| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1"Also the righteous are perishing, but no one takes it to heart; devout people are taken away, while no one understands that the righteous person is taken away from calamity. | 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. |
| 2Then he enters into peace, and they'll rest on his couches, each one living righteously. | 2For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. Idolatrous Worship Condemned |
| 3"But as for you, come here, you children of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! | 3“But you—come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! |
| 4Whom are you mocking? And against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of lies, | 4Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars! |
| 5you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every spreading tree, who slaughter your children in the ravines, under the clefts of the rocks? | 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. |
| 6"Among the smooth stones of the ravines is your portion— there they are as your lot. To them you have poured out drink offerings; you have brought grain offerings. Should I be lenient over such things? | 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? |
| 7"You have made your bed on a high and lofty mountain, and you went up to offer sacrifice there. | 7You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me. |
| 8Behind the doors and the doorposts you have set up your pagan sign." For in deserting me you have uncovered your bed— you have climbed up into it and have opened it wide. And you have made a pact for yourself with them; you have loved their bed, you have looked on their private parts. | 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. |
| 9You went to Molech with olive oil and increased your perfumes; you sent your ambassadors far away, you sent them down even to Sheol itself! | 9You have gone to Molech with olive oil and many perfumes, sending your agents far and wide, even to the world of the dead. |
| 10You grew tired with your many wanderings, but you wouldn't say: 'It is hopeless.' You found new strength for your desire, and so you did not falter. | 10You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire gave you renewed strength, and you did not grow weary. |
| 11"Whom did you so dread— and while you feared me — that you lied, and you did not remember me, and did not lay to heart these things? Haven't I remained silent for a long time, and still you don't fear me?" | 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? |
| 12"I will denounce your righteousness and your works, for your collections of idols will not benefit you. | 12Now I will expose your so-called good deeds. None of them will help you. |
| 13When you cry out, let your collection deliver you! The wind will carry them all off, and a mere breath will sweep them all away." "But whoever takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain. | 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 |
| 14And one has said: 'Build up! Build up the road! Prepare the highway! Remove every obstacle from my people's way.' | 14God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” |
| 15"For this is what the high and lofty One says, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "He lives in the height and in holiness, and also with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. | 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. |
| 16For I won't accuse forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the human spirit would grow faint before me— even the souls that I have created. | 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. |
| 17Because of his wicked greed I was angry, so I punished him; and I hid my face, and was angry— but he kept turning back to his stubborn will. | 17I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. |
| 18I've seen his ways, yet I will heal him, and restore for him comfort to him and for those who mourn for him | 18I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, |
| 19when I create the fruit of the lips: Peace to the one who is far away or near," says the LORD, "and I'll heal him. | 19bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the LORD, who heals them. |
| 20But the wicked are tossed like the sea; for it is not able to keep still, and its waters toss up mire and mud. | 20“But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. |
| 21"Yet there is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." | 21There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | 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. |
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