Elihu Claims to Speak for God

33 “However, please (A)hear my speech, Job,
And listen to all my words.
Behold now, I open my mouth,
My tongue in my [a]mouth speaks.
My words are from the integrity of my heart,
And my lips speak (B)knowledge sincerely.
The (C)Spirit of God has made me,
And the (D)breath of [b]the Almighty gives me life.
(E)Refute me if you can;
Line up against me, take your stand.
Behold, I belong to God, like you;
I too have been [c]formed out of the (F)clay.
Behold, (G)no fear of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

“You have in fact spoken [d]while I listened,
And I heard the sound of your words:
‘I am (H)pure, (I)without wrongdoing;
I am innocent and there (J)is no guilt in me.
10 Behold, He [e]invents [f]criticisms against me;
He (K)counts me as His enemy.
11 He (L)puts my feet in the stocks;
He watches all my paths.’
12 Behold, let me respond to you, (M)you are not right in this,
For God is greater than mankind.

13 “Why do you (N)complain to Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?
14 Indeed (O)God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one notices it.
15 In a (P)dream, a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls on people,
While they slumber in their beds,
16 Then (Q)He opens the ears of people,
And horrifies them with warnings,
17 So that He may turn a person away from bad conduct,
And [g]keep a man from pride;
18 He (R)keeps his soul back from the pit,
And his life from perishing by the (S)spear.

19 A person is also rebuked by (T)pain in his bed,
And with constant complaint in his bones,
20 So that his life (U)loathes bread,
And his soul, food [h]that he should crave.
21 His (V)flesh wastes away from sight,
And his (W)bones, which were not seen, stick out.
22 Then (X)his soul comes near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.

23 “If there is an (Y)interceding angel for him,
One out of a thousand,
To remind a person of what is [i]right for him,
24 And he is gracious to him, and says,
‘Free him from (Z)going down to the pit,
I have found a (AA)ransom’;
25 Let his flesh become fresher than in youth,
Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;
26 Then he will (AB)pray to God, and He will accept him,
So that (AC)he may see His face with joy,
And He will restore His righteousness to that person.
27 He will sing to people and say,
‘I (AD)have sinned and perverted what is right,
And it is not (AE)proper for me.
28 He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit,
And my life will (AF)see the light.’

29 “Behold, God does (AG)all these things for a man two or three times,
30 To (AH)bring back his soul from the pit,
So that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 Pay attention, Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and let me speak.
32 Then if [j]you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I would take pleasure in justifying you.
33 If not, (AI)listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice

34 Then Elihu continued and said,

“Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who understand.
For (AJ)the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us understand among ourselves what is good.
For Job has said, ‘(AK)I am righteous,
But (AL)God has taken away my right;
[k]Should I lie about my right?
My [l](AM)wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.’
What man is like Job,
Who (AN)drinks up derision like water,
Who goes (AO)in company with the workers of injustice,
And walks with wicked people?
For he has said, ‘(AP)It is of no use to a man
When he becomes friends with God.’

10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to (AQ)do evil,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 For He repays a person for (AR)his work,
And lets things happen in correspondence to a man’s [m]behavior.
12 (AS)God certainly will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who (AT)gave Him authority over the earth?
And who (AU)has placed the whole world on Him?
14 If He were to [n]determine to do so,
If He were to (AV)gather His [o]spirit and His breath to Himself,
15 [p](AW)Humanity would perish together,
And mankind would (AX)return to dust.

16 “But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
17 Shall (AY)one who hates justice rule?
And (AZ)will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
18 Who says to a king, ‘You worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘You wicked one’;
19 Who shows no (BA)partiality to the prominent,
Nor regards the rich as above the poor,
Since they are all the (BB)work of His hands?
20 In a moment they die, and (BC)at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And (BD)the powerful are taken away without a hand.

21 “For (BE)His eyes are upon the ways of a person,
And He sees all his steps.
22 There is (BF)no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.
23 For He does not (BG)need to consider a person further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 He breaks in pieces the (BH)mighty without investigation,
And sets others in their place.
25 Therefore He (BI)knows their deeds,
And (BJ)He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26 He (BK)strikes them like the wicked
[q]In a public place,
27 Because they (BL)turned aside from following Him,
And (BM)had no regard for any of His ways,
28 So that they caused (BN)the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He would (BO)hear the cry of the afflicted—
29 When He keeps quiet, who can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him,
That is, regarding both nation and a person?—
30 So that (BP)godless people would not rule,
Nor be snares for the people.

