| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard 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 one perishes, and no one takes it to heart; faithful men are swept away, with no one realizing that the righteous one is swept away from the presence of evil. |
| 2He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. | 2He will enter into peace-- they will rest on their beds-- everyone who lives uprightly. |
| 3“But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! | 3But come here, you sons of a sorceress, offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute! |
| 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, | 4Who is it you are mocking? Who is it you are opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue at? Isn't it you, you rebellious children, you race of liars, |
| 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 green tree, who slaughter children in the wadis below 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 wadi; indeed, they are your lot. You have even poured out a drink offering to them; you have offered a grain offering; should I be satisfied with these? |
| 7“On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice. | 7You have placed your bed on a high and lofty mountain; you also went up there to offer sacrifice. |
| 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. | 8You have set up your memorial behind the door and doorpost. For away from Me, you stripped, went up, and made your bed wide, and you have made a bargain for yourself with them. You have loved their bed; you have gazed on their genitals. |
| 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 the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your couriers far away and sent them down even to Sheol. |
| 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 became weary on your many journeys, but you did not say, "I give up!" You found a 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? | 11Who was it you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and didn't remember Me or take it to heart? Have I not kept silent for such a long time and 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--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 collection of idols deliver you! The wind will carry all of them off, a breath will take them away. But whoever takes 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.” | 14He said," Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from My people's way." |
| 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 the High and Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy says this:" I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed. |
| 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, and I will not always be angry; for then the spirit would grow weak before Me, even the breath of man, which 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. | 17Because of his sinful greed I was angry, so I struck him; I was angry and hid; but he went on 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 lead 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.” | 19creating words of praise." The LORD says," Peace, peace to the one who is far or near, and I will heal him. |
| 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 waters churn up mire and muck. |
| 21“There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.” | 21There is no peace for the wicked," says my God." |
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