Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Wicked people » Prosperity of
By David. Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers!
But the tents of robbers are peaceful, and those who provoke God are confident -- who carry their god in their hands.
Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes and still live a long time, yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people -- for they stand in fear before him. But it will not go well with the wicked, nor will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.
I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! I looked for them, but they could not be found.
So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. In fact, those who challenge God escape!'"
Why do you force me to witness injustice? Why do you put up with wrongdoing? Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present and one must endure strife. For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted.
I myself have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his place of residence. His children are far from safety, and they are crushed at the place where judgment is rendered, nor is there anyone to deliver them. The hungry eat up his harvest, and take it even from behind the thorns, and the thirsty swallow up their fortune.
he wanders about -- food for vultures; he knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land.
In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress overtakes him. the full force of misery will come upon him.
"Why do the wicked go on living, grow old, even increase in power? Their children are firmly established in their presence, their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe and without fear; and no rod of punishment from God is upon them. read more.
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They allow their children to run like a flock; their little ones dance about. They sing to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp, and make merry to the sound of the flute. They live out their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They allow their children to run like a flock; their little ones dance about. They sing to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp, and make merry to the sound of the flute. They live out their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others. Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves, but, despite their wealth, people do not last, they are like animals that perish. read more.
This is the destiny of fools, and of those who approve of their philosophy. (Selah) They will travel to Sheol like sheep, with death as their shepherd. The godly will rule over them when the day of vindication dawns; Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah)
This is the destiny of fools, and of those who approve of their philosophy. (Selah) They will travel to Sheol like sheep, with death as their shepherd. The godly will rule over them when the day of vindication dawns; Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah)
For I envied those who are proud, as I observed the prosperity of the wicked. For they suffer no pain; their bodies are strong and well-fed. They are immune to the trouble common to men; they do not suffer as other men do. read more.
Arrogance is their necklace, and violence their clothing. Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; their thoughts are sinful. They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence. They speak as if they rule in heaven, and lay claim to the earth. Therefore they have more than enough food to eat, and even suck up the water of the sea. They say, "How does God know what we do? Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?" Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. I concluded, "Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure and maintained a pure lifestyle. I suffer all day long, and am punished every morning." If I had publicized these thoughts, I would have betrayed your loyal followers. When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me. Then I entered the precincts of God's temple, and understood the destiny of the wicked. Surely you put them in slippery places; you bring them down to ruin. How desolate they become in a mere moment! Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! They are like a dream after one wakes up. O Lord, when you awake you will despise them. Yes, my spirit was bitter, and my insides felt sharp pain. I was ignorant and lacked insight; I was as senseless as an animal before you.
Arrogance is their necklace, and violence their clothing. Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; their thoughts are sinful. They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence. They speak as if they rule in heaven, and lay claim to the earth. Therefore they have more than enough food to eat, and even suck up the water of the sea. They say, "How does God know what we do? Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?" Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. I concluded, "Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure and maintained a pure lifestyle. I suffer all day long, and am punished every morning." If I had publicized these thoughts, I would have betrayed your loyal followers. When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me. Then I entered the precincts of God's temple, and understood the destiny of the wicked. Surely you put them in slippery places; you bring them down to ruin. How desolate they become in a mere moment! Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! They are like a dream after one wakes up. O Lord, when you awake you will despise them. Yes, my spirit was bitter, and my insides felt sharp pain. I was ignorant and lacked insight; I was as senseless as an animal before you.
The spiritually insensitive do not recognize this; the fool does not understand this. When the wicked sprout up like grass, and all the evildoers glisten, it is so that they may be annihilated.
Lord, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you. However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice. Why are wicked people successful? Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives? You plant them like trees and they put down their roots. They grow prosperous and are very fruitful. They always talk about you, but they really care nothing about you.
You are too just to tolerate evil; you are unable to condone wrongdoing. So why do you put up with such treacherous people? Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour those more righteous than they are? You made people like fish in the sea, like animals in the sea that have no ruler. The Babylonian tyrant pulls them all up with a fishhook; he hauls them in with his throw net. When he catches them in his dragnet, he is very happy. read more.
Because of his success he offers sacrifices to his throw net and burns incense to his dragnet; for because of them he has plenty of food, and more than enough to eat. Will he then continue to fill and empty his throw net? Will he always destroy nations and spare none?
Because of his success he offers sacrifices to his throw net and burns incense to his dragnet; for because of them he has plenty of food, and more than enough to eat. Will he then continue to fill and empty his throw net? Will he always destroy nations and spare none?
