Job 33-34
New King James Version
Elihu Contradicts Job
33 “But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2 Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
3 My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
4 (A)The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If you can answer me,
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
6 (B)Truly I am [a]as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
7 (C)Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.
8 “Surely you have spoken [b]in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
9 ‘I(D) am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Yet He finds occasions against me,
(E)He counts me as His enemy;
11 (F)He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’
12 “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
13 Why do you (G)contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
14 (H)For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
15 (I)In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
16 (J)Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
17 In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from [c]perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also chastened with pain on his (K)bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
20 (L)So that his life abhors (M)bread,
And his soul [d]succulent food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.
23 “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
24 Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found [e]a ransom’;
25 His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
27 Then he looks at men and (N)says,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it (O)did not profit me.’
28 He will (P)redeem [f]his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.
29 “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
30 (Q)To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, (R)listen to me;
[g]Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice
34 Elihu further answered and said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
3 (S)For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 “For Job has said, (T)‘I am righteous,
But (U)God has taken away my justice;
6 (V)Should I lie concerning my right?
My [h]wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
(W)Who drinks [i]scorn like water,
8 Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
9 For (X)he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’
10 “Therefore listen to me, you [j]men of understanding:
(Y)Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
11 (Z)For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
12 Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty (AA)pervert justice.
13 Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
14 If He should set His heart on it,
If He should (AB)gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15 (AC)All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.
16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
17 (AD)Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you (AE)condemn Him who is most just?
18 (AF)Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
19 Yet He (AG)is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For (AH)they are all the work of His hands.
20 In a moment they die, (AI)in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.
21 “For(AJ) His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
22 (AK)There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 (AL)He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
25 Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26 He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
27 Because they (AM)turned back from Him,
And (AN)would not consider any of His ways,
28 So that they (AO)caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He (AP)hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
30 That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
33 Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.
34 “Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
35 ‘Job(AQ) speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
36 Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
37 For he adds (AR)rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”
Acts 13:24-52
New King James Version
24 (A)after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, (B)‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, (C)there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’
26 “Men and brethren, sons of the [a]family of Abraham, and (D)those among you who fear God, (E)to you the [b]word of this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, (F)because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. 28 (G)And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. 29 (H)Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, (I)they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. 30 (J)But God raised Him from the dead. 31 (K)He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you glad tidings—(L)that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:
(M)‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.’
34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to [c]corruption, He has spoken thus:
35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm:
(O)‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’
36 “For David, after he had served [e]his own generation by the will of God, (P)fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and [f]saw corruption; 37 but He whom God raised up [g]saw no corruption. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that (Q)through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and (R)by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:
41 ‘Behold,(S) you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.’ ”
Blessing and Conflict at Antioch
42 [h]So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, (T)persuaded them to continue in (U)the grace of God.
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they (V)opposed the things spoken by Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, (W)“It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but (X)since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, (Y)we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us:
(Z)‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. (AA)And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, (AB)raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 (AC)But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52 And the disciples (AD)were filled with joy and (AE)with the Holy Spirit.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 13:26 stock
- Acts 13:26 message
- Acts 13:34 the state of decay
- Acts 13:34 blessings
- Acts 13:36 in his
- Acts 13:36 underwent decay
- Acts 13:37 underwent no decay
- Acts 13:42 Or And when they went out of the synagogue of the Jews; NU And when they went out, they begged
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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