| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The 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. | 1The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away, while no one considers that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil. |
| 2He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. | 2Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death. |
| 3“But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! | 3“But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! |
| 4Whom 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, | 4Whom are you mocking? At whom do you snarl and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deceit, |
| 5Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks? | 5who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? |
| 6Among 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? | 6Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. Should I relent because of these? |
| 7“On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice. | 7On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifices. |
| 8Also behind the doors and their posts You 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 bed And made a covenant with them; You have loved their bed, Where you saw their nudity. | 8Behind the door and doorpost you have set up your memorial. Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed; you climbed up and opened it wide. And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved; you have gazed upon their nakedness. |
| 9You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol. | 9You went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You have sent your envoys a great distance; you have descended even to Sheol itself. |
| 10You 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. | 10You are wearied by your many journeys, but you did not say, “There is no hope!” You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak. |
| 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? | 11Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me? |
| 12I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you. | 12I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not profit you. |
| 13When 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.” | 13When you cry out, let your companies of idols deliver you! Yet the wind will carry off all of them, a breath will take them away. But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.” |
| 14And one shall say, “Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.” | 14And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.” |
| 15For 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. | 15For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite. |
| 16For 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. | 16For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me, with the breath of those I have made. |
| 17For 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. | 17I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart. |
| 18I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. | 18I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and 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.” | 19bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.” |
| 20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. | 20But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck. |
| 21“There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.” | 21“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” |
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