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Chapter 57
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1
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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
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He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their
beds, each one walking in his uprightness. |
3
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But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the
seed of the adulterer and the whore. |
4
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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
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Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree,
slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts
of the rocks? |
6
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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
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Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed:
even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. |
8
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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
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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
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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
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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
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I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for
they shall not profit thee. |
13
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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
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And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the
way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my
people. |
15
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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
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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
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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
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I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead
him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. |
19
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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
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But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot
rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. |
21
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There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. |
