1
The righteous man perishes,
and no one lays it to heart;
rPs. 12:1 devout men are taken away,
while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;
2 s[Luke 2:29] he enters into peace;
they restt2 Chr. 16:14; Ezek. 32:25 in their beds
who walk in their uprightness.
3 But you, draw near,
sons of the sorceress,
u[John 8:41, 42] offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.
4 Whom are you mocking?
Against whomv[Ps. 35:21] do you open your mouth wide
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children ofwch. 46:8, 9 transgression,
x[ch. 1:4] the offspring of deceit,
5 you who burn with lust amongych. 1:29; 2 Kgs. 16:4 the oaks,1Or among the terebinths
under every green tree,
zEzek. 16:20, 21 who slaughter your children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones ofa[2 Kgs. 23:10] the valley is your portion;
they, they, are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering,
you have brought a grain offering.
Shall I relent for these things?
7 b1 Kgs. 14:23; Ezek. 16:16, 24 On a high and lofty mountain
you have set your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and the doorpost
you have set up your memorial;
for, deserting me,cEzek. 16:25; [Hos. 1:2] you have uncovered your bed,
you have gone up to it,
d[Ezek. 23:17] you have made it wide;
and you have made a covenant for yourself with them,
you have loved their bed,
you have looked on nakedness.1Or on a monument (see 56:5); Hebrew on a hand
9 You journeyed to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes;
eEzek. 16:26, 28, 29 you sent your envoys far off,
and sent down even to Sheol.
10 You were wearied with the length of your way,
fJer. 2:25; 18:12 but you did not say, “It is hopeless ”;
you found new life for your strength,
and so you were not faint.
11 g[ch. 51:12, 13] Whom did you dread and fear,
hPs. 78:10, 36 so that you lied,
and did not remember me,
did not lay it to heart?
iPs. 50:21 Have I not held my peace, even for a long time,
and you do not fear me?
12 I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
but they will not profit you.
13 jJer. 11:12 When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry them off,
a breath will take them away.
kPs. 37:9 But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
and shall inheritlch. 11:9; 56:7; 65:11, 25 my holy mountain.
14
And it shall be said,
mch. 62:10; [ch. 40:3] “Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every obstruction from my people's way. ”
15 For thus saysn[Mic. 6:6] the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name isoLuke 1:49 Holy:
pPs. 113:6 “I dwell in the high and holy place,
and alsoqPs. 34:18; 138:6 with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
r[ch. 42:3] to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 sGen. 6:3; Ps. 103:9 For I will not contend forever,
nor will I always be angry;
for the spirit would grow faint before me,
and the breath of life that I made.
17 Because of the iniquity of histch. 56:11; Jer. 6:13 unjust gain I was angry,
I struck him; I hid my face and was angry,
but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.
18 I have seen his ways,uJer. 3:22 but I will heal him;
I will lead himvch. 61:3 and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
19 wch. 50:4 creatingxHeb. 13:15 the fruit of the lips.
y[Eph. 2:17] Peace, peace,zActs 2:39 to the far and to the near, ” says the Lord,
u[See ver. 18 above] “and I will heal him.
20 aJude 13 But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
21 bch. 48:22 There is no peace, ” says my God, “for the wicked. ”