Evil people brag about the things they want.\par And those greedy people curse God.\par In this way, the evil people show that\par they hate the Lord.\par
A wealthy person might really congratulate himself\par on how well he has done in life.\par And yes, even other people might praise him for how well he had done for himself.\par
“Judah, how can you say to me,\par ‘I am not guilty;\par I have not worshiped the Baal {\cf2\super [13]} idols’?\par Think about the things you did in the valley.\par Think about what you have done.\par You are like a fast she-camel\par that runs from place to place.\par
And, when King Jehoiakim and his servants heard the message from the scroll, they were not afraid. They didn’t tear their clothes to show sorrow for doing wrong.
They did not know the way that God makes people right with him. And they tried to make themselves right in their own way. So they did not accept God’s way of making people right.
“A person might hear these curses, but he might comfort himself and say, ‘I will continue doing what I want. Nothing bad will happen to me.’ That person might cause bad things to happen not only to himself but to everyone—even to the good people. [192]