The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 The righteous person perishes, and nobody gives it a thought. Godly men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous person is taken away from the evil yet to come.
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The upright man goes to his death, and no one gives a thought to it; and god-fearing men are taken away, and no one is troubled by it; for the upright man is taken away because of evil-doing, and goes into peace.
2 Yes, those who live uprightly will have peace as they rest on their couches.
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They are at rest in their last resting-places, every one going straight before him.
3 "But you, you witches' children, come here, you spawn of adulterers and whores!
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But come near, you sons of her who is wise in secret arts, the seed of her who is false to her husband, and of the loose woman.
4 Whom are you making fun of? At whom are you laughing and sticking out your tongue? Aren't you rebellious children, just a brood of liars?
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Of whom do you make sport? against whom is your mouth open wide and your tongue put out? are you not uncontrolled children, a false seed,
5 You go into heat among the oak trees, under every spreading tree. You kill the children in the valleys under the cracks in the rocks.
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You who are burning with evil desire among the oaks, under every green tree; putting children to death in the valleys, under the cracks of the rocks?
6 Your place is among the smooth stones in the vadi; these, these are what you deserve; you pour out drink offerings to them, you offer grain offerings to them. Should I calmly ignore these things?
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Among the smooth stones of the valley is your heritage; they, even they, are your part: even to them have you made a drink offering and a meal offering. Is it possible for such things to be overlooked by me?
7 You set up your bed on a high, lofty mountain; you also went up there to offer sacrifices.
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You have put your bed on a high mountain: there you went up to make your offering.
8 Behind door and doorpost you set up your [lewd] memorial; then, far from me, you uncovered your bed, climbed up on it and opened it wide, made an agreement with some of them, whose bed you loved when you saw their hand beckoning.
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And on the back of the doors and on the pillars you have put your sign: for you have been false to me with another; you have made your bed wide, and made an agreement with them; you had a desire for their bed where you saw it
9 You went to the king with scented oil; you added to your perfumes; you sent your envoys far away, even down to Sh'ol.
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And you went to Melech with oil and much perfume, and you sent your representatives far off, and went as low as the underworld.
10 Though worn out by so much travel, you did not say, 'All hope is gone'; rather, finding your strength renewed, you did not grow weak.
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You were tired with your long journeys; but you did not say, There is no hope: you got new strength, and so you were not feeble.
11 Of whom have you been so afraid, so fearful that you lied? But me you don't remember, you don't give me a thought! I have held my peace so long that you no longer fear me.
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And of whom were you in fear, so that you were false, and did not keep me in mind, or give thought to it? Have I not been quiet, keeping myself secret, and so you were not in fear of me?
12 I will expose your [so-called] 'righteousness'; and what you have done won't help you.
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I will make clear what your righteousness is like and your works; you will have no profit in them.
13 When you cry, will those [idols] you gathered rescue you? The wind will carry them all away, a puff of air will take them off. But whoever takes refuge in me will possess the land and inherit my holy mountain."
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Your false gods will not keep you safe in answer to your cry; but the wind will take them, they will be gone like a breath: but he who puts his hope in me will take the land, and will have my holy mountain as his heritage.
14 Then he will say, "Keep building! Keep building! Clear the way! Remove everything blocking my people's path!"
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And I will say, Make it high, make it high, get ready the way, take the stones out of the way of my people.
15 For thus says the High, Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy: "I live in the high and holy place but also with the broken and humble, in order to revive the spirit of the humble and revive the hearts of the broken ones.
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For this is the word of him who is high and lifted up, whose resting-place is eternal, whose name is Holy: my resting-place is in the high and holy place, and with him who is crushed and poor in spirit, to give life to the spirit of the poor, and to make strong the heart of the crushed.
16 For I will not fight them forever or always nurse my anger; otherwise their spirits would faint before me, the creatures I myself have made.
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For I will not give punishment for ever, or be angry without end: for from me breath goes out; and I it was who made the souls.
17 It was because of their flagrant greed that I was angry and struck them; I hid myself and was angry, but they continued on their own rebellious way.
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I was quickly angry with his evil ways, and sent punishment on him, veiling my face in wrath: and he went on, turning his heart from me.
18 I have seen their ways, and I will heal them; I will lead them and give comfort to them and to those who mourn for them
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I have seen his ways, and I will make him well: I will give him rest, comforting him and his people who are sad.
19 I will create the right words: 'Shalom shalom to those far off and to those nearby!' says ADONAI; 'I will heal them!'"
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I will give the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is near and to him who is far off, says the Lord; and I will make him well.
20 But the wicked are like the restless sea - unable to be still, its waters toss up mud and dirt.
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But the evil-doers are like the troubled sea, for which there is no rest, and its waters send up earth and waste.
21 There is no shalom, says my God, for the wicked.
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There is no peace, says my God, for the evil-doers.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.