God Speaks Now to Job

38 Then the Lord (A)answered Job from the whirlwind and said,

“Who is this who (B)darkens the divine plan
By words without knowledge?
Now [a](C)tighten the belt on your waist like a man,
And (D)I shall ask you, and you inform Me!
Where were you (E)when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you [b]have understanding,
Who set its (F)measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
On what (G)were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together
And all the (H)sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or who (I)enclosed the sea with doors
When it went out from the womb, bursting forth;
When I made a cloud its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling bands,
10 And I [c](J)placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
11 And I said, ‘As far as this point you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?

God’s Mighty Power

12 “Have you [d]ever in your life commanded the morning,
And made the dawn know its place,
13 So that it would take hold of (K)the ends of the earth,
And (L)the wicked would be shaken off from it?
14 It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand out like a garment.
15 (M)Their light is withheld from the wicked,
And the (N)uplifted arm is broken.

16 “Have you entered (O)the springs of the sea,
And walked [e]in the depth of the ocean?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
And have you seen the gates of (P)deep darkness?
18 Have you understood the [f]expanse of (Q)the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you would take it to (R)its territory,
And discern the paths to its [g]home?
21 You know, for (S)you were born then,
And the number of your days is great!
22 Have you entered the storehouses (T)of the snow,
And have you seen the storehouses of the (U)hail,
23 Which I have reserved for a time of distress,
For a day of war and battle?
24 Where is the way that (V)the light is divided,
And the east wind scattered on the earth?

25 “Who has split open a channel for the flood,
And a way for the thunderbolt,
26 To bring (W)rain on a land without [h]people,
On a desert without a person in it,
27 To (X)satisfy the waste and desolate land,
And to make the [i]seeds of grass to sprout?
28 Does (Y)the rain have a father?
Or who has fathered the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb has come the (Z)ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30 Water [j]becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.

31 “Can you tie up the chains of the (AA)Pleiades,
Or untie the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring out a [k]constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her [l]satellites?
33 Do you know the (AB)ordinances of the heavens,
Or do you establish their rule over the earth?

34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds,
So that an (AC)abundance of water will cover you?
35 Can you (AD)send flashes of lightning, so that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has (AE)put wisdom in the innermost being,
Or given (AF)understanding to the [m]mind?
37 Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
And (AG)pour out the water jars of the heavens,
38 When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together?

39 “Can you hunt the (AH)prey for the lioness,
Or satisfy the appetite of young lions,
40 When they (AI)crouch in their hiding places,
And lie in wait in their lair?
41 Who prepares [n]feed for (AJ)the raven
When its young cry to God,
And wander about without food?

God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings

39 “Do you know the time the [o](AK)mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the (AL)deer?
Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
They kneel down, they deliver their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.
Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.

“Who sent the (AM)wild donkey out free?
And who opened the bonds of the swift donkey,
To whom I gave (AN)the wilderness as his home,
And the salt land as his dwelling place?
He laughs at the turmoil of the city,
He does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.
He explores the mountains of his pasture,
And searches after every green thing.
Will the (AO)wild bull be willing to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your feeding trough?
10 Can you tie down the wild bull in a furrow with [p]ropes,
Or will he [q]plow the valleys after you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great,
And leave your labor to him?
12 Will you have faith in him that he will return your [r]grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyously,
With the pinion and feathers of [s]love,
14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [t]them,
Or that a wild animal may trample [u]them.
16 She treats her young (AP)cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor is for nothing, she is [v]unconcerned,
17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 When she rushes away on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him (AQ)leap like locusts?
His majestic (AR)snorting is frightening.
21 [w]He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He (AS)goes out to meet the battle.
22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 He [x]races over the ground with a roar and fury,
And he does not stand still when he hears the sound of the trumpet.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he senses the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your [y]command that the eagle flies high,
And makes (AT)his nest on high?
28 He dwells and spends his nights on the cliff,
On the rocky cliff, an inaccessible place.
29 From there he (AU)tracks food;
His eyes look at it from afar.
30 His young ones also lick up blood greedily;
And (AV)where the slain are, there he is.”

Job Says What Can I Say?

40 Then the Lord said to Job,

“Will the faultfinder (AW)contend with the Almighty?
Let him who (AX)rebukes God [z]give an answer.”

Then Job answered the Lord and said,

“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I say in response to You?
I (AY)put my hand on my mouth.
I have spoken once, and (AZ)I will not reply;
Or twice, and I will add nothing more.”

God Questions Job

Then the (BA)Lord answered Job from the whirlwind and said,

“Now [aa](BB)tighten the belt on your waist like a man;
I will (BC)ask you, and you instruct Me.
Will you really (BD)nullify My judgment?
Will you (BE)condemn Me (BF)so that you may be justified?
Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you (BG)thunder with a voice like His?

