3. Put up with me while I speak. After I've spoken, you can make fun of me!
4. "I'm not arguing with mere human beings. So why shouldn't I be angry and uneasy?
5. Look at me and be amazed. Put your hand over your mouth and stop talking!
6. When I think about these things, I'm terrified. My whole body trembles.
7. Why do sinful people keep on living? The older they grow, the richer they get.
8. They see their children grow up around them. They watch their family increase in number.
9. Their homes are safe. They don't have to be afraid. God isn't punishing them.
10. Every time their bulls mate, their cows become pregnant. And the calves don't die before they are born.
11. Sinful people send their children out like a flock of lambs. Their little ones dance around.
12. They sing to the music of tambourines and harps. They have a good time while flutes are being played.
13. Those who are evil spend their years living well. They go down to their graves in peace.
14. But they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We don't want to know how you want us to live.
15. Who is the Mighty One? Why should we serve him? What would we get if we prayed to him?'
16. But they aren't in control of their own success. So I don't pay any attention to the advice they give.
17. "How often are their lamps blown out? How often does trouble come on them? How often does God punish them when he's angry?