“If God, why evil?

Bible verses that

will edify you!
Scripture quotations in this booklet that are marked (CEV) are from the
Contemporary English Version Bible translation.

The CEV Bible Translation is published by the American Bible Society.

The purpose of this booklet is solely for

Christian encouragement.

COPYRIGHT © 2021
All rights reserved
 CONTENTS
1. Introduction 4

2. The Problem 7

3. God’s (Eventual) Response 29

4. A Hope Worth Waiting For 37

 Introduction:

If God is good, why is there evil and injustice

in the world?

Does the Bible address this issue?

Let’s read and nd out.

fi
The Problem
1. “Everywhere on earth I saw violence
and injustice instead of fairness and
justice.”
- Ecclesiastes 3:16 (CEV)

6
2. “I looked again and saw people being
mistreated everywhere on earth. They
were crying, but no one was there to offer
comfort, and those who mistreated them
were powerful. I said to myself, ‘The dead
are better off than the living. But those
who have never been born are better off
than anyone else, because they have
never seen the terrible things that happen
on this earth.’”
- Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 (CEV)

7
3. “… I have seen good citizens die for
doing the right thing, and I have seen
criminals live to a ripe old age.”
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 (CEV)

8
4. “I noticed all this and thought seriously
about what goes on in the world. Why
does one person have the power to hurt
another?”
- Ecclesiastes 8:9 (CEV)

9
5. “When we see criminals commit crime
after crime without being punished, it
makes us want to start a life of crime.”
- Ecclesiastes 8:11 (CEV)

10
6. “There is something else that doesn’t
make sense to me. Good citizens are
treated as criminals, while criminals are
honored as though they were good
citizens.”
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 (CEV)

11
7. “Why do evil people live so long and gain such
power? Why are they allowed to see their children
grow up? They have no worries at home, and God
never punishes them. … These people sing and
celebrate to the sound of tambourines, small
harps, and flutes, and they are successful, without
a worry, until the day they die.

Those who are evil say to God All-Powerful, ‘Leave

us alone! Don’t bother us with Your teachings.
What do we gain from praying and worshiping
You? We succeeded all on our own.’ …”
- Job 21:7-9,12-16 (CEV)

12
8. “Some of us die prosperous, enjoying
good health, while others die in poverty,
having known only pain.”
- Job 21:23-25 (CEV)

13
9. “How much longer, LORD, will You
forget about me? Will it be forever? How
long will You hide? How long must I be
confused and miserable all day? How long
will my enemies keep beating me down?”
- Psalm 13:1-2 (CEV)

14
10. “In my heart, I am thirsty for You, the
living God. When will I see Your face? Day
and night my tears are my only food, as
everyone keeps asking, ‘Where is your
God?’”
- Psalm 42:2-3 (CEV)

15
11. “Wake up! Do something, Lord! Why
are You sleeping? Don’t desert us forever.
Why do You keep looking away? Don’t
forget our sufferings and all of our
troubles.”
- Psalm 44:23-24 (CEV)

16
12. “But I almost stumbled and fell,
because it made me jealous to see proud
and evil people and to watch them
prosper. They never have to suffer, they
stay healthy, and they don’t have
troubles like everyone else.”
- Psalm 73:2-5 (CEV)

17
13. “Only evil people would say, ‘God
Most High cannot know everything!’ Yet
all goes well for them, and they live in
peace. What good did it do me to keep
my thoughts pure and refuse to do
wrong? I am sick all day, and I am
punished each morning.”
- Psalm 73:11-14 (CEV)

18
14. “How long will the wicked celebrate
and be glad? All of those cruel people
strut and boast, … .”
- Psalm 94:3-4 (CEV)

19
15. “Don’t let the wicked succeed in
doing what they want, or else they might
never stop planning evil.”
- Psalm 140:8 (CEV)

