“Maintain justice^(A)
    and do what is right,^(B)
for my salvation^(C) is close at hand
    and my righteousness^(D) will soon be revealed.
² Blessed^(E) is the one who does this—
    the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath^(F) without desecrating it,
    and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

³ Let no foreigner^(G) who is bound to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”^(H)
And let no eunuch^(I) complain,
    “I am only a dry tree.”

“To the eunuchs^(J) who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose what pleases me
    and hold fast to my covenant^(K)—
⁵ to them I will give within my temple and its walls^(L)
    a memorial^(M) and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name^(N)
    that will endure forever.^(O)
6 And foreigners^(P) who bind themselves to the Lord
    to minister^(Q) to him,
to love the name^(R) of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath^(S) without desecrating it
    and who hold fast to my covenant—
⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain^(T)
    and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices^(U)
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
    a house of prayer for all nations.^(V)”^(W)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
    he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather^(X) still others to them
    besides those already gathered.”

57 The righteous perish,^(AI)
    and no one takes it to heart;^(AJ)
the devout are taken away,
    and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
    to be spared from evil.^(AK)
2 Those who walk uprightly^(AL)
    enter into peace;
    they find rest^(AM) as they lie in death.

³ “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,^(AN)
    you offspring of adulterers^(AO) and prostitutes!^(AP)
4 Who are you mocking?
    At whom do you sneer
    and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,^(AQ)
    the offspring of liars?
⁵ You burn with lust among the oaks^(AR)
    and under every spreading tree;^(AS)
you sacrifice your children^(AT) in the ravines
    and under the overhanging crags.
⁶ The idols^(AU) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
    indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings^(AV)
    and offered grain offerings.
    In view of all this, should I relent?^(AW)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;^(AX)
    there you went up to offer your sacrifices.^(AY)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
    you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
    you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,^(AZ)
    and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.^(BA)
9 You went to Molek^[a](BB) with olive oil
    and increased your perfumes.^(BC)
You sent your ambassadors^[b](BD) far away;
    you descended to the very realm of the dead!^(BE)
10 You wearied^(BF) yourself by such going about,
    but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’^(BG)
You found renewal of your strength,^(BH)
    and so you did not faint.

¹¹ “Whom have you so dreaded and feared^(BI)
    that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered^(BJ) me
    nor taken this to heart?^(BK)
Is it not because I have long been silent^(BL)
    that you do not fear me?
¹² I will expose your righteousness and your works,^(BM)
    and they will not benefit you.
¹³ When you cry out^(BN) for help,
    let your collection of idols save^(BO) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
    a mere breath will blow^(BP) them away.
But whoever takes refuge^(BQ) in me
    will inherit the land^(BR)
    and possess my holy mountain.”^(BS)

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!^(BT)
    Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”^(BU)
15 For this is what the high and exalted^(BV) One says—
    he who lives forever,^(BW) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high^(BX) and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite^(BY) and lowly in spirit,^(BZ)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.^(CA)
16 I will not accuse^(CB) them forever,
    nor will I always be angry,^(CC)
for then they would faint away because of me—
    the very people^(CD) I have created.
¹⁷ I was enraged by their sinful greed;^(CE)
    I punished them, and hid^(CF) my face in anger,
    yet they kept on in their willful ways.^(CG)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal^(CH) them;
    I will guide^(CI) them and restore comfort^(CJ) to Israel’s mourners,
¹⁹     creating praise on their lips.^(CK)
Peace, peace,^(CL) to those far and near,”^(CM)
    says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
²⁰ But the wicked^(CN) are like the tossing sea,^(CO)
    which cannot rest,
    whose waves cast up mire^(CP) and mud.
²¹ “There is no peace,”^(CQ) says my God, “for the wicked.”^(CR)

27 Do not boast^(A) about tomorrow,
    for you do not know what a day may bring.^(B)

² Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
    an outsider, and not your own lips.^(C)

³ Stone is heavy and sand^(D) a burden,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

⁴ Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
    but who can stand before jealousy?^(E)

⁵ Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.

⁶ Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
    but an enemy multiplies kisses.^(F)

⁷ One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
    but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

⁸ Like a bird that flees its nest^(G)
    is anyone who flees from home.

⁹ Perfume^(H) and incense bring joy to the heart,
    and the pleasantness of a friend
    springs from their heartfelt advice.

¹⁰ Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
    and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster^(I) strikes you—
    better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

¹¹ Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;^(J)
    then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.^(K)

¹² The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.^(L)

¹³ Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.^(M)

¹⁴ If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
    it will be taken as a curse.

¹⁵ A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping^(N)
    of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
¹⁶ restraining her is like restraining the wind
    or grasping oil with the hand.

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

¹⁸ The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,^(O)
    and whoever protects their master will be honored.^(P)

¹⁹ As water reflects the face,
    so one’s life reflects the heart.^[a]

²⁰ Death and Destruction^[b] are never satisfied,^(Q)
    and neither are human eyes.^(R)

²¹ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,^(S)
    but people are tested by their praise.

²² Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
    grinding them like grain with a pestle,
    you will not remove their folly from them.

²³ Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,^(T)
    give careful attention to your herds;
²⁴ for riches do not endure forever,^(U)
    and a crown is not secure for all generations.
²⁵ When the hay is removed and new growth appears
    and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
²⁶ the lambs will provide you with clothing,
    and the goats with the price of a field.
²⁷ You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
    and to nourish your female servants.