Peter Parker, Spider-Man Vol. 2 #48 (September 2002), titled "The Big Question", pages 1-3; written by Paul Jenkins, pencilled by Mark Buckingham, inked by Wayne Faucher.
“[Peter Parker sits on his bed in his apartment, staring at his Spider-Man costume, which is draped over the back a chair.]
PETER PARKER (thinking): Me and God, we have this little game. We're still working out the finer details, but it basically works like this: He does something really spiteful . . . normally to someone I care about . . . and I get to ask a lot of questions about it. Prayers are, like, God's way of staying interested. I swear he does this stuff to us so that we'll complain and he can have someone to talk to.
Dear God, the thing is this: my life's a joke. I mean, if you're so infinitely wise then why would you send someone like the Green Goblin to try and ruin my life? Since when did my family and friends ever do you any harm? Why would you have the Goblin put my buddy Flash Thompson in a coma so that he may never walk or talk again? And where did I go so wrong that you needed to hold a miror to my heart, just so's I can see my ugly reflection?
GOD: Oh, Peter . . . Don't you see? This is all part of my grand design.
PETER PARKER: Uh-huh . . . is this one of those "create by numbers" things you got going here? Only I'm not sure I see the entire picture.
GOD: Would it make any difference if you did?
PETER PARKER: Probably not. So just why do bad things happen to good people?
GOD: I can't tell you. It'd spoil the surprise. You'd know everything. And then you'd get all bored and grumpy and you'd blame it on me. It's much better this way, Peter . . . You get to figure everything out for yourself and when you do, it'll make all the difference in the world.
PETER PARKER (thinking): Funny how most of my conversations with God end like that.”
(א) מזמור. זה המזמור נאמר על מבוכת בני העולם על שלום הרשעים ורעות הצדיקים בעולם הזה, ואסף המשורר הזה מדבר על לשונו או על לשון כל נבוך:
This Mizmor is about something which confounds mankind: regarding the peace of the wicked and the hardship of the righteous in this world (Olam Hazeh). Asaf, the singer of this (psalm), speaks about this issue or any confounding issue.
(א) מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אַ֤ךְ ט֭וֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֱלֹהִ֗ים לְבָרֵ֥י לֵבָֽב׃
(ב) וַאֲנִ֗י כִּ֭מְעַט נטוי [נָטָ֣יוּ] רַגְלָ֑י כְּ֝אַ֗יִן שפכה [שֻׁפְּכ֥וּ] אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃ (ג) כִּֽי־קִ֭נֵּאתִי בַּֽהוֹלְלִ֑ים שְׁל֖וֹם רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֶרְאֶֽה׃ (ד) כִּ֤י אֵ֖ין חַרְצֻבּ֥וֹת לְמוֹתָ֗ם וּבָרִ֥יא אוּלָֽם׃ (ה) בַּעֲמַ֣ל אֱנ֣וֹשׁ אֵינֵ֑מוֹ וְעִם־אָ֝דָ֗ם לֹ֣א יְנֻגָּֽעוּ׃ (ו) לָ֭כֵן עֲנָקַ֣תְמוֹ גַאֲוָ֑ה יַעֲטָף־שִׁ֝֗ית חָמָ֥ס לָֽמוֹ׃ (ז) יָ֭צָא מֵחֵ֣לֶב עֵינֵ֑מוֹ עָ֝בְר֗וּ מַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת לֵבָֽב׃ (ח) יָמִ֤יקוּ ׀ וִידַבְּר֣וּ בְרָ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁק מִמָּר֥וֹם יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃ (ט) שַׁתּ֣וּ בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם פִּיהֶ֑ם וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם תִּֽהֲלַ֥ךְ בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (י) לָכֵ֤ן ׀ ישיב [יָשׁ֣וּב] עַמּ֣וֹ הֲלֹ֑ם וּמֵ֥י מָ֝לֵ֗א יִמָּ֥צוּ לָֽמוֹ׃ (יא) וְֽאָמְר֗וּ אֵיכָ֥ה יָדַֽע־אֵ֑ל וְיֵ֖שׁ דֵּעָ֣ה בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃ (יב) הִנֵּה־אֵ֥לֶּה רְשָׁעִ֑ים וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י ע֝וֹלָ֗ם הִשְׂגּוּ־חָֽיִל׃ (יג) אַךְ־רִ֭יק זִכִּ֣יתִי לְבָבִ֑י וָאֶרְחַ֖ץ בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן כַּפָּֽי׃ (יד) וָאֱהִ֣י נָ֭גוּעַ כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י לַבְּקָרִֽים׃ (טו) אִם־אָ֭מַרְתִּי אֲסַפְּרָ֥ה כְמ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֤ה ד֭וֹר בָּנֶ֣יךָ בָגָֽדְתִּי׃ (טז) וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה לָדַ֣עַת זֹ֑את עָמָ֖ל היא [ה֣וּא] בְעֵינָֽי׃