20
16. “Our Lord, how long must I beg for
Your help before You listen? How long
before You save us from all this violence?
Why do You make me watch such terrible
injustice? Why do You allow violence,
lawlessness, crime, and cruelty to spread
everywhere? Laws cannot be enforced;
justice is always the loser; criminals crowd
out honest people and twist the laws
around. But You can't stand sin or wrong.
So don't sit by in silence… .”
- Habakkuk 1:2-4,13 (CEV)

21
17. “You have worn out the Lord with your
words. And yet, you ask, ‘How did we do
that?’ You did it by saying, ‘The Lord is
pleased with evil and doesn't care about
justice.’”
- Malachi 2:17 (CEV)

22
18. “Here is what you have said: ‘It’s
foolish to serve the Lord God All-Powerful.
What do we get for obeying Him and from
going around looking sad? See how
happy those arrogant people are.
Everyone who does wrong is successful,
and when they put God to the test, they
always get away with it.’”
- Malachi 3:14-15 (CEV)

23
19. “Injustice is everywhere; justice seems
far away. Truth is chased out of court;
honesty is shoved aside.”
- Isaiah 59:14 (CEV)

24
20. “Please, LORD, look down from Your
holy and glorious home in the heavens
and see what's going on. Have You lost
interest? Where is Your power? Show that
You care about us and have mercy!”
- Isaiah 63:15 (CEV)

25
21. “Whenever I complain to You, Lord,
you are always fair. But now I have
questions about Your justice. Why is life
easy for sinners? Why are they
successful?”
- Jeremiah 12:1 (CEV)

26
God’s (Eventual)
Response
22. “The LORD is a mighty rock, and He
never does wrong. God can always be
trusted to bring justice.”
- Deuteronomy 32:4 (CEV)

23. “You judge the world fairly and treat

all nations with justice.”
- Psalm 9:8 (CEV)

24. “The LORD always does right and

wants justice done. Everyone who does
right will see His face.”
- Psalm 11:7 (CEV)

28
25. “You are God, and You will rule
forever as king. Your royal power brings
about justice. You love justice and hate
evil. …”
- Psalm 45:6-7 (CEV)

26. “Everyone will say, It's true! Good

people are rewarded. God does rule the
earth with justice.’”
- Psalm 58:11 (CEV)

27. “You set a time to judge with

fairness.”
- Psalm 75:2 (CEV)

29
28. “Your kingdom is ruled by justice and
fairness with love and faithfulness leading
the way.”
- Psalm 89:14 (CEV)

29. “Justice and fairness will go hand in

hand, and all who do right will follow
along.”
- Psalm 94:15 (CEV)

30. “… He is coming to judge all people

on earth with fairness and truth.”
- Psalm 96:13 (CEV)

30
31. “…, and His throne is supported by
justice and fairness.”
- Psalm 97:2 (CEV)

32. “You are our mighty King, a lover of

fairness, who sees that justice is done
… .”
- Psalm 99:4 (CEV)

33. “For all who are mistreated, the LORD

brings justice.”
- Psalm 103:6 (CEV)

31
34. “God sees that justice is done, and
He watches over everyone who is faithful
to Him.”
- Proverbs 2:8 (CEV)

35. “So I told myself that God has set a

time and a place for everything. He will
judge everyone, both the wicked and the
good.”
- Ecclesiastes 3:17 (CEV)

32
36. “Then a kingdom of love will be set
up, and someone from David's family will
rule with fairness. He will do what is right
and quickly bring justice.”
- Isaiah 16:5 (CEV)

37. “Honesty and justice will prosper

there, and justice will produce lasting
peace and security.”
- Isaiah 32:16-17 (CEV)

33
38. “He won't quit or give up until He
brings justice everywhere on earth, … .”
- Isaiah 42:4 (CEV)

39. “… I am the only God! There are no

others. I bring about justice, and have the
power to save.”
- Isaiah 45:21 (CEV)

40. “I, the LORD, love justice! But I hate

robbery and injustice. …”
- Isaiah 61:8 (CEV)

34
41. “If you feel you must brag, then have
enough sense to brag about worshiping
Me, the LORD. What I like best is showing
kindness, justice, and mercy to everyone
on earth.”
- Jeremiah 9:24 (CEV)

