| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. | 1The 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. |
| 2He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. | 2He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. |
| 3“But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! | 3But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. |
| 4Whom do you ridicule? Against whom do you make a wide mouth And stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, Offspring of falsehood, | 4Against 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, |
| 5Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks? | 5Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? |
| 6Among the smooth stones of the stream Is your portion; They, they, are your lot! Even to them you have poured a drink offering, You have offered a grain offering. Should I receive comfort in these? | 6Among 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“On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice. | 7Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. |
| 8Also behind the doors and their posts You have set up your remembrance; For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me, And have gone up to them; You have enlarged your bed And made a covenant with them; You have loved their bed, Where you saw their nudity. | 8Behind 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. |
| 9You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol. | 9And 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. |
| 10You are wearied in the length of your way; Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You have found the life of your hand; Therefore you were not grieved. | 10Thou 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 have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me? | 11And 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? |
| 12I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you. | 12I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee. |
| 13When you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.” | 13When 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; |
| 14And one shall say, “Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.” | 14And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. |
| 15For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. | 15For 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. |
| 16For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made. | 16For 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. |
| 17For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. | 17For 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. |
| 18I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. | 18I 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 who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the LORD, “And I will heal him.” | 19I 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. |
| 20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. | 20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. |
| 21“There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.” | 21There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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