| New Living Translation | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. | 1The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, |
| 2For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. Idolatrous Worship Condemned | 2He enters into peace; They rest in their beds, Each one who walked in his upright way. |
| 3“But you—come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! | 3"But come here, you sons of a sorceress, Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute. |
| 4Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars! | 4"Against whom do you jest? Against whom do you open wide your mouth And stick out your tongue? Are you not children of rebellion, Offspring of deceit, |
| 5You worship your idols with great passion beneath the oaks and under every green tree. You sacrifice your children down in the valleys, among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. | 5Who inflame yourselves among the oaks, Under every luxuriant tree, Who slaughter the children in the ravines, Under the clefts of the crags? |
| 6Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Do you think all this makes me happy? | 6"Among the smooth stones of the ravine Is your portion, they are your lot; Even to them you have poured out a drink offering, You have made a grain offering. Shall I relent concerning these things? |
| 7You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me. | 7"Upon a high and lofty mountain You have made your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice. |
| 8You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies. | 8"Behind the door and the doorpost You have set up your sign; Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself, And have gone up and made your bed wide. And you have made an agreement for yourself with them, You have loved their bed, You have looked on their manhood. |
| 9You have gone to Molech with olive oil and many perfumes, sending your agents far and wide, even to the world of the dead. | 9"You have journeyed to the king with oil And increased your perfumes; You have sent your envoys a great distance And made them go down to Sheol. |
| 10You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire gave you renewed strength, and you did not grow weary. | 10"You were tired out by the length of your road, Yet you did not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewed strength, Therefore you did not faint. |
| 11“Are you afraid of these idols? Do they terrify you? Is that why you have lied to me and forgotten me and my words? Is it because of my long silence that you no longer fear me? | 11"Of whom were you worried and fearful When you lied, and did not remember Me Nor give Me a thought? Was I not silent even for a long time So you do not fear Me? |
| 12Now I will expose your so-called good deeds. None of them will help you. | 12"I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, But they will not profit you. |
| 13Let’s see if your idols can save you when you cry to them for help. Why, a puff of wind can knock them down! If you just breathe on them, they fall over! But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.” God Forgives the Repentant | 13"When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry all of them up, And a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in Me will inherit the land And will possess My holy mountain." |
| 14God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” | 14And it will be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people." |
| 15The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. | 15For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. |
| 16For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made. | 16"For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the breath of those whom I have made. |
| 17I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. | 17"Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart. |
| 18I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, | 18"I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners, |
| 19bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the LORD, who heals them. | 19Creating the praise of the lips. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "and I will heal him." |
| 20“But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. | 20But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud. |
| 21There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God. | 21"There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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