Job 16

New International Version

Job

16 Then Job replied:

²“I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters,^(A) all of you!^(B)
³Will your long-winded speeches never end?^(C)
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?^(D)
⁴I also could speak like you,
    if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
    and shake my head^(E) at you.
⁵But my mouth would encourage you;
    comfort^(F) from my lips would bring you relief.^(G)

⁶“Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
    and if I refrain, it does not go away.^(H)
⁷Surely, God, you have worn me out;^(I)
    you have devastated my entire household.^(J)
⁸You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
    my gauntness^(K) rises up and testifies against me.^(L)
⁹God assails me and tears^(M) me in his anger^(N)
    and gnashes his teeth at me;^(O)
    my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.^(P)
¹⁰People open their mouths^(Q) to jeer at me;^(R)
    they strike my cheek^(S) in scorn
    and unite together against me.^(T)
¹¹God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.^(U)
¹²All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.^(V)
He has made me his target;^(W)
¹³    his archers surround me.^(X)
Without pity, he pierces^(Y) my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground.
¹⁴Again and again^(Z) he bursts upon me;
    he rushes at me like a warrior.^(AA)

¹⁵“I have sewed sackcloth^(AB) over my skin
    and buried my brow in the dust.^(AC)
¹⁶My face is red with weeping,^(AD)
    dark shadows ring my eyes;^(AE)
¹⁷yet my hands have been free of violence^(AF)
    and my prayer is pure.^(AG)

¹⁸“Earth, do not cover my blood;^(AH)
    may my cry^(AI) never be laid to rest!^(AJ)
¹⁹Even now my witness^(AK) is in heaven;^(AL)
    my advocate is on high.^(AM)
²⁰My intercessor^(AN) is my friend^[a]^(AO)
    as my eyes pour out^(AP) tears^(AQ) to God;
²¹on behalf of a man he pleads^(AR) with God
    as one pleads for a friend.

²²“Only a few years will pass
before I take the path of no return.^(AS)

Footnotes

Job 16:20 Or My friends treat me with scorn

Acts 2:37-47

New International Version

³⁷When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^(A)

³⁸Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(B) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(C) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^(D) ³⁹The promise is for you and your children^(E) and for all who are far off^(F)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^(G) ⁴¹Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^(H) that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching^(I) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread^(J) and to prayer.^(K) ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.^(L) ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common.^(M) ⁴⁵They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.^(N) ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.^(O) They broke bread^(P) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.^(Q) And the Lord added to their number^(R) daily those who were being saved.