10 (BH)Adorn yourself with pride and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
11 Let out your (BI)outbursts of anger,
And look at everyone who is (BJ)arrogant, and humble him.
12 Look at everyone who is arrogant, and (BK)humble him,
And (BL)trample down the wicked [ab]where they stand.
13 (BM)Hide them together in the dust;
Imprison [ac]them in the hidden place.
14 Then I will also [ad]confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.

God’s Power Shown in Creatures

15 “Behold, [ae]Behemoth, which (BN)I made [af]as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his waist,
And his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He hangs his tail like a cedar;
The tendons of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze;
His [ag]limbs are like bars of iron.

19 “He is the (BO)first of the ways of God;
Let his (BP)Maker bring His sword near.
20 Indeed the [ah]mountains (BQ)bring him food,
And all the animals of the field (BR)play there.
21 He lies down under the lotus plants,
In the hiding place of the reeds and the marsh.
22 The lotus plants cover him with [ai]shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
23 If a river [aj]rages, he is not alarmed;
He is confident, though the (BS)Jordan rushes to his mouth.
24 Can anyone capture him [ak]when he is on watch,
Can anyone pierce his nose with barbs?

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:3 I.e., as if for battle
  2. Job 38:4 Lit know understanding
  3. Job 38:10 Lit broke My decree on it
  4. Job 38:12 Lit from your days commanded
  5. Job 38:16 Or in search of the deep
  6. Job 38:18 Or width
  7. Job 38:20 Lit house
  8. Job 38:26 Lit man
  9. Job 38:27 Or growth
  10. Job 38:30 Lit hides itself like
  11. Job 38:32 Heb Mazzaroth
  12. Job 38:32 Lit sons
  13. Job 38:36 Or rooster
  14. Job 38:41 Lit its feed
  15. Job 39:1 Lit goats of the rock
  16. Job 39:10 Lit his rope
  17. Job 39:10 I.e., pull a harrow, a farming device
  18. Job 39:12 Lit seed
  19. Job 39:13 Or a stork
  20. Job 39:15 Lit it
  21. Job 39:15 Lit it
  22. Job 39:16 Lit without fear
  23. Job 39:21 Lit They paw
  24. Job 39:24 Lit swallows up
  25. Job 39:27 Lit mouth
  26. Job 40:2 Lit answer it
  27. Job 40:7 I.e., as if for battle
  28. Job 40:12 Lit under them
  29. Job 40:13 Lit their faces
  30. Job 40:14 Or praise you
  31. Job 40:15 I.e., a powerful animal, possibly a hippopotamus
  32. Job 40:15 Lit with you
  33. Job 40:18 Lit bones
  34. Job 40:20 I.e., the mountain streams
  35. Job 40:22 Lit his shade
  36. Job 40:23 Or oppresses
  37. Job 40:24 Lit in his eyes

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job(A) out of the storm.(B) He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans(C)
    with words without knowledge?(D)
Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(E)

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.(G)
Who marked off its dimensions?(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line(I) across it?
On what were its footings set,(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone(K)
while the morning stars(L) sang together(M)
    and all the angels[a](N) shouted for joy?(O)

“Who shut up the sea behind doors(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,(Q)
when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,(R)
10 when I fixed limits for it(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,(T)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;(U)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?(V)

12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,(W)
    or shown the dawn its place,(X)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked(Y) out of it?(Z)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,(AB)
    and their upraised arm is broken.(AC)

16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?(AD)
17 Have the gates of death(AE) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?(AF)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?(AG)
    Tell me, if you know all this.(AH)

19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?(AI)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths(AJ) to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!(AK)
    You have lived so many years!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow(AL)
    or seen the storehouses(AM) of the hail,(AN)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,(AO)
    for days of war and battle?(AP)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,(AQ)
    or the place where the east winds(AR) are scattered over the earth?(AS)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,(AT)
26 to water(AU) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,(AV)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?(AW)
28 Does the rain have a father?(AX)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens(AY)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?(AZ)

31 “Can you bind the chains[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(BA)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(BB) in their seasons[c]
    or lead out the Bear[d] with its cubs?(BC)
33 Do you know the laws(BD) of the heavens?(BE)
    Can you set up God’s[e] dominion over the earth?

34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?(BF)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?(BG)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[f](BH)
    or gives the rooster understanding?[g](BI)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars(BJ) of the heavens(BK)
38 when the dust becomes hard(BL)
    and the clods of earth stick together?(BM)

39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions(BN)
40 when they crouch in their dens(BO)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?(BP)
41 Who provides food(BQ) for the raven(BR)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?(BS)

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(BT) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(BU)
Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?(BV)
They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

“Who let the wild donkey(BW) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
I gave it the wasteland(BX) as its home,
    the salt flats(BY) as its habitat.(BZ)
It laughs(CA) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.(CB)
It ranges the hills(CC) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

“Will the wild ox(CD) consent to serve you?(CE)
    Will it stay by your manger(CF) at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?(CG)
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?(CH)
    Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain
    and bring it to your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
    though they cannot compare
    with the wings and feathers of the stork.(CI)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
    that some wild animal may trample them.(CJ)
16 She treats her young harshly,(CK) as if they were not hers;
    she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
    or give her a share of good sense.(CL)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs(CM) at horse and rider.

