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“But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress,
    you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.
Whom do you mock?
    Against whom do you make a wide mouth
    and stick out your tongue?
Aren’t you children of disobedience
    and offspring of falsehood,
you who inflame yourselves among the oaks,
    under every green tree;
who kill the children in the valleys,
    under the clefts of the rocks?
Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion.
    They, they are your lot.
You have even poured a drink offering to them.
    You have offered an offering.
    Shall I be appeased for these things?
On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed.
    You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
You have set up your memorial behind the doors and the posts,
    for you have exposed yourself to someone besides me,
    and have gone up.
You have enlarged your bed
    and made you a covenant with them.
    You loved what you saw on their bed.
You went to the king with oil,
    increased your perfumes,
    sent your ambassadors far off,
    and degraded yourself even to Sheol.[a]
10 You were wearied with the length of your ways;
    yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’
You found a reviving of your strength;
    therefore you weren’t faint.

11 “Whom have you dreaded and feared,
    so that you lie,
    and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart?
Haven’t I held my peace for a long time,
    and you don’t fear me?
12 I will declare your righteousness;
    and as for your works, they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry,
    let those whom you have gathered deliver you;
but the wind will take them.
    a breath will carry them all away:
but he who takes refuge in me will possess the land,
    and will inherit my holy mountain.”

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Footnotes

  1. 57:9 Sheol is the place of the dead.

But as for you, come here,
    you children of a sorceress,
    you offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.[a](A)
Whom are you mocking?
    Against whom do you open your mouth wide
    and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
    the offspring of deceit—(B)
you who burn with lust among the oaks,
    under every green tree;
you who slaughter your children in the valleys,
    under the clefts of the rocks?(C)
Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion;
    it is they who are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering;
    you have brought a grain offering.
    Should these acts cause me to relent?(D)
Upon a high and lofty mountain
    you have set your bed,
    and there you went up to offer sacrifice.(E)
Behind the door and the doorpost
    you have set up your symbol,
for in deserting me[b] you have uncovered your bed;
    you have gone up to it;
    you have made it wide;
and you have made a bargain for yourself with them;
    you have loved their bed;
    you have gazed on their nakedness.[c](F)
You journeyed to Molech[d] with oil
    and multiplied your perfumes;
you sent your envoys far away
    and sent them down to Sheol.(G)
10 You grew weary from your many wanderings,
    but you did not say, “It is no use!”
You found your desire rekindled,
    and so you did not weaken.(H)

11 Whom did you dread and fear
    so that you lied
and did not remember me
    or give me a thought?
Have I not kept silent and closed my eyes,[e]
    and so you do not fear me?(I)
12 I will announce your verdict,
    and the objects you made will not help you.
13 When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
    The wind will carry them off;
    a breath will take them away.
But whoever takes refuge in me shall possess the land
    and inherit my holy mountain.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 57.3 Heb an adulterer and she prostitutes herself
  2. 57.8 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 57.8 Or phallus; Heb hand
  4. 57.9 Or the king
  5. 57.11 Gk Vg: Heb silent even for a long time