14 Those who are evil say to God All-Powerful, “Leave us alone! Don't bother us with your teachings. 15 What do we gain from praying and worshiping you? 16 We succeeded all on our own.” And so, I keep away from them and their evil schemes. 17 How often does God become angry and send disaster and darkness to punish sinners? 18 How often does he strike them like a windstorm that scatters straw? 19 You say, “God will punish those sinners' children in place of those sinners.” But I say, “Let him punish those sinners themselves until they really feel it. 20 Let God All-Powerful force them to drink their own destruction from the cup of his anger. 21 Because after they are dead, they won't care what happens to their children.”

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version ®. Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. Used by permission.