Wycliffe WYC
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 A just man perisheth, and none is that thinketh in his heart; and men of mercy be gathered together, for none there is that understandeth; for why a just man is gathered from the face of malice. (The just, or the righteous, perish, and no one thinketh about it in their hearts, or in their minds; and people of mercy be taken away, and no one understandeth, that the just, or the righteous, have been taken away, before that malice, or the evil, come.)
1
Those who are right with God die. And no one really cares about it. Men who are faithful to the LORD are swept away by trouble. And no one understands why that happens to those who do what is right.
2 Peace come, rest he in his bed, that went in his (proper) direction. (Let peace come, yea, rest they in their last beds, everyone who went in their own uprightness.)
2
Those who lead honest lives will enjoy peace and rest when they die.
3 But ye, sons of the seeker of false divining by chittering of birds, nigh hither, the seed of adulteress, and of a whore. (But come ye here, ye sons and daughters of the seeker of false divining by the twittering of birds, ye children of an adulterer, and of a whore.)
3
The LORD says, "Come here, you children of women who practice evil magic! You are children of prostitutes and those who commit adultery.
4 On whom scorned ye? on whom made ye great the mouth, and putted out the tongue? Whether ye be not cursed sons, a seed of leasings? (Against whom mocked ye? against whom made ye great the mouth, and stuck out the tongue? Be ye not accursed sons and daughters, the children, or the descendants, of liars?)
4
Who are you making fun of? Who are you laughing at? Who are you sticking your tongue out at? You are people who refuse to obey me. You are just a bunch of liars!
5 which be comforted in gods (who be comforted with gods), under each tree full of boughs, and (who) offer little children in strands, under (the) high stones.
5
You burn with sinful longing among the oak trees. You worship your gods by having sex under every green tree. You sacrifice your children in the valleys. You also do it under the cliffs.
6 Thy part is in the parts of the strand, this is thy part; and to them thou sheddest out moist offering (and thou pourest out a drink offering to them), thou offeredest (a) sacrifice. Whether I shall not have indignation on these things?
6
You have chosen some of the smooth stones in the valleys to be your gods. You have joined yourselves to them. You have even poured out drink offerings to them. You have given grain offerings to them. So why should I take pity on you?
7 Thou puttedest thy bed on an high hill and enhanced (Thou puttest thy bed on a high and exalted hill), and thither thou ascendedest to offer sacrifices;
7
You have made your bed to have sex on a very high hill. You went up there to offer your sacrifices.
8 and thou settedest thy memorial behind the door, and behind the post. For besides me, thou uncoveredest thee (to another), and tookest (in the) adulterer; thou alargedest thy bed, and madest a bond of peace with them (thou hast a large, or a big, bed, and madest a covenant, or an agreement, with them); thou lovedest the bed of them with (an) open hand,
8
You have set up statues to remind you of your gods. You have put them behind your doors and doorposts. You deserted me. You invited other lovers into your bed. You climbed into it and welcomed them. You made a deal with them. And you looked at their naked bodies.
9 and adornedest thee with [the] king's ointment, and thou multipliedest thy pigments; thou sentest far thy messengers, and thou art made low till to hells (thou sentest out thy messengers, or thy procurers, far and wide, even down to hell).
9
You went to the god Molech with olive oil. You took a lot of perfume along with you. You sent your messengers to places far away. You even sent them down to the place of the dead.
10 Thou travailedest in the multitude of thy (own) way(s), and saidest not, I shall rest (I shall cease, or I shall stop now); thou hast found the way of thine hand, therefore thou prayedest not (to me).
10
All of your efforts wore you out. But you would not say, 'It's hopeless.' You received new strength. So you did not give up.
11 For what thing dreadedest thou busy, for thou liedest, and thoughtest not on me? And thou thoughtest not in thine heart, that I am still, and as not seeing; and thou hast forgotten me. (And whom do thou busily fearest, so that thou hast lied to me, and hast not even thought about me? Yea, thou thoughtest not about me in thy heart, because I was silent, and as if not seeing, and so thou hast forgotten me.)
