Job 34-35
Holman Christian Standard Bible
34 Then Elihu continued,[a] saying:
2 Hear my words, you wise men,
and listen to me, you knowledgeable ones.
3 Doesn’t the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
4 Let us judge for ourselves what is right;
let us decide together what is good.
5 For Job has declared, “I am righteous,
yet God has deprived me of justice.(A)
6 Would I lie about my case?(B)
My wound[b] is incurable,
though I am without transgression.”
7 What man is like Job?
He drinks derision(C) like water.
8 He keeps company with evildoers
and walks with wicked men.
9 For he has said, “A man gains nothing
when he becomes God’s friend.”(D)
10 Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding.
It is impossible for God to do wrong,
and for the Almighty to act unjustly.(E)
11 For He repays(F) a person according to his deeds,
and He brings his ways on him.
12 Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly
and the Almighty does not pervert justice.(G)
13 Who gave Him authority over the earth?
Who put Him in charge of the entire world?(H)
14 If He put His mind to it
and withdrew the spirit(I) and breath He gave,
15 every living thing would perish together
and mankind would return to the dust.(J)
16 If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I have to say.
17 Could one who hates justice govern the world?
Will you condemn the mighty Righteous One,(K)
18 who says to a king, “Worthless man!”
and to nobles, “Wicked men!”?(L)
19 God is not partial(M) to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of His hands.
20 They die suddenly in the middle of the night;
people shudder, then pass away.
Even the mighty are removed without effort.
21 For His eyes watch over a man’s ways,
and He observes all his steps.(N)
22 There is no darkness, no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves.(O)
23 God does not need to examine a person further,
that one should[c] approach Him in court.
24 He shatters the mighty without an investigation
and sets others in their place.(P)
25 Therefore, He recognizes their deeds(Q)
and overthrows them by night, and they are crushed.
26 In full view of the public,[d]
He strikes them for their wickedness,
27 because they turned aside from following Him
and did not understand any of His ways
28 but caused the poor to cry out to Him,
and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.(R)
29 But when God is silent, who can declare Him guilty?
When He hides His face, who can see Him?
Yet He watches over both individuals and nations,
30 so that godless men should not rule
or ensnare the people.
31 Suppose someone says to God,
“I have endured my punishment;
I will no longer act wickedly.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;
if I have done wrong, I won’t do it again.”
33 Should God repay you on your terms
when you have rejected His?
You must choose, not I!
So declare what you know.
34 Reasonable men will say to me,
along with the wise men who hear me,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;(S)
his words are without insight.”
36 If only Job were tested to the limit,
because his answers are like those of wicked men.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he scornfully claps(T) in our presence,
while multiplying(U) his words against God.
35 Then Elihu continued, saying:
2 Do you think it is just when you say,
“I am righteous before God”?
3 For you ask, “What does it profit You,[e]
and what benefit comes to me, if I do not sin?”(V)
4 I will answer you
and your friends with you.
5 Look at the heavens and see;
gaze at the clouds high above you.
6 If you sin, how does it affect God?
If you multiply your transgressions, what does it do to Him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give Him,
or what does He receive from your hand?(W)
8 Your wickedness affects a person like yourself,
and your righteousness another human being.
9 People cry out because of severe oppression;
they shout for help because of the arm of the mighty.(X)
10 But no one asks, “Where is God my Maker,(Y)
who provides us with songs in the night,(Z)
11 who gives us more understanding than the animals of the earth
and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?”(AA)
12 There they cry out, but He does not answer,
because of the pride of evil men.(AB)
13 Indeed, God does not listen to empty cries,
and the Almighty does not take note of it—
14 how much less when[f] you complain[g]
that you do not see Him,
that your case(AC) is before Him
and you are waiting(AD) for Him.
15 But now, because God’s anger does not punish
and He does not pay attention to transgression,[h]
16 Job opens his mouth in vain
and multiplies words without knowledge.(AE)
Romans 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Abraham Justified by Faith
4 What then can we say that Abraham, our physical ancestor,[a](A) has found? 2 If Abraham was justified[b] by works,(B) he has something to brag about—but not before God.[c] 3 For what does the Scripture say?
4 Now to the one who works,(D) pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous,[e](E) his faith is credited for righteousness.
David Celebrating the Same Truth
6 Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the man God credits righteousness to apart from works:
7 How joyful are those whose lawless acts are forgiven
and whose sins are covered!
8 How joyful is the man
the Lord will never charge with sin!(F)[f]
Abraham Justified before Circumcision
9 Is this blessing only for the circumcised,(G) then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.(H)[g] 10 In what way then was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision(I) as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith[h](J) while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father(K) of all who believe(L) but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. 12 And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.
The Promise Granted through Faith
13 For the promise to Abraham(M) or to his descendants that he would inherit the world(N) was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.[i] 14 If those who are of the law are heirs,(O) faith is made empty and the promise is canceled. 15 For the law produces wrath.(P) And where there is no law,(Q) there is no transgression.
16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace,(R) to guarantee it to all the descendants(S)—not only to those who are of the law[j] but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all 17 in God’s sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations.(T)[k] He believed in God, who gives life to the dead(U) and calls(V) things into existence that do not exist.(W) 18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations(X)[l] according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.(Y)[m] 19 He considered[n] his own body to be already dead(Z) (since he was about 100 years old)(AA) and also considered the deadness of Sarah’s womb,(AB) without weakening in the faith. 20 He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,(AC) 21 because he was fully convinced(AD) that what He had promised He was also able to perform.(AE) 22 Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.(AF)[o] 23 Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone,(AG) 24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him(AH) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.(AI) 25 He was delivered up for[p] our trespasses(AJ) and raised for[q] our justification.[r](AK)
Footnotes
- Romans 4:1 Lit our ancestor according to the flesh
- Romans 4:2 Or was declared righteous, or was acquitted
- Romans 4:2 He has no reason for boasting in God’s presence.
- Romans 4:3 Gn 15:6
- Romans 4:5 Or who acquits, or who justifies
- Romans 4:8 Ps 32:1-2
- Romans 4:9 Gn 15:6
- Romans 4:11 Lit righteousness of faith
- Romans 4:13 Lit righteousness of faith
- Romans 4:16 Or not to those who are of the law only
- Romans 4:17 Gn 17:5
- Romans 4:18 Gn 17:5
- Romans 4:18 Gn 15:5
- Romans 4:19 Other mss read He did not consider
- Romans 4:22 Gn 15:6
- Romans 4:25 Or because of
- Romans 4:25 Or because of
- Romans 4:25 Or acquittal
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
