Prosperity of the wicked

The prosperity of the wicked troubled Job, Jeremiah, Habakkuk and the psalmists, and God answers that their success is brief and their end is sure. This page lists verses on asking why the wicked prosper, envy in Psalm 73, not fretting, their end, riches that do not last, and the better portion of the righteous.

Why do the wicked prosper?

• Jeremiah 12:1-2
  ¹Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? ²Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.
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• Job 21:7-13
  ⁷Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? ⁸Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes. ⁹Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them. ¹⁰Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry. ¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about, ¹²They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute. ¹³They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.
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• Habakkuk 1:2-4
  ²O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save? ³Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds. ⁴Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
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• Habakkuk 1:13
  Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
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• Malachi 3:15
  And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”
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• Ecclesiastes 8:14
  There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.There is a futility that is done on the earth: There are righteous men who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked men who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 8 →

Envy and the sanctuary

• Psalm 73:2-3
  ²But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. ³For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
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• Psalm 73:12-14
  ¹²Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.Behold, these are the wicked— always carefree as they increase their wealth. ¹³Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands. ¹⁴For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.
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• Psalm 73:16-17
  ¹⁶When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight ¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.
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Fret not

• Psalm 37:1-2
  ¹Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. ²For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.
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• Psalm 37:7
  Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
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• Proverbs 24:19-20
  ¹⁹Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked. ²⁰For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
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• Proverbs 23:17-18
  ¹⁷Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD. ¹⁸For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
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• Proverbs 3:31
  Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;
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Their end

• Psalm 73:18-20
  ¹⁸Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. ¹⁹How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! ²⁰As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.
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• Psalm 37:10
  For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
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• Psalm 37:35-38
  ³⁵I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, ³⁶Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found. ³⁷Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace. ³⁸But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
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• Psalm 92:7
  When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.
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• Ecclesiastes 8:12-13
  ¹²Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence. ¹³But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
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• Malachi 3:16-18
  ¹⁶Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name. ¹⁷And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. ¹⁸Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
  Show context · Read Malachi 3 →

Riches that do not last

• Psalm 49:16-17
  ¹⁶Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. ¹⁷For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
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• Job 20:5
  That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
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• Luke 12:16-21
  ¹⁶And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. ¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁸And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ ²⁰But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ ²¹So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”
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• Luke 16:25
  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.
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• James 5:1-5
  ¹Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. ²Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. ³Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. ⁴Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. ⁵Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.
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The better portion of the righteous

• Psalm 37:16
  A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
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• Proverbs 15:16
  Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
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• Proverbs 16:8
  Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
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• Psalm 73:23-26
  ²³Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. ²⁴Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory. ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You. ²⁶My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
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See also

• Justice
• Evil
• Judgment
• Suffering
• Jealousy

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.