Chapter 57

  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.  

-

  He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.  

-

  But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the lewd.  

-

  Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and thrust out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,  

-

  Inflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the cliffs of the rocks?  

-

  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?  

-

  Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither thou wentest up to offer sacrifice.  

-

  Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast uncovered thyself to another than me, and hast gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.  

-

  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 to hell.  

-

  Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thy 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 laid it to 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 take them: 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 stumbling-block out of the way of my people.  

-

  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.  

-

  For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit would fail before me, and the souls which I have made.  

-

  For the iniquity of his covetousness I was 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 to him and to his mourners.  

-

  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.  

-

  But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.  

-

  There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.  

-