Job 11-12
English Standard Version
Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse
11 Then (A)Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Should (B)a multitude of words go unanswered,
and a man full of talk be judged right?
3 Should your babble silence men,
and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
4 For (C)you say, ‘My (D)doctrine is pure,
and I am clean in God's[a] eyes.’
5 But oh, that God would speak
and open his lips to you,
6 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
For he is manifold in (E)understanding.[b]
Know then that God (F)exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.
7 (G)“Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
8 It is (H)higher than heaven[c]—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
9 Its measure is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.
10 If he (I)passes through and (J)imprisons
and summons the court, who can (K)turn him back?
11 For he knows (L)worthless men;
when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
12 But a stupid man will get understanding
when (M)a wild donkey's colt is (N)born a man!
13 “If you (O)prepare your heart,
you will (P)stretch out your hands toward him.
14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
15 Surely then you will (Q)lift up your face without (R)blemish;
you will be secure and will not fear.
16 You will (S)forget your misery;
you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
17 And your life will be (T)brighter than the noonday;
its darkness will be like the morning.
18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
you will look around and (U)take your rest in security.
19 You will (V)lie down, and none will make you afraid;
many will (W)court your favor.
20 But (X)the eyes of the wicked will fail;
all way of escape will be lost to them,
and their hope is (Y)to breathe their last.”
Job Replies: The Lord Has Done This
12 Then Job answered and said:
2 “No doubt you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.
3 But I have (Z)understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know (AA)such things as these?
4 I am (AB)a laughingstock to my friends;
I, who (AC)called to God and he answered me,
a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
5 In the thought of one who is (AD)at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
it is ready for those whose feet slip.
6 (AE)The tents of robbers are at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure,
who bring their god in their hand.[d]
7 “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
8 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;[e]
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
that (AF)the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In (AG)his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not (AH)the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is with (AI)the aged,
and understanding in length of days.
13 (AJ)“With God[f] are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he (AK)shuts a man in, none can open.
15 If he (AL)withholds the waters, they dry up;
if he (AM)sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength and (AN)sound wisdom;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads (AO)counselors away stripped,
and (AP)judges he makes fools.
18 He (AQ)looses the bonds of kings
and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows the mighty.
20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted
(AR)and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He (AS)pours contempt on princes
and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He (AT)uncovers the deeps out of darkness
and brings (AU)deep darkness to light.
23 He (AV)makes nations great, and he destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and (AW)leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
and (AX)makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They (AY)grope in the dark without light,
and he makes them (AZ)stagger like a drunken man.
Acts 23:12-35
English Standard Version
A Plot to Kill Paul
12 When it was day, (A)the Jews made a plot and (B)bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered (C)the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul (D)the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, (E)“The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who (F)have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
Paul Sent to Felix the Governor
23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.[a] 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to (G)Felix (H)the governor.” 25 And he wrote a letter to this effect:
26 “Claudius Lysias, to (I)his Excellency the governor Felix, (J)greetings. 27 (K)This man was seized by the Jews and (L)was about to be killed by them (M)when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, (N)having learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 And (O)desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused (P)about questions of their law, but (Q)charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. 30 (R)And when it was disclosed to me (S)that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, (T)ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”
31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 And on the next day they returned to (U)the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. 33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what (V)province he was from. And when he learned (W)that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing (X)when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's (Y)praetorium.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 23:23 That is, 9 p.m.
Psalm 89:21-27
English Standard Version
21 so that my (A)hand shall be established with him;
my arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him;
(B)the wicked shall not humble him.
23 I will (C)crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My (D)faithfulness and my (E)steadfast love shall be with him,
and in my name shall his (F)horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on (G)the sea
and his right hand on (H)the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my (I)Father,
my God, and (J)the Rock of my salvation.’
27 And I will make him the (K)firstborn,
(L)the highest of the kings of the earth.
Proverbs 19:5-6
English Standard Version
5 (A)A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who (B)breathes out lies will not escape.
6 Many seek the favor of a generous man,[a]
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives (C)gifts.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:6 Or of a noble
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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