Wicked people » Temporal punishment of
"Yes, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished; his flame of fire does not shine. The light in his tent grows dark; his lamp above him is extinguished. His vigorous steps are restricted, and his own counsel throws him down. read more.
For he has been thrown into a net by his feet and he wanders into a mesh. A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare grips him. A rope is hidden for him on the ground and a trap for him lies on the path. Terrors frighten him on all sides and dog his every step. Calamity is hungry for him, and misfortune is ready at his side. It eats away parts of his skin; the most terrible death devours his limbs. He is dragged from the security of his tent, and marched off to the king of terrors. Fire resides in his tent; over his residence burning sulfur is scattered. Below his roots dry up, and his branches wither above. His memory perishes from the earth, he has no name in the land. He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world. He has neither children nor descendants among his people, no survivor in those places he once stayed. People of the west are appalled at his fate; people of the east are seized with horror, saying, Surely such is the residence of an evil man; and this is the place of one who has not known God.'"
For he has been thrown into a net by his feet and he wanders into a mesh. A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare grips him. A rope is hidden for him on the ground and a trap for him lies on the path. Terrors frighten him on all sides and dog his every step. Calamity is hungry for him, and misfortune is ready at his side. It eats away parts of his skin; the most terrible death devours his limbs. He is dragged from the security of his tent, and marched off to the king of terrors. Fire resides in his tent; over his residence burning sulfur is scattered. Below his roots dry up, and his branches wither above. His memory perishes from the earth, he has no name in the land. He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world. He has neither children nor descendants among his people, no survivor in those places he once stayed. People of the west are appalled at his fate; people of the east are seized with horror, saying, Surely such is the residence of an evil man; and this is the place of one who has not known God.'"
Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.'
This is the portion of the wicked man allotted by God, the inheritance that evildoers receive from the Almighty. If his children increase -- it is for the sword! His offspring never have enough to eat. Those who survive him are buried by the plague, and their widows do not mourn for them. read more.
If he piles up silver like dust and stores up clothing like mounds of clay, what he stores up a righteous man will wear, and an innocent man will inherit his silver. The house he builds is as fragile as a moth's cocoon, like a hut that a watchman has made. He goes to bed wealthy, but will do so no more. When he opens his eyes, it is all gone. Terrors overwhelm him like a flood; at night a whirlwind carries him off. The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. It hurls itself against him without pity as he flees headlong from its power. It claps its hands at him in derision and hisses him away from his place.
If he piles up silver like dust and stores up clothing like mounds of clay, what he stores up a righteous man will wear, and an innocent man will inherit his silver. The house he builds is as fragile as a moth's cocoon, like a hut that a watchman has made. He goes to bed wealthy, but will do so no more. When he opens his eyes, it is all gone. Terrors overwhelm him like a flood; at night a whirlwind carries him off. The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. It hurls itself against him without pity as he flees headlong from its power. It claps its hands at him in derision and hisses him away from his place.
All his days the wicked man suffers torment, throughout the number of the years that are stored up for the tyrant. Terrifying sounds fill his ears; in a time of peace marauders attack him. He does not expect to escape from darkness; he is marked for the sword; read more.
he wanders about -- food for vultures; he knows that the day of darkness is at hand. Distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him like a king ready to launch an attack, for he stretches out his hand against God, and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield! Because he covered his face with fat, and made his hips bulge with fat, he lived in ruined towns and in houses where no one lives, where they are ready to crumble into heaps. He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth. Let him not trust in what is worthless, deceiving himself; for worthlessness will be his reward. Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish. Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall, and like an olive tree he will shed his blossoms. For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of those who accept bribes. They conceive trouble and bring forth evil; their belly prepares deception."
he wanders about -- food for vultures; he knows that the day of darkness is at hand. Distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him like a king ready to launch an attack, for he stretches out his hand against God, and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield! Because he covered his face with fat, and made his hips bulge with fat, he lived in ruined towns and in houses where no one lives, where they are ready to crumble into heaps. He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth. Let him not trust in what is worthless, deceiving himself; for worthlessness will be his reward. Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish. Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall, and like an olive tree he will shed his blossoms. For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of those who accept bribes. They conceive trouble and bring forth evil; their belly prepares deception."
that the elation of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment. Even though his stature reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own excrement; those who used to see him will say, 'Where is he?' read more.
