I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.

我见过恶人大有势力，好像一棵青翠树在本土生发。

我见过恶人大有势力，高耸如本地青翠的树木。

我见过恶人大有势力，高耸如本地青翠的树木。

我见过邪恶残暴之人，乍看如葱茏的黎巴嫩香柏树，

我曾看见强暴的恶人兴旺，像树木在本土茂盛。

我曾看到恶人的强横，像本地青翠的树那样蔓延；

我見過惡人大有勢力，好像一棵青翠樹在本土生發。

我見過惡人大有勢力，高聳如本地青翠的樹木。

我見過惡人大有勢力，高聳如本地青翠的樹木。

我見過邪惡殘暴之人，乍看如蔥蘢的黎巴嫩香柏樹，

我曾看見強暴的惡人興旺，像樹木在本土茂盛。

我見過惡人強橫可怖，挺然高聳、像茂盛的香柏樹。

我曾看到惡人的強橫，像本地青翠的樹那樣蔓延；

我見惡人勢盛、張大如青葱之樹、在其本土兮、

我見惡者強暴、蔓衍葱蘢、若茂樹兮、

我曾見強暴之惡人興旺、如根深葉茂之大樹、

曾見惡勢張。葱翠如春林。

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

I saw a mean and sinful person. He was doing well, like a green tree in its own land.

I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.

I have seen a wicked, violent person well-rooted, like a flourishing native tree.

I have seen a wicked, violent person Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.

I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree.

I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.

I have seen a wicked, violent man well-rooted like a flourishing native tree.

I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.

I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.

I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster.

“ Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful?They live to see their children grow up and settle down, and they enjoy their grandchildren.Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them.Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.They let their children frisk about like lambs. Their little ones skip and dance.They sing with tambourine and harp. They celebrate to the sound of the flute.They spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace.And yet they say to God,‘ Go away. We want no part of you and your ways.Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?’( They think their prosperity is of their own doing, but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)“ Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished. Do they ever have trouble? Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?

The same happens to all who forget God. The hopes of the godless evaporate.Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider’s web.They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure.The godless seem like a lush plant growing in the sunshine, its branches spreading across the garden.Its roots grow down through a pile of stones; it takes hold on a bed of rocks.But when it is uprooted, it’s as though it never existed!That’s the end of its life, and others spring up from the earth to replace it.

I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.Everyone there will stare at you and ask,‘ Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?’“ The kings of the nations lie in stately glory, each in his own tomb,but you will be thrown out of your grave like a worthless branch. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, you will be dumped into a mass grave with those killed in battle. You will descend to the pit.

The birds nested in its branches, and in its shade all the wild animals gave birth. All the great nations of the world lived in its shadow.It was strong and beautiful, with wide spreading branches, for its roots went deep into abundant water.No other cedar in the garden of God could rival it. No cypress had branches to equal it; no plane tree had boughs to compare. No tree in the garden of God came close to it in beauty.Because I made this tree so beautiful, and gave it such magnificent foliage, it was the envy of all the other trees of Eden, the garden of God.“ Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because Egypt became proud and arrogant, and because it set itself so high above the others, with its top reaching to the clouds,

For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong.They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty.These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth.And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words.“ What does God know?” they ask.“ Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”

and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.

“ O Egypt, to which of the trees of Eden will you compare your strength and glory? You, too, will be brought down to the depths with all these other nations. You will lie there among the outcasts who have died by the sword. This will be the fate of Pharaoh and all his hordes. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see.It had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches.That tree, Your Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth.“‘ Then you saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying,“ Cut down the tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals of the field for seven periods of time.”“‘ This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king.You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.But the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules.“‘ King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’“ But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar.Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon.As he looked out across the city, he said,‘ Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’“ While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven,‘ O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom.You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’“ That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.