11
"Who are you so afraid of that you have not been true to me? You have not remembered me. You do not even care about me. I have not punished you for a long time. That is why you are not afraid of me.
12 I shall tell [out] thy rightfulness, and thy works shall not profit to thee. (I shall tell out thy so-called righteousness, and thy works shall not profit thee.)
12
You have not done what is right or good. I will let everyone know about it. And that will not be of any benefit to you.
13 When thou shalt cry, thy gathered treasures deliver thee; and the wind shall take away all them, a blast shall do away them; but he that hath trust on me, shall inherit the land, and shall have in possession mine holy hill. (When thou shalt cry for help, let thy gathered treasures rescue thee; but the wind shall take them all away, yea, a puff of wind shall take them all away; but he who hath trust in me, shall inherit the land, and shall possess my holy hill.)
13
Go ahead and cry out for help to all of the statues of your gods. See if they can save you! The wind will carry them off. Just a puff of air will blow them away. But anyone who comes to me for safety will receive the land. He will possess my holy mountain of Zion."
14 And I shall say, Make ye way, give ye journey, bow ye from the path (And I shall say, Make ye a way for the journey, clear ye the path), do ye away hurtings from the way of my people.
14
A messenger says, "Build up the road! Build it up! Get it ready! Remove anything that would keep my people from coming back."
15 For the Lord high, and enhanced, saith these things, that dwelleth in everlastingness, and his holy name in high place, and that dwelleth in holy(ness), and with a contrite, either full sorry, and meek spirit, that he quicken the spirit of meek men, and quicken the heart of contrite men. (For the high and exalted Lord, who liveth in everlastingness, and whose name is Holy, saith these things, I live in a high and holy place, with those who have a contrite, or sorry/or broken, and meek spirit, and I desire to revive the spirit of the meek, or of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.)
15
The One who is highly honored lives forever. His name is holy. He says, "I live in a high and holy place. But I also live with anyone who turns away from his sins. I live with anyone who is not proud. I give new life to him. I give it to anyone who turns away from his sins.
16 For I shall not strive without end, neither I shall be wroth till to the end; for why a spirit shall go out from my face, and I shall make blasts. (For I shall not contend forever, nor shall I be angry forever; for a breath went out from my face, and I made living souls.)
16
I will not find fault with my people forever. I will not always be angry with them. If I were, I would cause their spirits to grow weak. The very breath of life would go out of the people I created.
17 I was wroth for the wickedness of his avarice, and I smote him. I hid my face from thee, and I had indignation; and he went without steadfast dwelling, in the way of his heart. (But I was angry for the wickedness of their greed, and I struck them. And I hid my face from them, and I was angry; and they went willfully, in the way of their own hearts.)
17
I was very angry with them. They always longed for more and more of everything. So I punished them for that sin. I turned my face away from them because I was angry. But they kept on wanting their own way.
18 I saw his ways, and I healed him, and I brought him (back) again; and I gave comfortings to him, and to the mourners of him. (I saw their ways, and I healed them, and I brought them back again; and I gave comforting to them, and to their mourners.)
18
I have seen what they have done. But I will heal them. I will guide them. And I will comfort them just as I did before.
19 I made the fruit of (my) lips (to be) peace, peace to him that is far, and to him that is nigh, said the Lord; and I healed him. (I made peace to be the fruit of my lips, peace to those who be far away, and to those who be near, or close by, saith the Lord; and I healed them.)
19
Then the people of Israel who are sorry for their sins will praise me. I will give perfect peace to those who are far away and those who are near. And I will heal them," says the Lord.
20 But wicked men be as the boiling sea, that may not rest; and the waves thereof float again into defouling, and fen. (But the wicked be like the boiling sea, that cannot rest; and its waves flow again into defiling, and into fen.)
20
But those who are evil are like the rolling sea. It never rests. Its waves toss up mud and sand.
21 The Lord God said, Peace is not to wicked men. (And the Lord God said, Peace is not to wicked.)
21
"There is no peace for those who are evil," says my God.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.