Surely you won't kill the innocent with the guilty. That's impossible! You can't do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly."

But the people of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do whatever you like, but please, save us today."

"This is none of your business," the king said to Abishai and his brother Joab. "If he curses me because the LORD told him to, who has the right to ask why he does it?"

Perhaps the LORD will notice my misery and give me some blessings to take the place of his curse."

He said, "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The LORD gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!"

Job answered, "You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?" Even in all this suffering Job said nothing against God.

I will keep quiet, I will not say a word, for you are the one who made me suffer like this.

King Hezekiah understood this to mean that there would be peace and security during his lifetime, so he replied, "The message you have given me from the LORD is good."

Why should we ever complain when we are punished for our sin?

Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.