17
Then I answered and said, "O sovereign Lord, you have ordained in your law that the righteous shall inherit these things, but that the ungodly shall perish.
18
The righteous, therefore, can endure difficult circumstances while hoping for easier ones; but those who have done wickedly have suffered the difficult circumstances and will never see the easier ones."
19
He said to me, "You are not a better judge than the Lord, or wiser than the Most High!
20
Let many perish who are now living, rather than that the law of God that is set before them be disregarded!
21
For the Lord strictly commanded those who came into the world, when they came, what they should do to live, and what they should observe to avoid punishment.
Footnotes 1
[a].
Other ancient authorities read [God]; Ethiop Georg [the only One]
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.