Job's Final Appeal

31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
    how then could I gaze at a virgin?
What would be (B)my portion from God above
    and (C)my heritage from the Almighty on high?
Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
    and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
(D)Does not he see my ways
    and (E)number all my steps?

“If I have walked with falsehood
    and my foot has hastened to deceit;
(Let me be (F)weighed in a just balance,
    and let God know my integrity!)
if my step has turned aside from the way
    and (G)my heart has gone after my eyes,
    and if any (H)spot has stuck to my hands,
then let me (I)sow, and another eat,
    and let what grows for me[a] be rooted out.

“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
    and I have (J)lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
10 then let my wife (K)grind for another,
    and let others (L)bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
    that would be an iniquity (M)to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire (N)that consumes as far as Abaddon,
    and it would burn to the root all my increase.

13 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
    when they brought a complaint against me,
14 what then shall I do when God rises up?
    When he (O)makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
15 Did (P)not he who made me in the womb make him?
    And did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have (Q)withheld anything that the poor desired,
    or have (R)caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
    and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless[b] grew up with me as with a father,
    and from my mother's womb I guided the widow[c]),
19 if I have seen anyone (S)perish for (T)lack of clothing,
    or the needy without (U)covering,
20 if his body has not (V)blessed me,[d]
    and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against (W)the fatherless,
    because I saw my help in (X)the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
    and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was (Y)in terror of calamity from God,
    and I could not have faced his (Z)majesty.

24 (AA)“If I have made gold my (AB)trust
    or called (AC)fine gold my confidence,
25 if I have (AD)rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
    or because (AE)my hand had found much,
26 (AF)if I have looked at the sun[e] when it shone,
    or (AG)the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
    and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be (AH)an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
    for I would have been false to God above.

29 “If I have (AI)rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
    or exulted when evil overtook him
30 ((AJ)I have not let my mouth sin
    by asking for his life with a curse),
31 if the men of my tent have not said,
    ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his (AK)meat?’
32 ((AL)the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
    I have opened my doors to the traveler),
33 if I (AM)have concealed my transgressions (AN)as others do[f]
    by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 because I stood in great fear of (AO)the multitude,
    and the contempt of families terrified me,
    so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
    (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty (AP)answer me!)
    Oh, that I had (AQ)the indictment written by my adversary!
36 Surely I would carry it on my (AR)shoulder;
    I would (AS)bind it on me as (AT)a crown;
37 I would give him an account of all my steps;
    like a prince I would approach him.

38 “If my land has cried out against me
    and its furrows have wept together,
39 (AU)if I have eaten its yield without payment
    and made its owners (AV)breathe their last,
40 let (AW)thorns grow instead of wheat,
    and foul weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

Elihu Rebukes Job's Three Friends

32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was (AX)righteous in his own eyes. Then Elihu the son of Barachel (AY)the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself (AZ)rather than God. He burned with anger also at Job's three friends because they had found no answer, although they had (BA)declared Job to be in the wrong. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said:

“I am young in years,
    and you are (BB)aged;
therefore I was timid and afraid
    to declare my opinion to you.
I said, ‘Let days speak,
    and many years teach wisdom.’
But it is (BC)the spirit in man,
    (BD)the breath of the Almighty, that makes him (BE)understand.
(BF)It is not the old[g] who are wise,
    nor the aged who understand what is right.
10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
    let me also declare my opinion.’

11 “Behold, I waited for your words,
    I listened for your wise sayings,
    while you searched out what to say.
12 I gave you my attention,
    and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job
    or who answered his words.
13 Beware (BG)lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom;
    God may vanquish him, not a man.’
14 He has not directed his words against me,
    and I will not answer him with your speeches.

