30The skeptic swore, "There is no God! No God!—I can do anything I want!H1697H94H1121H3348H4853H1397H5002H384H384H4012I'm more animal than human; so-called human intelligence escapes me.H1198H376H998H1203"I flunked 'wisdom.' I see no evidence of a holy God.H3925H2451H3045H1847H69184Has anyone ever seen Anyone climb into Heaven and take charge? grab the winds and control them? gather the rains in his bucket? stake out the ends of the earth? Just tell me his name, tell me the names of his sons. Come on now—tell me!"H5927H8064H3381H622H7307H2651H6887H4325H8071H6965H657H776H8034H1121H8034H30455The believer replied, "Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help.H565H433H6884H4043H26206So don't second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies."H3254H1697H3198H35767And then he prayed, "God, I'm asking for two things before I die; don't refuse me—H8147H7592H4513H41918Banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence. Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little.H7368H7723H1697H3577H5414H7389H6239H2963H3899H27069If I'm too full, I might get independent, saying, 'God? Who needs him?' If I'm poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God."H7646H3584H559H3068H3423H1589H8610H8034H43010Don't blow the whistle on your fellow workers behind their backs; They'll accuse you of being underhanded, and then you'll be the guilty one!H3960H5650H113H7043H81611Don't curse your father or fail to bless your mother.H1755H7043H1H1288H51712Don't imagine yourself to be quite presentable when you haven't had a bath in weeks.H1755H2889H5869H7364H667513Don't be stuck-up and think you're better than everyone else.H1755H7311H5869H6079H537514Don't be greedy, merciless and cruel as wolves, Tearing into the poor and feasting on them, shredding the needy to pieces only to discard them.H1755H8127H2719H4973H3979H398H6041H776H34H12015A leech has twin daughters named "Gimme" and "Gimme more." Three things are never satisfied, no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!"—H5936H8147H1323H3051H3051H7969H7646H702H559H195216hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forest fire.H7585H6115H7356H776H7646H4325H784H559H195217An eye that disdains a father and despises a mother— that eye will be plucked out by wild vultures and consumed by young eagles.H5869H3932H1H936H3349H517H6158H5158H5365H1121H5404H39818Three things amaze me, no, four things I'll never understand—H7969H6381H702H304519how an eagle flies so high in the sky, how a snake glides over a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, why adolescents act the way they do.H1870H5404H8064H1870H5175H6697H1870H591H3820H3220H1870H1397H595920Here's how a prostitute operates: she has sex with her client, Takes a bath, then asks, "Who's next?"H1870H5003H802H398H4229H6310H559H6466H20521Three things are too much for even the earth to bear, yes, four things shake its foundations—H7969H776H7264H702H3201H537522when the janitor becomes the boss, when a fool gets rich,H5650H4427H5036H7646H389923when a whore is voted "woman of the year," when a "girlfriend" replaces a faithful wife.H8130H1166H8198H3423H140424There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are—H702H6996H776H2449H245025ants—frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter;H5244H5971H5794H3559H3899H701926marmots—vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes;H8227H6099H5971H7760H1004H555327locusts—leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment;H697H4428H3318H268628lizards—easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards.H8079H8610H3027H4428H196429There are three solemn dignitaries, four that are impressive in their bearing—H7969H6806H3190H702H2895H321230a lion, king of the beasts, deferring to none;H3918H1368H929H7725H644031a rooster, proud and strutting; a billy goat; a head of state in stately procession.H4975H2223H8495H176H4428H51032If you're dumb enough to call attention to yourself by offending people and making rude gestures,H5034H5375H2161H3027H631033Don't be surprised if someone bloodies your nose. Churned milk turns into butter; riled emotions turn into fist fights.H4330H2461H3318H2529H4330H639H3318H1818H4330H639H3318H7379
The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.
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