19 “Do you give the horse its strength(CN)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(CO)
    striking terror(CP) with its proud snorting?(CQ)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(CR)
    and charges into the fray.(CS)
22 It laughs(CT) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(CU) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear(CV) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(CW)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(CX) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(CY)

26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?(CZ)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?(DA)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag(DB) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(DC)
    its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is.”(DD)

40 The Lord said to Job:(DE)

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty(DF) correct him?(DG)
    Let him who accuses God answer him!”(DH)

Then Job answered the Lord:

“I am unworthy(DI)—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.(DJ)
I spoke once, but I have no answer(DK)
    twice, but I will say no more.”(DL)

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(DM)

“Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(DN)

“Would you discredit my justice?(DO)
    Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(DP)
Do you have an arm like God’s,(DQ)
    and can your voice(DR) thunder like his?(DS)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
    and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(DT)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(DU)
    look at all who are proud and bring them low,(DV)
12 look at all who are proud(DW) and humble them,(DX)
    crush(DY) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(DZ)
    shroud their faces in the grave.(EA)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
    that your own right hand can save you.(EB)

15 “Look at Behemoth,
    which I made(EC) along with you
    and which feeds on grass like an ox.(ED)
16 What strength(EE) it has in its loins,
    what power in the muscles of its belly!(EF)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
    the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(EG)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
    its limbs(EH) like rods of iron.(EI)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(EJ)
    yet its Maker(EK) can approach it with his sword.(EL)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(EM)
    and all the wild animals play(EN) nearby.(EO)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
    hidden among the reeds(EP) in the marsh.(EQ)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
    the poplars by the stream(ER) surround it.
23 A raging river(ES) does not alarm it;
    it is secure, though the Jordan(ET) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
    or trap it and pierce its nose?(EU)

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
  2. Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
  3. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  4. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  5. Job 38:33 Or their
  6. Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
  7. Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

The Macedonian Vision

16 Now Paul also came to (A)Derbe and to (B)Lystra. And a disciple was there, named (C)Timothy, the son of a (D)Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by (E)the brothers and sisters who were in (F)Lystra and (G)Iconium. Paul wanted this man to leave with him; and he (H)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering (I)the ordinances for them to follow which had been determined by (J)the apostles and (K)elders in Jerusalem. So (L)the churches were being strengthened [a]in the faith, and were (M)increasing in number daily.

They passed through the [b](N)Phrygian and (O)Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in [c](P)Asia; and after they came to (Q)Mysia, they were trying to go into (R)Bithynia, and the (S)Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; and passing by (T)Mysia, they went down to (U)Troas. (V)And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of (W)Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen (X)the vision, (Y)we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to (Z)preach the gospel to them.

11 So after setting sail from (AA)Troas, we ran (AB)a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis; 12 and from there to (AC)Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of (AD)Macedonia, (AE)a Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city. 13 And on (AF)the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were thinking that there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

First Convert in Europe

14 A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of (AG)Thyatira, and (AH)a worshiper of God. [d]The Lord (AI)opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 Now when she and (AJ)her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

16 It happened that as we were going to (AK)the place of prayer, a slave woman who had (AL)a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing great profit to her masters by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us and cried out repeatedly, saying, “These men are bond-servants of (AM)the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation.” 18 Now she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and he turned and said to the spirit, “I command you (AN)in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very [e]moment.

19 But when her masters saw that their hope of (AO)profit was suddenly gone, they seized (AP)Paul and Silas and (AQ)dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men, Jews as they are, are causing our city trouble, 21 and they (AR)are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are (AS)Romans.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:5 Or in faith
  2. Acts 16:6 Or Phrygia and the Galatian region
  3. Acts 16:6 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
  4. Acts 16:14 Lit Whose heart the Lord opened
  5. Acts 16:18 Lit hour

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,(A) where a disciple named Timothy(B) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer(C) but whose father was a Greek. The believers(D) at Lystra and Iconium(E) spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.(F) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders(G) in Jerusalem(H) for the people to obey.(I) So the churches were strengthened(J) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.(K)

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia(L) and Galatia,(M) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.(N) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus(O) would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.(P) During the night Paul had a vision(Q) of a man of Macedonia(R) standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we(S) got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel(T) to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

11 From Troas(U) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi,(V) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[a] of Macedonia.(W) And we stayed there several days.

13 On the Sabbath(X) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira(Y) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart(Z) to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household(AA) were baptized,(AB) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer,(AC) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit(AD) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,(AE) who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.(AF)

19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money(AG) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas(AH) and dragged(AI) them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar(AJ) 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans(AK) to accept or practice.”(AL)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:12 The text and meaning of the Greek for the leading city of that district are uncertain.