New International Version
21 Terrifying sounds fill their ears; when all seems well, marauders attack them.
22 They despair of escaping the realm of darkness; they are marked for the sword.
23 They wander about for food like vultures; they know the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Distress and anguish fill them with terror; troubles overwhelm them, like a king poised to attack,
25 Because they shake their fists at God and vaunt themselves against the Almighty
26 Defiantly charging against him with thick, strong shields.
27 "Though their faces are covered with fat and their waists bulge with flesh,"
28 They will inhabit ruined towns and houses where no one lives, houses crumbling to rubble.
29 They will no longer be rich and their wealth will not endure, nor will their possessions spread over the land.
30 They will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither their shoots, and the breath of God's mouth will carry them away.
31 Let them not deceive themselves by trusting what is worthless, for they will get nothing in return.
32 Before their time they will wither, and their branches will not flourish.
33 They will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes.
35 "They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit."
Amplified Bible
21 A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him [the dwellings of robbers are not at peace].
22 He believes that he will not return out of darkness, and [because of his guilt] he is waited for by the sword [of God's vengeance].
23 He wanders abroad for food, saying, Where is it? He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already close upon him.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him; [he knows] they shall prevail against him, like a king ready for battle.
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God and bids defiance and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty
26 Running stubbornly against Him with a thickly ornamented shield
27 Because he has covered his face with his fat, adding layers of fat on his loins [giving himself up to animal pleasures]
28 And has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities and in houses which no man should inhabit, which were destined to become heaps [of ruins]
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his wealth last, neither shall his produce bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness [and escape from calamity; the wrath of God] shall consume him as flame consumes a dry tree, and by the blast of His mouth he shall be swept away.
31 Let him not deceive himself and trust in vanity (emptiness, falseness, and futility), for these shall be his recompense [for such living].
32 It shall be accomplished and paid in full while he still lives, and his branch shall not be green [but shall wither away].
33 He shall fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine and shall cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree.
34 For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).
35 They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their inmost soul hatches deceit.
King James Version
21 A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
26 He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
27 Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34 For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
Becoming a Christian
Would you like to experience forgiveness and new life from the God of the Bible, who calls every person to believe that he sent his son Jesus Christ to make this possible?
The Bible explains why everyone needs to receive forgiveness and is called to serve Jesus Christ. The consistency of the Bible story, which was authored by people living thousands of years apart from diverse cultures and even different languages, is often cited as evidence of divine inspiration. Wikipedia has a list of many Biblical prophesies which have come true.
The story of God's plan to restore his relationship with us can be summarised in eight famous Bible verses below.
- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
- All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23
- God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
- Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
- If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
- For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8
- But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
- Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19
The truth in these verses is simple, yet to embrace it means letting go of all our personal hopes and dreams and embracing God's greater purpose for our lives instead, a purpose far above anything we could dream or imagine.
This is the most important decision you will ever make, because it affects not just the rest of your life here on earth, but what comes after as well. Don't put it off until too late. If you died tonight make the decision to spend eternity with your loving Father in Heaven.
If you're wondering what to do next as a new Christian, check out these helpful suggestions from Mary Fairchild on About.com: