧וֹק (to the far off one), וְלַקָּר֛וֹב (and to the near one), אָמַ֥ר (says)

יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH); וּרְפָאתִֽיו׃ (and I will heal him).

20  וְהָרְשָׁעִ֖ים (And the wicked are) כַּיָּ֣ם (sea), נִגְרָ֑שׁ (like the driven)

כִּ֤י (for) הַשְׁקֵט֙ (to be quiet), לֹ֣א (not) יוּכָ֔ל (is it able)

וַיִּגְרְשׁ֥וּ (churn up) מֵימָ֖יו (its waters) רֶ֥פֶשׁ (mire) וָטִֽיט׃ (and mud).

21  אֵ֣ין (There is no) שָׁל֔וֹם (peace), אָמַ֥ר (says) אֱלֹהַ֖י (my God),

לָרְשָׁעִֽים׃ס (For the wicked).