Old/New Testament
Zophar Says the Rejoicing of the Wicked Is Short
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite responded,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me [a]respond,
Even because of my [b]inward agitation.
3 I listened to (A)the reprimand which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 Do you know this from (B)ancient times,
From the establishment of mankind on earth,
5 That the (C)rejoicing of the wicked is short,
And (D)the joy of the godless momentary?
6 Though his arrogance [c](E)reaches the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He (F)perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him (G)will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He flies away like a (H)dream, and they cannot find him;
Like a vision of the night he is (I)chased away.
9 The (J)eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And (K)his place no longer beholds him.
10 His (L)sons [d]favor the poor,
And his hands (M)give back his wealth.
11 His (N)bones are full of his youthful strength,
But it lies down with him [e]in the dust.
12 “Though (O)evil tastes sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he [f]desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it (P)in his [g]mouth,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the [h]venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows riches,
But will (Q)vomit them up;
God will expel them from his belly.
16 He sucks (R)the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 He does not look at (S)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 He (T)returns the product of his labor
And cannot swallow it;
As to the riches of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy them.
19 For he has (U)oppressed and neglected the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no quiet [i]within him,
He does (V)not retain anything he desires.
21 Nothing remains [j]for him to devour,
Therefore (W)his prosperity does not endure.
22 In the fullness of his excess he will be cramped;
The (X)hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.
23 When he (Y)fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And (Z)rain it on him [k]while he is eating.
24 He may (AA)flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 It is drawn and comes out of his back,
Even the flashing point from (AB)his gallbladder;
(AC)Terrors come upon him,
26 Complete (AD)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures,
And unfanned (AE)fire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 The (AF)heavens will reveal his guilt,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The (AG)increase of his house will disappear;
His possessions will flow away (AH)on the day of His anger.
29 This is a wicked person’s (AI)portion from God,
The inheritance decreed to him by God.”
Job Says God Will Deal with the Wicked
21 Then Job responded,
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
3 Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may (AJ)mock me.
4 As for me, is (AK)my complaint [l]to a mortal?
Or (AL)why should [m]I not be impatient?
5 Look at me, and be astonished,
And (AM)put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And (AN)horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 Why (AO)do the wicked still live,
Grow old, and also become very [n](AP)powerful?
8 Their [o](AQ)descendants endure with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (AR)are safe from fear,
And the [p]rod of God is not on them.
10 His ox mates [q]without fail;
His cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send out their boys like the flock,
And their children dance.
12 They [r]sing with the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13 They (AS)spend their days in prosperity,
And [s]suddenly they go down to [t]Sheol.
14 Yet they say to God, ‘(AT)Go away from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 [u]Who is [v]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And (AU)what would we gain if we plead with Him?’
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (AV)advice of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is (AW)the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their (AX)disaster fall on them?
Does [w]God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 Are they as (AY)straw before the wind,
And like (AZ)chaff which the storm carries away?
19 You say, ‘(BA)God saves up [x]a person’s [y]wrongdoing for his sons.’
Let [z]God repay him so that he may know it.
20 Let his (BB)own eyes see his destruction,
And let him (BC)drink of the wrath of [aa]the Almighty.
21 For what does he care about his household [ab]after him,
When the number of his months is at an end?
22 Can anyone (BD)teach God knowledge,
In that He (BE)judges those on high?
23 One (BF)dies in his full strength,
Being wholly undisturbed and at ease;
24 His [ac]sides are filled with fat,
And the (BG)marrow of his bones is wet,
25 While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even [ad]tasting anything good.
26 Together they (BH)lie down in the dust,
And (BI)maggots cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plots you devise against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of (BJ)the nobleman,
And where is the (BK)tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked travelers,
And do you not examine their [ae]evidence?
30 For the (BL)wicked person is spared [af]a day of disaster;
They [ag]are led away from (BM)a day of fury.
31 Who [ah]confronts him with his actions,
And who repays him for what he has done?
32 When he is carried to the grave,
People will keep watch over his tomb.
33 The (BN)clods of the valley will [ai]gently cover him;
Moreover, (BO)all mankind will [aj]follow after him,
While countless others go before him.
34 So how dare you give me empty (BP)comfort?
For your answers remain nothing but falsehood!”
24 On the following day he entered (A)Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and [a](B)worshiped him. 26 But Peter helped him up, saying, “(C)Stand up; I, too, am just a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he entered and *found (D)many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is (E)forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a [b]foreigner; and yet (F)God has shown me that I am not to call any person [c]unholy or unclean. 29 That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?”
30 Cornelius said, “(G)Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during (H)the [d]ninth hour; and behold, (I)a man stood before me in shining clothing, 31 and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your charitable gifts have been remembered before God. 32 Therefore send some men to (J)Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent men to you immediately, and you have [e]been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear everything that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Gentiles Hear Good News
34 (K)Opening his mouth, Peter said:
“I most certainly understand now that (L)God is not one to show partiality, 35 but (M)in every nation the one who [f](N)fears Him and [g]does what is right is acceptable to Him. 36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, (O)preaching [h](P)peace through Jesus Christ (He is (Q)Lord of all)— 37 you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 [i]You know of (R)Jesus of Nazareth, how God (S)anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, [j](T)and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for (U)God was with Him. 39 We are (V)witnesses of all the things that He did both in the [k]country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on [l](W)a cross. 40 (X)God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He [m]be revealed, 41 (Y)not to all the people, but to (Z)witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us (AA)who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He (AB)ordered us to [n]preach to the people, and to (AC)testify solemnly that this is the One who has been (AD)appointed by God as (AE)Judge of the living and the dead. 43 (AF)All the prophets testify of Him, that through (AG)His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, (AH)the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the [o]message. 45 (AI)All the [p]Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been (AJ)poured out on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them (AK)speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter responded, 47 “(AL)Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who (AM)have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he (AN)ordered them to be baptized (AO)in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
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