(יז) עַד־אָ֭בוֹא אֶל־מִקְדְּשֵׁי־אֵ֑ל אָ֝בִ֗ינָה לְאַחֲרִיתָֽם׃ (יח) אַ֣ךְ בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת תָּשִׁ֣ית לָ֑מוֹ הִ֝פַּלְתָּ֗ם לְמַשּׁוּאֽוֹת׃ (יט) אֵ֤יךְ הָי֣וּ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה כְרָ֑גַע סָ֥פוּ תַ֝֗מּוּ מִן־בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃ (כ) כַּחֲל֥וֹם מֵהָקִ֑יץ אֲ֝דֹנָי בָּעִ֤יר ׀ צַלְמָ֬ם תִּבְזֶֽה׃ (כא) כִּ֭י יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ לְבָבִ֑י וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃ (כב) וַאֲנִי־בַ֭עַר וְלֹ֣א אֵדָ֑ע בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת הָיִ֥יתִי עִמָּֽךְ׃ (כג) וַאֲנִ֣י תָמִ֣יד עִמָּ֑ךְ אָ֝חַ֗זְתָּ בְּיַד־יְמִינִֽי׃ (כד) בַּעֲצָתְךָ֥ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְ֝אַחַ֗ר כָּב֥וֹד תִּקָּחֵֽנִי׃ (כה) מִי־לִ֥י בַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְ֝עִמְּךָ֗ לֹא־חָפַ֥צְתִּי בָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כו) כָּלָ֥ה שְׁאֵרִ֗י וּלְבָ֫בִ֥י צוּר־לְבָבִ֥י וְחֶלְקִ֗י אֱלֹהִ֥ים לְעוֹלָֽם׃ (כז) כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֣ה רְחֵקֶ֣יךָ יֹאבֵ֑דוּ הִ֝צְמַ֗תָּה כָּל־זוֹנֶ֥ה מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ (כח) וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ קִֽרֲבַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֗ים לִ֫י־ט֥וֹב שַׁתִּ֤י ׀ בַּאדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י לְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר כָּל־מַלְאֲכוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
(1) A psalm of Asaph. God is truly good to Israel, to those whose heart is pure.
(2) As for me, my feet had almost strayed, my steps were nearly led off course, (3) for I envied the wanton; I saw the wicked at ease. (4) Death has no pangs for them; their body is healthy. (5) They have no part in the travail of men; they are not afflicted like the rest of mankind. (6) So pride adorns their necks, lawlessness enwraps them as a mantle. (7) Fat shuts out their eyes; their fancies are extravagant. (8) They scoff and plan evil; from their eminence they plan wrongdoing. (9) They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth. (10) So they pound His people again and again, until they are drained of their very last tear. (11) Then they say, “How could God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” (12) Such are the wicked; ever tranquil, they amass wealth. (13) It was for nothing that I kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence, (14) seeing that I have been constantly afflicted, that each morning brings new punishments. (15) Had I decided to say these things, I should have been false to the circle of Your disciples. (16) So I applied myself to understand this, but it seemed a hopeless task
(17) till I entered God’s sanctuary and reflected on their fate. (18) You surround them with flattery; You make them fall through blandishments. (19) How suddenly are they ruined, wholly swept away by terrors. (20) When You are aroused You despise their image, as one does a dream after waking, O Lord. (21) My mind was stripped of its reason, my feelings were numbed. (22) I was a dolt, without knowledge; I was brutish toward You. (23) Yet I was always with You, You held my right hand; (24) You guided me by Your counsel and led me toward honor. (25) Whom else have I in heaven? And having You, I want no one on earth. (26) My body and mind fail; but God is the stay of my mind, my portion forever. (27) Those who keep far from You perish; You annihilate all who are untrue to You. (28) As for me, nearness to God is good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may recount all Your works.
Moses said before God: Master of the Universe. Why is it that the righteous prosper, the righteous suffer, the wicked prosper, the wicked suffer?
God said to him: Moses, the righteous person who prospers is a righteous person, the son of a righteous person, who is rewarded for the actions of his ancestors. The righteous person who suffers is a righteous person, the son of a wicked person, who is punished for the transgressions of his ancestors. The wicked person who prospers is a wicked person, the son of a righteous person, who is rewarded for the actions of his ancestors. The wicked person who suffers is a wicked person, the son of a wicked person, who is punished for the transgressions of his ancestors.