Like a dream he flies away, never again to be found, and like a vision of the night he is put to flight. People who had seen him will not see him again, and the place where he was will recognize him no longer. His sons must recompense the poor; his own hands must return his wealth. His bones were full of his youthful vigor, but that vigor will lie down with him in the dust. "If evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, if he retains it for himself and does not let it go, and holds it fast in his mouth, his food is turned sour in his stomach; it becomes the venom of serpents within him. The wealth that he consumed he vomits up, God will make him throw it out of his stomach. He sucks the poison of serpents; the fangs of a viper kill him. He will not look on the streams, the rivers, which are the torrents of honey and butter. He gives back the ill-gotten gain without assimilating it; he will not enjoy the wealth from his commerce. For he has oppressed the poor and abandoned them; he has seized a house which he did not build. For he knows no satisfaction in his appetite; he does not let anything he desires escape. "Nothing is left for him to devour; that is why his prosperity does not last. In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress overtakes him. the full force of misery will come upon him. "While he is filling his belly, God sends his burning anger against him, and rains down his blows upon him. If he flees from an iron weapon, then an arrow from a bronze bow pierces him. When he pulls it out and it comes out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver, terrors come over him. Total darkness waits to receive his treasures; a fire which has not been kindled will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. The heavens reveal his iniquity; the earth rises up against him. A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God's wrath. Such is the lot God allots the wicked, and the heritage of his appointment from God."
Like a dream he flies away, never again to be found, and like a vision of the night he is put to flight. People who had seen him will not see him again, and the place where he was will recognize him no longer. His sons must recompense the poor; his own hands must return his wealth. His bones were full of his youthful vigor, but that vigor will lie down with him in the dust. "If evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, if he retains it for himself and does not let it go, and holds it fast in his mouth, his food is turned sour in his stomach; it becomes the venom of serpents within him. The wealth that he consumed he vomits up, God will make him throw it out of his stomach. He sucks the poison of serpents; the fangs of a viper kill him. He will not look on the streams, the rivers, which are the torrents of honey and butter. He gives back the ill-gotten gain without assimilating it; he will not enjoy the wealth from his commerce. For he has oppressed the poor and abandoned them; he has seized a house which he did not build. For he knows no satisfaction in his appetite; he does not let anything he desires escape. "Nothing is left for him to devour; that is why his prosperity does not last. In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress overtakes him. the full force of misery will come upon him. "While he is filling his belly, God sends his burning anger against him, and rains down his blows upon him. If he flees from an iron weapon, then an arrow from a bronze bow pierces him. When he pulls it out and it comes out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver, terrors come over him. Total darkness waits to receive his treasures; a fire which has not been kindled will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. The heavens reveal his iniquity; the earth rises up against him. A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God's wrath. Such is the lot God allots the wicked, and the heritage of his appointment from God."
"Why do the wicked go on living, grow old, even increase in power? Their children are firmly established in their presence, their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe and without fear; and no rod of punishment from God is upon them. read more.
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They allow their children to run like a flock; their little ones dance about. They sing to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp, and make merry to the sound of the flute. They live out their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. So they say to God, 'Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?' But their prosperity is not their own doing. The counsel of the wicked is far from me! "How often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished? How often does their misfortune come upon them? How often does God apportion pain to them in his anger? How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff swept away by a whirlwind? You may say, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his children!' Instead let him repay the man himself so that he may know it! Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the anger of the Almighty. For what is his interest in his home after his death, when the number of his months has been broken off? Can anyone teach God knowledge, since he judges those that are on high? "One man dies in his full vigor, completely secure and prosperous, his body well nourished, and the marrow of his bones moist. And another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted anything good. Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover over them both. "Yes, I know what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. For you say, 'Where now is the nobleman's house, and where are the tents in which the wicked lived?' Have you never questioned those who travel the roads? Do you not recognize their accounts -- that the evil man is spared from the day of his misfortune, that he is delivered from the day of God's wrath? No one denounces his conduct to his face; no one repays him for what he has done. And when he is carried to the tombs, and watch is kept over the funeral mound, The clods of the torrent valley are sweet to him; behind him everybody follows in procession, and before him goes a countless throng.
