1 ARST Righteous people die, and no one is concerned about it. Godly people die, and no one understands why. God takes them away in order that they will not endure more calamities, BSB BSB: The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil.
2 ARST and now they have peace. They lived righteously, and now they rest peacefully in their graves. BSB BSB: Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death.
3 ARST Yahweh says,“But you who practice sorcery, come here! You who worship idols, listen to me! BSB BSB: “But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
4 ARST Do you realize whom you are ridiculing, and whom you are insulting? Do you realize to whom you are sticking out your tongues? You are insulting me, Yahweh! You are always rebelling against me and always lying, just like your ancestors. BSB BSB: Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deceit,
5 ARST You are eager to sleep together under every tall green tree where you worship your gods. You kill your children as sacrifices to your idols in the dry riverbeds, and offer them as sacrifices to your idols in the rocky caves. BSB BSB: who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
6 ARST You take big smooth stones from the riverbeds and worship them as your gods. You pour out wine to be an offering to them, and you bring grain to burn for an offering to them. Do you think that I enjoy all those things? BSB BSB: Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. Should I relent because of these?
7 ARST You sleep with idols’ prostitutes on every hill and mountain, and you go there to offer sacrifices to your gods. BSB BSB: On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifices.
8 ARST You have put charms behind your doors and doorposts, and you have deserted me. You have taken off your clothes and climbed into your bed, and invited more of your lovers to come to bed with you. You have paid them to sleep with you, and you have looked at their private parts. BSB BSB: Behind the door and doorpost you have set up your memorial. Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed; you climbed up and opened it wide. And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved; you have gazed upon their nakedness.
9 ARST You have given fragrant oil and lots of perfume to kings, and you sent representatives to distant countries to look for other gods to worship; you even tried to send messengers to the place of the dead to search for new gods. BSB BSB: You went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You have sent your envoys a great distance; you have descended even to Sheol itself.
10 ARST You became weary because of doing all those things, but you never said,‘It is useless for us to do that.’ You found new strength for worshiping idols, so you continued to do so. BSB BSB: You are wearied by your many journeys, but you did not say, “There is no hope!” You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak.
11 ARST Was it because you were afraid of those idols more than you were afraid of me that you lied about what you were doing, and you do not even think about me? Was it because I did not punish you for a long time that you are not afraid of me? BSB BSB: Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me?
12 ARST You think that the things that you have done are right, but I will tell you the truth: It will not help you to do any of those things. BSB BSB: I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not profit you.
13 ARST When you cry out for help to your collection of idols, they will not rescue you. The wind will blow them away; a single breath will carry them all away. But those who trust in me will live in the land of Israel, and they will worship me on Zion, my sacred hill.” BSB BSB: When you cry out, let your companies of idols deliver you! Yet the wind will carry off all of them, a breath will take them away. But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.”
14 ARST Yahweh will say,“Prepare yourselves to receive me, like people build and prepare a road for a king to come on. Get rid of the things that are causing you to sin. BSB BSB: And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”
15 ARST Because this is what I say— I, Yahweh, who am holy and honored more than anyone else, and who live forever: I live in the highest heaven, where everything is holy, but I also am with those who are humble and who are sorry for the sinful things that they have done. I will greatly encourage those who have repented. BSB BSB: For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
16 ARST I will not accuse people forever; I will not always be angry with them, because if I did that, people would become weak; all the people whom I created and caused to live would die. BSB BSB: For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me—the breath of life I have made.
17 ARST I was angry with my people because they sinned by taking with force what belonged to others. Because I was angry, I punished them and turned away from them, but they continued sinning. BSB BSB: I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart.
18 ARST I have seen the evil things that they continually do, but I will restore them and lead them. I will encourage them. As for those who are mourning, BSB BSB: I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
19 ARST I will enable them to sing songs to praise me. I will restore all my people, those who live near Jerusalem and those who live far away, and I will cause things to go well for them. BSB BSB: bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”
20 ARST Wicked people do not have peace in their inner beings; they are like a sea whose waves are always churning up mud, BSB BSB: But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.
21 ARST and I, Yahweh, say that things will never go well for those who are evil.” BSB BSB: “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.