Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Afflictions of the The Wicked » Are often judicially sent
because of their rebellious ways and their sins.
Does disaster
Does He apportion destruction in His anger?
Your pain has no cure!
I have done these things to you
because of your enormous guilt
and your innumerable sins.
Anger of God » Manifested in judgments and afflictions
Does disaster
Does He apportion destruction in His anger?
He sent His burning anger against them: fury, indignation, and calamity- a band of deadly messengers. He cleared a path for His anger. He did not spare them from death, but delivered their lives to the plague. He struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the first progeny of the tents of Ham.
by the wrath of the Lord of Hosts,
and the people are like fuel for the fire.
No one has compassion on his brother.
Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Look, My anger—My burning wrath—is about to be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the tree of the field, and on the produce of the land. My wrath will burn and not be quenched.”
and their gold will seem like something filthy.
Their silver and gold will be unable to save them
in the day of the Lord’s wrath.
They will not satisfy their appetites
or fill their stomachs,
for these were the stumbling blocks
that brought about their iniquity.
And who was He provoked with for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
Lamps » Illustrative » (put out,) of destruction of the wicked
Does disaster
Does He apportion destruction in His anger?
Sin » Punishment of
He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children in anguish. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will dominate you. And He said to Adam, "Because you listened to your wife's voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'Do not eat from it': The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. read more.
You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust."
You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust."
Does disaster
Does He apportion destruction in His anger?
When the Lord saw that man's wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, "I will wipe off the face of the earth: man, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky-for I regret that I made them."
But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.
maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.”
"But the person who acts defiantly, whether native or foreign resident, blasphemes the Lord. That person is to be cut off from his people. He will certainly be cut off, because he has despised the Lord's word and broken His command; his guilt remains on him."
If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious.
for we are about to destroy this place because the outcry against its people is so great before the Lord, that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”
The Lord replied to Moses: "Whoever has sinned against Me I will erase from My book. Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about; see, My angel will go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin."
"But if you do not obey Me and observe all these commands- if you reject My statutes and despise My ordinances, and do not observe all My commands-and break My covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring terror on you-wasting disease and fever that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will sow your seed in vain because your enemies will eat it. read more.
I will turn against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even though no one is pursuing you. "But if after these things you will not obey Me, I will proceed to discipline you seven times for your sins. I will break down your strong pride. I will make your sky like iron and your land like bronze, and your strength will be used up for nothing. Your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit. "If you act with hostility toward Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times for your sins.
I will turn against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even though no one is pursuing you. "But if after these things you will not obey Me, I will proceed to discipline you seven times for your sins. I will break down your strong pride. I will make your sky like iron and your land like bronze, and your strength will be used up for nothing. Your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit. "If you act with hostility toward Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times for your sins.
For 40 years I was disgusted with that generation; I said, 'They are a people whose hearts go astray; they do not know My ways.' So I swore in My anger, 'They will not enter My rest.' "
"This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You have seen all the disaster I brought against Jerusalem and all Judah's cities; look, they are a ruin today without an inhabitant in them because of their evil ways that provoked Me to anger, going and burning incense to serve other gods they, you, and your fathers did not know.
But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their evil or stop burning incense to other gods. So My fierce wrath poured forth and burned in Judah's cities and Jerusalem's streets so that they became the desolate ruin they are today.
Wicked people » Temporal punishment of
Yes, the light of the wicked is extinguished; the flame of his fire does not glow. The light in his tent grows dark, and the lamp beside him is put out. His powerful stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up. read more.
For his own feet lead him into a net, and he strays into its mesh. A trap catches [him] by the heel; a noose seizes him. A rope lies hidden for him on the ground, and a snare [waits] for him along the path. Terrors frighten him on every side and harass him at every step. His strength is depleted; disaster lies ready for him to stumble. Parts of his skin are eaten away; death's firstborn consumes his limbs. He is ripped from the security of his tent and marched away to the king of terrors. Nothing he owned remains in his tent. Burning sulfur is scattered over his home. His roots below dry up, and his branches above wither away. [All] memory of him perishes from the earth; he has no name abroad. He is driven from light to darkness and chased from the inhabited world. He has no children or descendants among his people, no survivor where he used to live. Those in the west are appalled at his fate, while those in the east tremble in horror. Indeed, such is the dwelling of the wicked, and this is the place of the one who does not know God.