15 “They are dismayed; they answer no more;
    they have not a word to say.
16 And shall I wait, because they do not speak,
    because they stand there, and answer no more?
17 I also will answer with my share;
    I also will declare my opinion.
18 For I am full of words;
    the spirit within me constrains me.
19 Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent;
    like new (BH)wineskins ready to burst.
20 (BI)I must speak, that I may find (BJ)relief;
    I must open my lips and answer.
21 I will not (BK)show partiality to any man
    or use flattery toward any person.
22 For I do not know how to flatter,
    else my Maker would soon take me away.

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:8 Or let my descendants
  2. Job 31:18 Hebrew he
  3. Job 31:18 Hebrew her
  4. Job 31:20 Hebrew if his loins have not blessed me
  5. Job 31:26 Hebrew the light
  6. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did
  7. Job 32:9 Hebrew many [in years]

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes(A)
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.(B)
For what is our lot(C) from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?(D)
Is it not ruin(E) for the wicked,
    disaster(F) for those who do wrong?(G)
Does he not see my ways(H)
    and count my every step?(I)

“If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit(J)
let God weigh me(K) in honest scales(L)
    and he will know that I am blameless(M)
if my steps have turned from the path,(N)
    if my heart has been led by my eyes,
    or if my hands(O) have been defiled,(P)
then may others eat what I have sown,(Q)
    and may my crops be uprooted.(R)

“If my heart has been enticed(S) by a woman,(T)
    or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind(U) another man’s grain,
    and may other men sleep with her.(V)
11 For that would have been wicked,(W)
    a sin to be judged.(X)
12 It is a fire(Y) that burns to Destruction[a];(Z)
    it would have uprooted my harvest.(AA)

13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,(AB)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,(AC)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?(AD)
    What will I answer when called to account?(AE)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?(AF)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?(AG)

16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(AH)
    or let the eyes of the widow(AI) grow weary,(AJ)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless(AK)
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow(AL)
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(AM)
    or the needy(AN) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(AO)
    for warming them with the fleece(AP) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(AQ)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(AR)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(AS)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,(AT)
    and for fear of his splendor(AU) I could not do such things.(AV)

24 “If I have put my trust in gold(AW)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’(AX)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,(AY)
    the fortune my hands had gained,(AZ)
26 if I have regarded the sun(BA) in its radiance
    or the moon(BB) moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed(BC)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,(BD)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,(BE)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.(BF)

29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune(BG)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him(BH)
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life(BI)
31 if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’(BJ)
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler(BK)
33 if I have concealed(BL) my sin as people do,[b]
    by hiding(BM) my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd(BN)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent(BO) and would not go outside—

35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!(BP)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser(BQ) put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,(BR)
    I would put it on like a crown.(BS)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;(BT)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.(BU))—

38 “if my land cries out against me(BV)
    and all its furrows are wet(BW) with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment(BX)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,(BY)
40 then let briers(BZ) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed(CA) instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.(CB)

Elihu

32 So these three men stopped answering Job,(CC) because he was righteous in his own eyes.(CD) But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,(CE) of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself(CF) rather than God.(CG) He was also angry with the three friends,(CH) because they had found no way to refute Job,(CI) and yet had condemned him.[c](CJ) Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.(CK) But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

“I am young in years,
    and you are old;(CL)
that is why I was fearful,
    not daring to tell you what I know.
I thought, ‘Age should speak;
    advanced years should teach wisdom.’(CM)
But it is the spirit[d](CN) in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty,(CO) that gives them understanding.(CP)
It is not only the old[e] who are wise,(CQ)
    not only the aged(CR) who understand what is right.(CS)

10 “Therefore I say: Listen to me;(CT)
    I too will tell you what I know.(CU)
11 I waited while you spoke,
    I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words,
12     I gave you my full attention.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
    none of you has answered his arguments.(CV)
13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;(CW)
    let God, not a man, refute(CX) him.’
14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,(CY)
    and I will not answer him with your arguments.