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They allow their children to run like a flock; their little ones dance about. They sing to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp, and make merry to the sound of the flute. They live out their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. So they say to God, 'Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?' But their prosperity is not their own doing. The counsel of the wicked is far from me! "How often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished? How often does their misfortune come upon them? How often does God apportion pain to them in his anger? How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff swept away by a whirlwind? You may say, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his children!' Instead let him repay the man himself so that he may know it! Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the anger of the Almighty. For what is his interest in his home after his death, when the number of his months has been broken off? Can anyone teach God knowledge, since he judges those that are on high? "One man dies in his full vigor, completely secure and prosperous, his body well nourished, and the marrow of his bones moist. And another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted anything good. Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover over them both. "Yes, I know what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. For you say, 'Where now is the nobleman's house, and where are the tents in which the wicked lived?' Have you never questioned those who travel the roads? Do you not recognize their accounts -- that the evil man is spared from the day of his misfortune, that he is delivered from the day of God's wrath? No one denounces his conduct to his face; no one repays him for what he has done. And when he is carried to the tombs, and watch is kept over the funeral mound, The clods of the torrent valley are sweet to him; behind him everybody follows in procession, and before him goes a countless throng.
Men move boundary stones; they seize the flock and pasture them. They drive away the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as a pledge. They turn the needy from the pathway, and the poor of the land hide themselves together. read more.
Like wild donkeys in the desert they go out to their labor, seeking diligently for food; the wasteland provides food for them and for their children. They reap fodder in the field, and glean in the vineyard of the wicked. They spend the night naked because they lack clothing; they have no covering against the cold. They are soaked by mountain rains and huddle in the rocks because they lack shelter. The fatherless child is snatched from the breast, the infant of the poor is taken as a pledge. They go about naked, without clothing, and go hungry while they carry the sheaves. They press out the olive oil between the rows of olive trees; they tread the winepresses while they are thirsty. From the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry out for help, but God charges no one with wrongdoing. There are those who rebel against the light; they do not know its ways and they do not stay on its paths. Before daybreak the murderer rises up; he kills the poor and the needy; in the night he is like a thief. And the eye of the adulterer watches for the twilight, thinking, 'No eye can see me,' and covers his face with a mask. In the dark the robber breaks into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they do not know the light. For all of them, the morning is to them like deep darkness; they are friends with the terrors of darkness. "You say, 'He is foam on the face of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed so that no one goes to their vineyard. The drought as well as the heat carry away the melted snow; so the grave takes away those who have sinned. The womb forgets him, the worm feasts on him, no longer will he be remembered. Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down. He preys on the barren and childless woman, and does not treat the widow well. But God drags off the mighty by his power; when God rises up against him, he has no faith in his life. God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways. They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone, they are brought low like all others, and gathered in, and like a head of grain they are cut off.'
Like wild donkeys in the desert they go out to their labor, seeking diligently for food; the wasteland provides food for them and for their children. They reap fodder in the field, and glean in the vineyard of the wicked. They spend the night naked because they lack clothing; they have no covering against the cold. They are soaked by mountain rains and huddle in the rocks because they lack shelter. The fatherless child is snatched from the breast, the infant of the poor is taken as a pledge. They go about naked, without clothing, and go hungry while they carry the sheaves. They press out the olive oil between the rows of olive trees; they tread the winepresses while they are thirsty. From the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry out for help, but God charges no one with wrongdoing. There are those who rebel against the light; they do not know its ways and they do not stay on its paths. Before daybreak the murderer rises up; he kills the poor and the needy; in the night he is like a thief. And the eye of the adulterer watches for the twilight, thinking, 'No eye can see me,' and covers his face with a mask. In the dark the robber breaks into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they do not know the light. For all of them, the morning is to them like deep darkness; they are friends with the terrors of darkness. "You say, 'He is foam on the face of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed so that no one goes to their vineyard. The drought as well as the heat carry away the melted snow; so the grave takes away those who have sinned. The womb forgets him, the worm feasts on him, no longer will he be remembered. Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down. He preys on the barren and childless woman, and does not treat the widow well. But God drags off the mighty by his power; when God rises up against him, he has no faith in his life. God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways. They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone, they are brought low like all others, and gathered in, and like a head of grain they are cut off.'
You will die by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Then say to the people of the land, 'This is what the sovereign Lord says about the inhabitants of Jerusalem and of the land of Israel: They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in fright, for their land will be stripped bare of all it contains because of the violence of all who live in it. The inhabited towns will be left in ruins and the land will be devastated. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'"
But if any of the nations anywhere on earth refuse to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord who rules over all, they will get no rain. If the Egyptians will not do so, they will get no rain -- instead there will be the kind of plague which the Lord inflicts on any nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.