For his own feet lead him into a net, and he strays into its mesh. A trap catches [him] by the heel; a noose seizes him. A rope lies hidden for him on the ground, and a snare [waits] for him along the path. Terrors frighten him on every side and harass him at every step. His strength is depleted; disaster lies ready for him to stumble. Parts of his skin are eaten away; death's firstborn consumes his limbs. He is ripped from the security of his tent and marched away to the king of terrors. Nothing he owned remains in his tent. Burning sulfur is scattered over his home. His roots below dry up, and his branches above wither away. [All] memory of him perishes from the earth; he has no name abroad. He is driven from light to darkness and chased from the inhabited world. He has no children or descendants among his people, no survivor where he used to live. Those in the west are appalled at his fate, while those in the east tremble in horror. Indeed, such is the dwelling of the wicked, and this is the place of the one who does not know God.
Your sins have withheld My bounty from you,
This is a wicked man's lot from God, the inheritance the ruthless receive from the Almighty. Even if his children increase, they are destined for the sword; his descendants will never have enough food. Those who survive him will be buried by the plague, yet their widows will not weep [for them]. read more.
Though he piles up silver like dust and heaps up a wardrobe like clay- he may heap [it] up, but the righteous will wear [it], and the innocent will divide up his silver. The house he built is like a moth's [cocoon] or a booth set up by a watchman. He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, it is gone. Terrors overtake him like a flood; a storm wind sweeps him away at night. An east wind picks him up, and he is gone; it carries him away from his place. It blasts at him without mercy, while he flees desperately from its grasp. It claps its hands at him and scorns him from its place.
Though he piles up silver like dust and heaps up a wardrobe like clay- he may heap [it] up, but the righteous will wear [it], and the innocent will divide up his silver. The house he built is like a moth's [cocoon] or a booth set up by a watchman. He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, it is gone. Terrors overtake him like a flood; a storm wind sweeps him away at night. An east wind picks him up, and he is gone; it carries him away from his place. It blasts at him without mercy, while he flees desperately from its grasp. It claps its hands at him and scorns him from its place.
A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; few years are stored up for the ruthless. Dreadful sounds fill his ears; when he is at peace, a robber attacks him. He doesn't believe he will return from darkness; he is destined for the sword. read more.
He wanders about for food, [saying,] "Where is it?" He knows the day of darkness is at hand. Trouble and distress terrify him, overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle. For he has stretched out his hand against God and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty. He rushes headlong at Him with his thick, studded shields. Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with it, he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble. He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not spread over the land. He will not escape from the darkness; flames will wither his shoots, and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth. Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray, for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless. It will be accomplished before his time, and his branch will not flourish. He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms. For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb prepares deception.
He wanders about for food, [saying,] "Where is it?" He knows the day of darkness is at hand. Trouble and distress terrify him, overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle. For he has stretched out his hand against God and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty. He rushes headlong at Him with his thick, studded shields. Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with it, he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble. He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not spread over the land. He will not escape from the darkness; flames will wither his shoots, and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth. Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray, for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless. It will be accomplished before his time, and his branch will not flourish. He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms. For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb prepares deception.
the joy of the wicked has been brief and the happiness of the godless has lasted only a moment? Though his arrogance reaches heaven, and his head touches the clouds, he will vanish forever like his own dung. Those who know him will ask, "Where is he?" read more.
