Children

1Ungodly children are worthless

and are nothing to desire

or to celebrate.

2You can have lots of children,

but they will bring joy

only if they fear the Lord.

3Having lots of ungodly children

won't help you in old age--

you will outlive them all.

One good child,

or even no children at all,

is better than a thousand

who are ungodly.

4A family that disobeys the law

can make a city a ghost town,

but one smart person can fill

an empty city with people.

Mercy and Punishment

5Here are but a few

of the important things

I have seen and heard:

6If a small group of sinners

sets the Lord's anger ablaze,

then it will be worse by far

if a whole nation is sinful.

7 Long ago, the Lord refused

to forgive the mighty giants

who rebelled against him.

8And he so hated the arrogance

of the people of Sodom,

that he destroyed them.

9They were doomed

because of their sins,

and the Lord showed no mercy

as he swept them away.

10Nor did he have pity

on six hundred thousand

stubborn Assyrian soldiers

who attacked his people.

11Even if only one person

refused to obey the Lord,

I would be surprised if he

did not punish that one.

The Lord loves to show mercy

and to use his mighty power

to forgive his people,

but when his anger overflows

against sinners,

12he uses that same power

to punish them.

Everyone will receive

either mercy or punishment

as each deserves.

13The Lord refuses to let sinners

profit from their crimes,

and he will reward his people

if they patiently wait.

14He remembers every good deed

and gives everyone

what they deserve.

15The Lord wanted everyone

to know his mighty power,

so he put a stubborn heart

in the king of Egypt.

16But the Lord also wants everyone

to know about his mercy,

so he separated those

who have his light

from those who remain

in darkness.

Foolish Thoughts

17Never say to yourself,

"The Lord cannot see me.

He doesn't even know my name.

There are just too many people

for him to keep me in mind.

18One glance from him

causes quaking and shaking

in the earth and the sky,

in the highest heaven

and the deepest sea,

19in the mountains

and the foundations

of the earth.

20But no human can understand

how his mighty power works.

21Most of what God does

cannot be seen,

just like the wind

in a violent storm.

22So who will tell him

when I do what is right?

And who has the patience

to wait for him

to keep his promises?"

23That is how fools speak--

they cannot think straight

and have no understanding.

The Lord Created the World

24Listen, students;

pay attention,

and you will learn.

25I will train you and tell you

exactly what I know.

26In the beginning, when the Lord

created the world,

he gave each thing

its proper place.

27He designed the forces of nature

to last for all time--

they never tire or get hungry

or stop working.

28They don't get in the way

of each other,

and they will never

disobey him.

29After God created the earth,

he looked it over

and filled it with creatures

that were good;

30animals of all kinds

covered the ground,

and when they die,

they return to it.