American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
Righteous art thou, O Jehovah, when I contend with thee; yet would I {Hebrew: speak of judgements.}reason the cause with thee: wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they at ease that deal very treacherously?
Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root; they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their {Hebrew: reins.}heart.
But thou, O Jehovah, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and {Hebrew: sanctify.}prepare them for the day of slaughter.
How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our latter end.
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the {Or, swelling}pride of the Jordan?
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; even they have cried aloud after thee: believe them not, though they speak {Hebrew: good things.}fair words unto thee.
Jehovah is righteous in all his ways,And gracious in all his works.
Wherefore do the wicked live,Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?
But as for me, my feet were almost gone;My steps had well nigh slipped.
For I was envious at the {Or, fools}arrogant,When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Jehovah, how long shall the wicked,How long shall the wicked triumph?
Art not thou from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, my Holy One? we shall not die. O Jehovah, thou hast ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast established him for correction.
Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he;
and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
He taketh up all of them with the angle, he catcheth them in his net, and gathereth them in his drag: therefore he rejoiceth and is glad.
Therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; because by them his portion is fat, and his food {Hebrew: fat.}plenteous.
Shall he therefore empty his net, and spare not to slay the nations continually?
Until I went into the sanctuary of God,And considered their latter end.
Surely thou settest them in slippery places:Thou castest them down to {Hebrew: ruins.}destruction.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water,That bringeth forth its fruit in its season,Whose leaf also doth not wither; {Or, in whatsoever he doeth he shall prosper}And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been {Or, learned by rote}taught them;
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain.
{Isaiah 29:13.}This people honoreth me with their lips;But their heart is far from me.
And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, {Isaiah 29:13.}This people honoreth me with their lips,But their heart is far from me.
And they bend their tongue, as it were their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for {Or, faithfulness}truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah.
Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.
And brother shall {See chapter 3:19.}deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children shall rise up against parents, and {Or, put them to death}cause them to be put to death.
and a man's foes shall be they of his own household.