He will fly away like a dream and never be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night. The eye that saw him will see [him] no more, and his household will no longer see him. His children will beg from the poor, for his own hands must give back his wealth. His bones may be full of youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the grave. Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue, though he cherishes it and will not let it go but keeps it in his mouth, yet the food in his stomach turns into cobras' venom inside him. He swallows wealth but must vomit it up; God will force it from his stomach. He will suck the poison of cobras; a viper's fangs will kill him. He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming [it]; he doesn't enjoy the profits from his trading. For he oppressed and abandoned the poor; he seized a house he did not build. Because his appetite is never satisfied, he does not escape his desires. Nothing is left for him to consume; therefore, his prosperity will not last. At the height of his success distress will come to him; the full weight of misery will crush him. When he fills his stomach, God will send His burning anger against him, raining [it] down on him while he is eating. If he flees from an iron weapon, [an arrow from] a bronze bow will pierce him. He pulls it out of his back, the flashing tip out of his liver. Terrors come over him. Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned [by human hands] will consume him; it will feed on what is left in his tent. The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The possessions in his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God's anger. This is the wicked man's lot from God, the inheritance God ordained for him.
He will fly away like a dream and never be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night. The eye that saw him will see [him] no more, and his household will no longer see him. His children will beg from the poor, for his own hands must give back his wealth. His bones may be full of youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the grave. Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue, though he cherishes it and will not let it go but keeps it in his mouth, yet the food in his stomach turns into cobras' venom inside him. He swallows wealth but must vomit it up; God will force it from his stomach. He will suck the poison of cobras; a viper's fangs will kill him. He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming [it]; he doesn't enjoy the profits from his trading. For he oppressed and abandoned the poor; he seized a house he did not build. Because his appetite is never satisfied, he does not escape his desires. Nothing is left for him to consume; therefore, his prosperity will not last. At the height of his success distress will come to him; the full weight of misery will crush him. When he fills his stomach, God will send His burning anger against him, raining [it] down on him while he is eating. If he flees from an iron weapon, [an arrow from] a bronze bow will pierce him. He pulls it out of his back, the flashing tip out of his liver. Terrors come over him. Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned [by human hands] will consume him; it will feed on what is left in his tent. The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The possessions in his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God's anger. This is the wicked man's lot from God, the inheritance God ordained for him.
Why do the wicked continue to live, growing old and becoming powerful? Their children are established while they are still alive, and their descendants, before their eyes. Their homes are secure and free of fear; no rod from God [strikes] them. read more.
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They let their little ones run around like lambs; their children skip about, singing to the tambourine and lyre and rejoicing at the sound of the flute. They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. Yet they say to God: "Leave us alone! We don't want to know Your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what will we gain by pleading with Him?" But their prosperity is not of their own doing. The counsel of the wicked is far from me! How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come on them? Does He apportion destruction in His anger? Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff a storm sweeps away? God reserves a person's punishment for his children. Let God repay the person himself, so that he may know [it]. Let his own eyes see his demise; let him drink from the Almighty's wrath! For what does he care about his family once he is dead, when the number of his months has run out? Can anyone teach God knowledge, since He judges the exalted ones? One person dies in excellent health, completely secure and at ease. His body is well-fed, and his bones are full of marrow. Yet another person dies with a bitter soul, having never tasted prosperity. But they both lie in the dust, and worms cover them. Look, I know your thoughts, the schemes you would wrong me with. For you say, "Where now is the nobleman's house?" and "Where are the tents the wicked lived in?" Have you never consulted those who travel the roads? Don't you accept their reports? Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of disaster, rescued from the day of wrath. Who would denounce his behavior to his face? Who would repay him for what he has done? He is carried to the grave, and someone keeps watch over [his] tomb. The dirt on his grave is sweet to him. Everyone follows behind him, and those who go before him are without number.