31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured punishment;
I will not offend anymore;
32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have (BQ)done wrong,
I will not do it again’?
33 Shall God (BR)repay on your terms, because you have rejected His?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
35 ‘Job (BS)speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
36 Oh that Job were tested [r]to the limit,
Because [s]he answers (BT)like sinners.
37 For he adds (BU)rebellion to his sin;
He (BV)claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:2 Lit palate
  2. Job 33:4 Heb Shaddai
  3. Job 33:6 Lit cut out of
  4. Job 33:8 Lit in my ears
  5. Job 33:10 Lit finds
  6. Job 33:10 Or complaints
  7. Job 33:17 Lit hide
  8. Job 33:20 Lit of craving
  9. Job 33:23 Lit his uprightness
  10. Job 33:32 Lit there are words
  11. Job 34:6 Or Although I am right I am accounted a liar.
  12. Job 34:6 Lit arrow
  13. Job 34:11 Lit way
  14. Job 34:14 Lit set His mind on Himself
  15. Job 34:14 Or Spirit
  16. Job 34:15 Lit All flesh
  17. Job 34:26 Lit In the place of the ones seeing
  18. Job 34:36 Or to the end
  19. Job 34:36 Lit of answers like

24 after (A)John had proclaimed, before [a]His coming, a (B)baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And while John (C)was completing his course, (D)he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

26 [b]Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of (E)this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem, and their (F)rulers, (G)recognizing neither Him nor the [c]declarations of (H)the prophets which are (I)read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28 And though they found no grounds for putting Him to death, they (J)asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 When they had (K)carried out everything that was written concerning Him, (L)they took Him down from the [d](M)cross and (N)laid Him in a tomb. 30 But God (O)raised Him from the dead; 31 and for many days (P)He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now (Q)His witnesses to the people. 32 And we (R)preach to you the good news of (S)the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by (T)raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘(U)You are My Son; today I have fathered You.’ 34 As for the fact that He (V)raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘(W)I will give you the holy and faithful mercies of David.’ 35 Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: ‘(X)You will not [e]allow Your [f]Holy One to [g]undergo decay.’ 36 For (Y)David, after he had [h]served God’s (Z)purpose in his own generation, (AA)fell asleep, and was [i]buried among his fathers and [j]underwent decay; 37 but He whom God (AB)raised did not [k]undergo decay. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, [l]brothers, that (AC)through [m]Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and [n]through Him (AD)everyone who believes is [o]freed [p]from all things, from which you could not be [q]freed [r]through the Law of Moses. 40 Therefore, see that the thing spoken of (AE)in the Prophets does not come upon you:

41 (AF)Look, you scoffers, and be astonished, and [s]perish;
For I am accomplishing a work in your days,
A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’”

42 As [t]Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these [u]things spoken to them the next (AG)Sabbath. 43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the (AH)God-fearing [v](AI)proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in (AJ)the grace of God.

Paul Turns to the Gentiles

44 The next (AK)Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of [w]the Lord. 45 But when (AL)the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were [x]blaspheming. 46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you (AM)first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, (AN)we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us,

(AO)I have appointed You as a (AP)light [y]to the Gentiles,
That You may [z]bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying (AQ)the word of [aa]the Lord; and all who (AR)had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And (AS)the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50 But (AT)the Jews incited the [ab](AU)devout women (AV)of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their [ac]region. 51 But (AW)they shook off the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to (AX)Iconium. 52 And the disciples were continually (AY)filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 13:24 Lit the face of His entering
  2. Acts 13:26 Lit Men, brothers
  3. Acts 13:27 Lit voices
  4. Acts 13:29 Lit wood; see Deut 21:23
  5. Acts 13:35 Lit give
  6. Acts 13:35 Or Devout; or Pious
  7. Acts 13:35 Lit see corruption
  8. Acts 13:36 Or served his own generation by the purpose of God
  9. Acts 13:36 Lit gathered to his
  10. Acts 13:36 Lit saw corruption
  11. Acts 13:37 Lit see corruption
  12. Acts 13:38 Lit men, brothers
  13. Acts 13:38 Lit this One
  14. Acts 13:39 Lit in; or by
  15. Acts 13:39 Or justified
  16. Acts 13:39 Lit by
  17. Acts 13:39 Or justified
  18. Acts 13:39 Lit by
  19. Acts 13:41 Lit disappear
  20. Acts 13:42 Lit they
  21. Acts 13:42 Lit words
  22. Acts 13:43 I.e., Gentile converts to Judaism
  23. Acts 13:44 One early ms God
  24. Acts 13:45 Or slandering him
  25. Acts 13:47 Lit of
  26. Acts 13:47 Lit be for salvation
  27. Acts 13:48 Two early mss God
  28. Acts 13:50 Or worshiping
  29. Acts 13:50 Lit boundaries

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