1 THE righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.
9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.
11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

1The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come.

2Hee shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his vprightnesse.

3 But draw neere hither, yee sonnes of the sorceresse, the seed of the adulterer, and the whore.

4Against whom doe ye sport your selues? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seede of falsehood?

5Inflaming your selues with idoles vnder euery greene tree, slaying the children in the valleys vnder the cliftes of the rockes?

6Among the smooth stones of the streame is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: euen to them hast thou powred a drinke offering, thou hast offered a meate offering. Should I receiue comfort in these?

7Upon a loftie and high mountaine hast thou set thy bed: euen thither wentest thou vp to offer sacrifice.

8Behinde the doores also and the posts hast thou set vp thy remembrance: for thou hast discouered thy selfe to an other then mee, and art gone vp: thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made a couenant with them: thou louedst their bed where thou sawest it.

9And thou wentest to the king with oyntment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers farre off, and didst debase thy selfe euen vnto hell.

10Thou art wearied in the greatnesse of thy way; yet saydst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieued.

11And of whom hast thou bene afraid or feared, that thou hast lyed, and hast not remembred me, nor layed it to thy heart? haue not I held my peace euen of old, and thou fearest me not?

12I will declare thy righteousnes; and thy workes, for they shall not profit thee.

13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliuer thee: but the winde shall cary them all away; Uanitie shall take them: but hee that putteth his trust in me, shall possesse the land, and shall inherit my holy mountaine.

14And shall say, Cast yee vp, cast yee vp; prepare the way, take vp the stumbling blocke out of the way of my people.

15For thus saith the High and loftie One that inhabiteth eternitie, whose Name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place: with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to reuiue the spirit of the humble, and to reuiue the heart of the contrite ones.

16For I will not contend for euer, neither will I be alwayes wroth: for the spirit should faile before me, and the soules which I haue made.

17For the iniquitie of his couetousnesse was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and hee went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

18I haue seene his wayes, and will heale him: I will leade him also, and restore comforts vnto him, and to his mourners.

19I create the fruite of the lippes; peace, peace to him that is farre off, and to him that is neere, sayth the Lord, and I will heale him.

20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast vp myre and dirt.

21There is no peace, sayth my God, to the wicked.

I == 1st Kings 14:13 ; 2nd Kings 22:20 ; Ps 12:1 ; Mic 7:2

II == 2nd Chr 16:14 ; Luke 2:29

III == Matt 16:4

V == Lev 18:21 ; 20:2 ; 2nd Kings 16:3-4 ; 17:10 ; 23:10 ; Isa 1:29 ; Jer 2:20 ; 7:31 ; Ezek 16:20 ; 20:26

VII == Ezek 16:16 , 25 ; 23:41

VIII == Ezek 16:26 , 28 ; 23:2-20

IX == Esa 30:6 ; Ezek 16:33 ; 23:16 ; Hos 7:11 ; 12:1

X == Jer 2:25

XI == Ps 50:21 ; Isa 51:12-13

XIV == Isa 40:3 ; 62:10

XV == Job 6:10 ; Ps 34:18 ; 51:17 ; 68:4 ; 138:6 ; 147:3 ; Isa 61:1 ; 66:2 ; Zech 2:13 ; Luke 1:49

XVI == Num 16:22 ; Job 34:14 ; Ps 85:5 ; 103:9 ; Mic 7:18 ; Heb 12:9

XVII == Isa 8:17 ; 9:13 ; 45:15 ; Jer 6:13

XIX == Eph 2:17

1 The just man perishes, but no one takes it to heart; Devout men are swept away, with no one giving it a thought. Though he is taken away from the presence of evil, the just man

2 enters into peace; There is rest on his couch for the sincere, straightforward man.

3 But you, draw near, you sons of a sorceress, adulterous, wanton race!

4 Of whom do you make sport, at whom do you open wide your mouth, and put out your tongue? Are you not rebellious children, a worthless race;

5 You who are in heat among the terebinths, under every green tree; You who immolate children in the wadies, behind the crevices in the cliffs?

6 Among the smooth stones of the wadi is your portion, these are your lot; To these you poured out libations, and brought offerings. Should I decide not to punish these things?

7 Upon a high and lofty mountain you made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifice.

8 Behind the door and the doorpost you placed your indecent symbol. Deserting me, you spread out your high, wide bed; And of those whose embraces you love you carved the symbol and gazed upon it

9 While you approached the king with scented oil, and multiplied your perfumes; While you sent your ambassadors far away, down even to the nether world.

10 Though worn out by your many misdeeds, you never said, "It is hopeless"; New strength you found, and so you did not weaken.

11 Of whom were you afraid? Whom did you fear, that you became false And did not remember me or give me any thought? Was I to remain silent and unseeing, so that you would not have me to fear?

12 I will expose your justice and your works;

13 They shall not help you when you cry out, nor save you in your distress. All these the wind shall carry off, the breeze shall bear away; But he who takes refuge in me shall inherit the land, and possess my holy mountain.

14 Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove the stumbling blocks from my people's path.

15 For thus says he who is high and exalted, living eternally, whose name is the Holy One: On high I dwell, and in holiness, and with the crushed and dejected in spirit, To revive the spirits of the dejected, to revive the hearts of the crushed.

16 I will not accuse forever, nor always be angry; For their spirits would faint before me, the souls that I have made.

17 Because of their wicked avarice I was angry, and struck them, hiding myself in wrath, as they went their own rebellious way.

18 I saw their ways, but I will heal them and lead them; I will give full comfort to them and to those who mourn for them,

19 I, the Creator, who gave them life. Peace, peace to the far and the near, says the LORD; and I will heal them.

20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot be calmed, And its waters cast up mud and filth.

21 No peace for the wicked! says my God.

v 1,2. The righteous people could do nothing to turn the nation back to the Lord, and the only way they could escape their frustration was to die.

v 3,4. In contrast, the wicked engaged in sorcery and religious prostitution.

v 5-9 They went to the places of idol worship, even offering their children as they engaged in both religious actual prostitution and spiritual adultery.

v 10-13. Because God had appeared to be silent, the wicked ignored Him and put their trust in gods which could not help them.  In contrast, the righteous would inherit both literal and spiritual Zion.

v 14-18. A way will be prepared for those who want to turn to the Lord. The Lord would not be angry forever but would welcome the repentant to Him.

v 19-21. Such a contrast between those who will have great peace in the Lord and the wicked, who are in constant and dirty turmoil like the waves of the seas.