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They let their little ones run around like lambs; their children skip about, singing to the tambourine and lyre and rejoicing at the sound of the flute. They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. Yet they say to God: "Leave us alone! We don't want to know Your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what will we gain by pleading with Him?" But their prosperity is not of their own doing. The counsel of the wicked is far from me! How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come on them? Does He apportion destruction in His anger? Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff a storm sweeps away? God reserves a person's punishment for his children. Let God repay the person himself, so that he may know [it]. Let his own eyes see his demise; let him drink from the Almighty's wrath! For what does he care about his family once he is dead, when the number of his months has run out? Can anyone teach God knowledge, since He judges the exalted ones? One person dies in excellent health, completely secure and at ease. His body is well-fed, and his bones are full of marrow. Yet another person dies with a bitter soul, having never tasted prosperity. But they both lie in the dust, and worms cover them. Look, I know your thoughts, the schemes you would wrong me with. For you say, "Where now is the nobleman's house?" and "Where are the tents the wicked lived in?" Have you never consulted those who travel the roads? Don't you accept their reports? Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of disaster, rescued from the day of wrath. Who would denounce his behavior to his face? Who would repay him for what he has done? He is carried to the grave, and someone keeps watch over [his] tomb. The dirt on his grave is sweet to him. Everyone follows behind him, and those who go before him are without number.
The wicked displace boundary markers. They steal a flock and provide pasture for [it]. They drive away the donkeys [owned] by the fatherless and take the widow's ox as collateral. They push the needy off the road; the poor of the land are forced into hiding. read more.
Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go out to their task of foraging for food; the wilderness provides nourishment for their children. They gather their fodder in the field and glean the vineyards of the wicked. Without clothing, they spend the night naked, having no covering against the cold. Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks, shelterless. The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized as collateral. Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry sheaves but go hungry. They crush olives in their presses; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty. From the city, men groan; the mortally wounded cry for help, yet God pays no attention to this crime. The wicked are those who rebel against the light. They do not recognize its ways or stay on its paths. The murderer rises at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and by night he becomes a thief. The adulterer's eye watches for twilight, thinking: No eye will see me, he covers [his] face. In the dark they break into houses; by day they lock themselves in, never experiencing the light. For the morning is like death's shadow to them. Surely they are familiar with the terrors of death's shadow! They float on the surface of the water. Their section of the land is cursed, so that they never go to [their] vineyards. As dry ground and heat snatch away the melted snow, so Sheol [steals] those who have sinned. The womb forgets them; worms feed on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is broken like a tree. They prey on the barren, childless woman and do not deal kindly with the widow. Yet God drags away the mighty by His power; when He rises up, they have no assurance of life. He gives them a sense of security, so they can rely [on it], but His eyes [watch] over their ways. They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and shrivel up like everything else. They wither like heads of grain.
Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go out to their task of foraging for food; the wilderness provides nourishment for their children. They gather their fodder in the field and glean the vineyards of the wicked. Without clothing, they spend the night naked, having no covering against the cold. Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks, shelterless. The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized as collateral. Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry sheaves but go hungry. They crush olives in their presses; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty. From the city, men groan; the mortally wounded cry for help, yet God pays no attention to this crime. The wicked are those who rebel against the light. They do not recognize its ways or stay on its paths. The murderer rises at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and by night he becomes a thief. The adulterer's eye watches for twilight, thinking: No eye will see me, he covers [his] face. In the dark they break into houses; by day they lock themselves in, never experiencing the light. For the morning is like death's shadow to them. Surely they are familiar with the terrors of death's shadow! They float on the surface of the water. Their section of the land is cursed, so that they never go to [their] vineyards. As dry ground and heat snatch away the melted snow, so Sheol [steals] those who have sinned. The womb forgets them; worms feed on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is broken like a tree. They prey on the barren, childless woman and do not deal kindly with the widow. Yet God drags away the mighty by His power; when He rises up, they have no assurance of life. He gives them a sense of security, so they can rely [on it], but His eyes [watch] over their ways. They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and shrivel up like everything else. They wither like heads of grain.
You will fall by the sword, and I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
Then say to the people of the land: This is what the Lord God says about the residents of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. The inhabited cities will be destroyed, and the land will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the Lord."
Should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, rain will not fall on them. And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the Lord inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt and all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Booths.