15 “They are dismayed and have no more to say;
    words have failed them.(CZ)
16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,
    now that they stand there with no reply?
17 I too will have my say;
    I too will tell what I know.(DA)
18 For I am full of words,
    and the spirit(DB) within me compels me;(DC)
19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,
    like new wineskins ready to burst.(DD)
20 I must speak and find relief;
    I must open my lips and reply.(DE)
21 I will show no partiality,(DF)
    nor will I flatter anyone;(DG)
22 for if I were skilled in flattery,
    my Maker(DH) would soon take me away.(DI)

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon
  2. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did
  3. Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God
  4. Job 32:8 Or Spirit; also in verse 18
  5. Job 32:9 Or many; or great

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

13 Now there were in the church at Antioch (A)prophets and (B)teachers, (C)Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,[a] Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of (D)Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, (E)the Holy Spirit said, (F)“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul (G)for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and (H)praying they laid their hands on them and (I)sent them off.

Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus

So, being sent out (J)by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God (K)in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had (L)John to (M)assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain (N)magician, (O)a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with (P)the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the (Q)magician (for that is the meaning of his name) (R)opposed them, seeking to turn (S)the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, (T)filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You (U)son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and (V)villainy, will you not stop (W)making crooked (X)the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, (Y)the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking (Z)people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at (AA)the teaching of the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas at Antioch in Pisidia

13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And (AB)John left them and returned (AC)to Jerusalem, 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And (AD)on the Sabbath day (AE)they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After (AF)the reading from (AG)the Law and the Prophets, (AH)the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any (AI)word of encouragement for the people, say it.” 16 So Paul stood up, and (AJ)motioning with his hand said:

“Men of Israel and (AK)you who fear God, listen. 17 (AL)The God of this people Israel (AM)chose our fathers and (AN)made the people great (AO)during their stay in the land of Egypt, and (AP)with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about (AQ)forty years (AR)he put up with[b] them in the wilderness. 19 And (AS)after destroying (AT)seven nations in the land of Canaan, (AU)he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that (AV)he gave them judges until (AW)Samuel the prophet. 21 Then (AX)they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul (AY)the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And (AZ)when he had removed him, (BA)he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, (BB)‘I have found in David the son of Jesse (BC)a man after my heart, (BD)who will do all my will.’ 23 (BE)Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel (BF)a Savior, Jesus, (BG)as he promised. 24 Before his coming, (BH)John had proclaimed (BI)a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, (BJ)he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 13:1 Niger is a Latin word meaning black, or dark
  2. Acts 13:18 Some manuscripts he carried (compare Deuteronomy 1:31)

13 Now in the church at Antioch(A) there were prophets(B) and teachers:(C) Barnabas,(D) Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,(E) Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod(F) the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,(G) “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work(H) to which I have called them.”(I) So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them(J) and sent them off.(K)

On Cyprus

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit,(L) went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.(M) When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God(N) in the Jewish synagogues.(O) John(P) was with them as their helper.

They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer(Q) and false prophet(R) named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul,(S) Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer(T) (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul(U) from the faith.(V) Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,(W) looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil(X) and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?(Y) 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you.(Z) You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”(AA)

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul(AB) saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

13 From Paphos,(AC) Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia,(AD) where John(AE) left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.(AF) On the Sabbath(AG) they entered the synagogue(AH) and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law(AI) and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand(AJ) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;(AK) 18 for about forty years he endured their conduct[a](AL) in the wilderness;(AM) 19 and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan,(AN) giving their land to his people(AO) as their inheritance.(AP) 20 All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges(AQ) until the time of Samuel the prophet.(AR) 21 Then the people asked for a king,(AS) and he gave them Saul(AT) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,(AU) who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul,(AV) he made David their king.(AW) God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;(AX) he will do everything I want him to do.’(AY)

23 “From this man’s descendants(AZ) God has brought to Israel the Savior(BA) Jesus,(BB) as he promised.(BC) 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.(BD) 25 As John was completing his work,(BE) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.(BF) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’(BG)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 13:18 Some manuscripts he cared for them