The righteous perisheth, and no man layethitto heart: and merciful menaretaken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evilto come.
He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds,each onewalkinginhis uprightness.
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth,anddraw out the tongue?areye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
Among the smoothstonesof the streamisthy portion; they, theyarethy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discoveredthyself to anotherthan me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made theea covenantwith them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawestit.
And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debasethyself evenunto hell.
Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way;yetsaidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.
And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laiditto thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall takethem:but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose nameisHoly; I dwell in the high and holyplace, with him alsothat isof a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the soulswhichI have made.
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.
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace tohim that isfar off, and tohim that isnear, saith theLORD; and I will heal him.
But the wickedarelike the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.