1 Die regverdige kom om, en daar is niemand wat dit ter harte neem nie; en die vromes word weggeruk sonder dat iemand daarop let; want die regverdige word weggeruk vanweë die boosheid.

2 Hy gaan in die vrede in: hulle sal rus op hulle bedde -- hy wat sy reguit pad loop.

3 Maar julle, kom hierheen, kinders van 'n towerheks, geslag van 'n owerspeler en van haar wat hoereer!

4 Oor wie maak julle jul vrolik? Oor wie spalk julle die mond oop, steek julle die tong uit? Is julle nie kinders van oortreding, 'n leuenagtige geslag nie,

5 wat verhit is by die terpentynbome, onder elke groen boom; wat die kinders slag in die dale, onderkant die rotsklowe?

6 By die gladde klippe van die dal is jou deel; dit, dit is jou lot; ook het jy vir hulle drankoffers uitgegiet, spysoffers gebring! Sou Ek daarmee vrede hê?

7 Jy het jou bed op 'n hoë en verhewe berg gemaak; ook het jy daar opgeklim om offers te bring.

8 En agter die deur en die deurpos het jy jou gedenkteken gesit; want, ontrou aan My, het jy jou bed ontbloot en beklim en wyd gemaak, en jy het vir jou bepaal die loon wat van hulle moes kom; jy het hulle byslaap liefgehad, jy het die vlees gesien.

9 En jy het na die koning getrek met olie en jou salf baie gemaak; en jy het jou boodskappers gestuur na ver plekke, ja, diep na die doderyk toe.

10 Jy het moeg geword deur jou groot reis; tog het jy nie gesê: Dit is tevergeefs nie! Vernuwing van jou krag het jy gevind; daarom het jy nie uitgeput geraak nie.

11 Maar vir wie was jy bedug en bevrees? -- want jy het 'n leuenaar geword en aan My nie gedink nie; jy het dit nie ter harte geneem nie. Is dit nie omdat Ek swyg nie, en dit baie lank al, dat jy My nie vrees nie?

12 k sal jou geregtigheid bekend maak en jou werke, dat hulle jou geen voordeel bring nie.

13 As jy skreeu, laat jou hoop gode jou red; maar die wind lig hulle almal op, 'n luggie neem hulle weg. Maar wie op My vertrou, sal die land beërwe en my heilige bergland in besit neem.

14 En hulle sal sê: Vul op, vul op, berei die weg, verwyder die struikelblok uit die weg van my volk.

15 Want so sê die Hoë en Verhewene wat in die ewigheid woon, Heilig is sy Naam: Ek woon in die hoogte en in die heilige plek en by die verbryselde en nederige van gees, om te laat herlewe die gees van die nederiges en te laat herlewe die hart van die verbryseldes.

16 Want Ek sal nie vir ewig twis en nie vir altyd toornig wees nie, want die gees sou voor my aangesig versmag en die siele wat Ek self gemaak het.

17 Ek was toornig vanweë die ongeregtigheid van hulle hebsug en het hulle geslaan terwyl Ek My toornig verberg het; ewenwel het hulle afkerig voortgegaan op hulle eie weg.

18 Ek het hulle weë gesien, en Ek sal hulle genees; en Ek sal hulle lei en aan hulle weer vertroosting skenk, naamlik aan hulle treuriges.

19 Ek skep die vrug van die lippe; vrede, vrede vir die wat ver en die wat naby is, sê die HERE; en Ek sal hulle genees.

20 Maar die goddelose is soos 'n onstuimige see; want dit kan nie tot rus kom nie, en sy waters gooi slyk en modder op.

21 Geen vrede, sê my God, vir die goddelose nie!

1 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 They are at rest in their last resting-places, every one going straight before him.

3 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 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 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 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 have put your bed on a high mountain: there you went up to make your offering.

8 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 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 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 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 make clear what your righteousness is like and your works; you will have no profit in them.

13 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 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 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 give punishment for ever, or be angry without end: for from me breath goes out; and I it was who made the souls.

17 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 his ways, and I will make him well: I will give him rest, comforting him and his people who are sad.

19 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 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 peace, says my God, for the evil-doers.