42. “Someday I will appoint an honest

king from the family of David, a king who
will be wise and rule with justice. … The
name of this king will be ‘The LORD Gives
Justice.’”
- Jeremiah 23:5-6 (CEV)

35
43. “You people are doomed! You twist
the truth and stomp on justice.”
- Amos 5:7 (CEV)

44. “He has set a day when He will judge

the world's people with fairness. …”
- Acts 17:31 (CEV)

45. “But God has promised us a new

heaven and a new earth, where justice will
rule. We are really looking forward to
that!”
- 2 Peter 3:13 (CEV)

36
A Hope Worth
Waiting For
46. “Our LORD, I am waiting for You to
save us.”
- Genesis 49:18 (CEV)

47. “The poor will eat and be full, and all

who worship You will be thankful and live
in hope.”
- Psalm 22:26 (CEV)

48. “Be patient and trust the LORD. Don't

let it bother you when all goes well for
those who do sinful things.”
- Psalm 37:7 (CEV)
49. “Only God can save me, and I calmly
wait for Him.”
- Psalm 62:1 (CEV)

50. “I will never give up hope or stop

praising You.”
- Psalm 71:14 (CEV)

51. “With all my heart, I am waiting,

LORD, for You! I trust Your promises.”
- Psalm 130:5 (CEV)

39
52. “Don't be jealous of sinners, but
always honor the LORD. Then you will
truly have hope for the future.”
- Proverbs 23:17-18 (CEV)

53. “At that time, people will say, ‘The

LORD has saved us! Let's celebrate. We
waited and hoped-- now our God is
here.’”
- Isaiah 25:9 (CEV)

40
54. “I have made a solemn promise, one
that won't be broken: Everyone will bow
down and worship Me. They will admit
that I alone can bring about justice.
Everyone who is angry with Me will be
terribly ashamed and will turn to Me.”
- Isaiah 45:23-24 (CEV)

55. “It is good to wait patiently for the

LORD to save us.”
- Lamentations 3:26 (CEV)

56. “But I trust the LORD God to save

me, and I will wait for Him to answer my
prayer.”
- Micah 7:7 (CEV)

41
57. “Then the LORD All-Powerful said:
You people are precious to Me, and when
I come to bring justice, I will protect you,
just as parents protect an obedient child.
Then everyone will once again see the
difference between those who obey Me
by doing right and those who reject Me
by doing wrong.”
- Malachi 3:17-18 (CEV)

58. “He will give eternal life to everyone

who has patiently done what is good in
the hope of receiving glory, honor, and life
that lasts forever.”
- Romans 2:7 (CEV)

42
59. “And this hope is what saves us. But if
we already have what we hope for, there is
no need to keep on hoping. However, we
hope for something we have not yet seen,
and we patiently wait for it.”
- Romans 8:24-25 (CEV)

60. “Let your hope make you glad. Be

patient in time of trouble and never stop
praying.”
- Romans 12:12 (CEV)

61. “But we are citizens of heaven and are

eagerly waiting for our Savior to come
from there. …”
- Philippians 3:20 (CEV)

43
62. “God loves you and has chosen you
as His own special people. So be gentle,
kind, humble, meek, and patient.”
- Colossians 3:12 (CEV)

63. “We are filled with hope, as we wait

for the glorious return of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ.”
- Titus 2:13 (CEV)

64. “So Christ died only once to take

away the sins of many people. But when
He comes again, it will not be to take
away sin. He will come to save everyone
who is waiting for Him.”
- Hebrews 9:28 (CEV)

44
65. “Learn to be patient, so that you will
please God and be given what He has
promised.”
- Hebrews 10:36 (CEV)

66. “My friends, be patient until the Lord

returns. Think of farmers who wait
patiently for the spring and summer rains
to make their valuable crops grow.”
- James 5:7 (CEV)

67. “God said, ”At the time I have

decided, My words will come true. You
can trust what I say about the future. It
may take a long time, but keep on
waiting-- it will happen!”
- Habakkuk 2:3 (CEV)

45