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God’s Accusation Against the Wicked (continued)
57:1 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.
57:2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their
beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
57:3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the
seed of the adulterer and the whore.
57:4 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.
57:5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green
tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts
of the rocks?
57:6 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?
57:7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed:
even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
57:8 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.
57:9 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.
57:10 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.
57:11 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?
57:12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for
they shall not profit thee.
57:13 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;
Comfort for the Contrite
57:14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the
way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
57:15 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.
57:16 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.
57:17 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.
57:18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead
him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
57:19 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.
57:20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it
cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
