Job 21:7-34

7 ^aWhy do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
8Their ^boffspring are established in their presence,
and their descendants before their eyes.
9Their houses are ^csafe from fear,
and ^dno rod of God is upon them.
10Their bull breeds without fail;
their cow calves and ^edoes not miscarry.
11They send out their ^flittle boys like a flock,
and their children dance.
12They sing to ^gthe tambourine and ^hthe lyre
and rejoice to the sound of ⁱthe pipe.
13They ^jspend their days in prosperity,
and in ^kpeace they go down to ^lSheol.
14They say to God, ^m‘Depart from us!
We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
15 ⁿWhat is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what ^oprofit do we get if we pray to him?’
16Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?
^pThe counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is it that ^qthe lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity comes upon them?
That God ▼

▼Hebrew he

distributes pains in his anger?
18That they are like ^sstraw before the wind,
and like ^tchaff that the storm carries away?
19You say, ‘God ^ustores up their iniquity for their ^vchildren.’
Let him pay it out to them, that they may ^wknow it.
20Let their own eyes see their destruction,
and let them ^xdrink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21For what do they care for their houses after them,
when ^ythe number of their months is cut off?
22 ^zWill any teach God knowledge,
seeing that he ^aajudges those who are on high?
23One dies in his full vigor,
being wholly at ease and secure,
24his pails ▼

▼The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

full of milk
and ^acthe marrow of his bones moist.
25Another dies in ^adbitterness of soul,
never having tasted of prosperity.
26They ^aelie down alike in the dust,
and ^afthe worms cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts
and your schemes to wrong me.
28For you say, ^ag‘Where is the house of the prince?
Where is ^ahthe tent in which the wicked lived?’
29Have you not asked those who travel the roads,
and do you not accept their testimony
30that ^aithe evil man is spared in the day of calamity,
that he is rescued in the day of wrath?
31Who declares his way ^ajto his face,
and who ^akrepays him for what he has done?
32When he is ^alcarried to the grave,
watch is kept over his tomb.
33 ^amThe clods of the valley are sweet to him;
^anall mankind follows after him,
and those who go before him are innumerable.
34How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?
There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.”

Ecclesiastes 5:8

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

8 ^aoIf you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, ^apdo not be amazed at the matter, ^aqfor the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.

Isaiah 10:13-14

13 ^arFor he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I remove the boundaries of peoples,
and plunder their treasures;
like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
14My hand has found like a nest
the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing
or opened the mouth or chirped.”

Daniel 11:36

36“And the king shall ^asdo as he wills. ^atHe shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, ^auand shall speak astonishing things against ^avthe God of gods. ^awHe shall prosper ^axtill the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done.

Revelation of John 13:3-10

3One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and ^aythe whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, ^az“Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

5And the beast was given ^baa mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for ^bbforty-two months. 6It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, ▼

▼Or tabernacle

that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7Also it was allowed ^bdto make war on the saints and to conquer them. ▼

▼Some manuscripts omit this sentence

And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8and all ^bfwho dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in ^bgthe book of life of ^bhthe Lamb ^biwho was slain. 9 ^bjIf anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 ^bkIf anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
^blif anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
^bmHere is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.