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God's Faithful People Suffer
57
1 God's faithful people
are dragged off and killed,
and no one even cares.
Evil sweeps them away,
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57
  Chapter recording
List of all recordings of KJV
1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.  merciful...: Heb. men of kindness, or, godliness from...: or, from that which is evil
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2 but in death they find peace
for obeying God. k 57.1,2 Evil ... God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. enter into: or, go in in his...: or, before him
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The Lord Condemns Idolatry
3 You people are unfaithful!
You go to fortunetellers,
and you worship idols.
Now pay close attention!
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3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
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4 Who are you making fun of?
Who are you sneering at?
Look how your sins
have made fools of you.
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4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
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5 All you think about is sex
under those green trees
where idols are worshiped.
You sacrifice your children
on altars built in valleys
under rocky slopes.
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5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? with...: or, among the oaks
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6 You have chosen to worship
idols made of stone; l 57.6 You have ... stone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
you have given them offerings
of wine and grain.
Should I be pleased?
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6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
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7 You have spread out your beds
on the tops of high mountains,
where you sacrifice to idols.
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7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
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8 Even in your homes
you have placed pagan symbols
all around your huge beds.
Yes, you have rejected me,
sold yourselves to your lovers,
and gone to bed with them. m 57.8 them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.
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8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it. made...: or, hewed it for thyself larger than theirs where...: or, thou providedst room
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9 You smear on olive oil
and all kinds of perfume
to worship the god Molech. n 57.9 the god Molech: Or “the king.” In Hebrew “Molech” and “king” sound alike.
You even seek advice
from spirits of the dead.
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9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. thou...: or, thou respectedst
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10 Though you tired yourself out
by running after idols,
you refused to stop.
Your desires were so strong
that they kept you going.
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10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. life: or, living
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11 Did you forget about me
and become unfaithful
because you were more afraid
of someone else?
Have I been silent so long o 57.11 so long: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
that you no longer fear me?
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11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
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12 You think you're so good,
but I'll point out the truth.
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12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
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13 Ask your idols to save you
when you are in trouble.
Be careful though—
it takes only a faint breath
to blow them over.
But if you come to me
for protection,
this land and my holy mountain
will always belong to you.
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13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
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The Lord Helps the Helpless
14 The Lord says,
“Clear the road!
Get it ready for my people.”
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14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
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15 Our holy God lives forever
in the highest heavens,
and this is what he says:
Though I live high above
in the holy place,
I am here to help those
who are humble
and depend only on me.
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15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of 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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16 My people, I won't stay angry
and keep on accusing you.
After all, I am your Creator.
I don't want you to give up
in complete despair.
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16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
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17 Your greed made me furious.
That's why I punished you
and refused to be found,
while you kept returning
to your old sinful ways.
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17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. frowardly: Heb. turning away
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18 I know what you are like!
But I will heal you, lead you,
and give you comfort,
until those who are mourning
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18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
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19 start singing my praises. p 57.18,19 until ... praises: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. 
No matter where you are,
I, the Lord, will heal you q 57.19 heal you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
and give you peace.
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19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
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20 The wicked are a restless sea
tossing up mud.
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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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21 But I, the Lord, have promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.
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21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
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© 1999 American Bible Society |
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