| New King James Version (NKJV) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 The 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.
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1 The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
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2 He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness.
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2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
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3 "But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot!
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3 "But you--come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
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4 Whom 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,
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4 Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars?
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5 Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks?
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5 You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags.
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6 Among 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?
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6 [The idols] among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; they, they are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In the light of these things, should I relent?
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7 "On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice.
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7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices.
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8 Also 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.
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8 Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked on their nakedness.
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9 You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol.
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9 You went to Molech with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the grave itself !
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10 You 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.
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10 You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint.
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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?
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11 "Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered me nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?
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12 I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you.
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12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.
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13 When 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."
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13 When you cry out for help, let your collection [of idols] save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain."
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14 And one shall say, "Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people."
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14 And it will be said: "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."
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15 For 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.
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15 For this is what the high and lofty One says-- he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
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16 For 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.
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16 I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me-- the breath of man that I have created.
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17 For 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.
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17 I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways.
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18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners.
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18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him,
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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."
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19 creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the LORD. "And I will heal them."
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20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
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20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.
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21 "There is no peace," Says my God, "for the wicked."
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21 "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."
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| Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (New King James Version) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
