Job 37-38
English Standard Version
Elihu Proclaims God's Majesty
37 “At this also my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2 Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
and his (A)lightning to the (B)corners of the earth.
4 After it (C)his voice roars;
(D)he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightnings[a] when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does (E)great things that we cannot (F)comprehend.
6 For to (G)the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
7 He (H)seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may (I)know it.
8 Then the beasts go into their (J)lairs,
and remain in their (K)dens.
9 From (L)its chamber (M)comes the whirlwind,
and (N)cold from the scattering winds.
10 By the breath of God (O)ice is given,
and (P)the broad waters are frozen fast.
11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.
12 They (Q)turn around and around by his (R)guidance,
(S)to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of (T)the habitable world.
13 Whether for (U)correction or for his (V)land
or for (W)love, he causes it to happen.
14 “Hear this, O Job;
stop and (X)consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know how God lays his command upon them
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
16 Do you know the balancings[b] of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him who is (Y)perfect in knowledge,
17 you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
18 Can you, like him, (Z)spread out the skies,
hard as a cast metal (AA)mirror?
19 Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of (AB)darkness.
20 Shall it be told him that I would speak?
Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?
21 “And now no one looks on the light
when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 Out of the north comes golden splendor;
God is clothed with (AC)awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty—we (AD)cannot find him;
he is (AE)great in power;
(AF)justice and abundant righteousness he will not (AG)violate.
24 Therefore men (AH)fear him;
he does not regard any who are (AI)wise in their own conceit.”[c]
The Lord Answers Job
38 Then the Lord (AJ)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this that (AK)darkens counsel by words (AL)without knowledge?
3 (AM)Dress for action[d] like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4 “Where were you when I (AN)laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars (AO)sang together
and all (AP)the sons of God (AQ)shouted for joy?
8 “Or who (AR)shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
9 when I made clouds its garment
and (AS)thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 and prescribed (AT)limits for it
and set bars and doors,
11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your (AU)proud waves be stayed’?
12 “Have you (AV)commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
13 that it might take hold of (AW)the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be (AX)shaken out of it?
14 It is changed like clay under the seal,
and its features stand out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their (AY)light is withheld,
and (AZ)their uplifted arm is broken.
16 “Have you (BA)entered into the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have (BB)the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of (BC)deep darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
and where is the place of darkness,
20 that you may take it to its territory
and that you may discern (BD)the paths to its home?
21 You know, for (BE)you were born then,
and the number of your days is great!
22 “Have you entered (BF)the storehouses of the snow,
or have you seen (BG)the storehouses of the hail,
23 which I have reserved (BH)for the time of trouble,
(BI)for the day of battle and war?
24 What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?
25 “Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
and (BJ)a way for the thunderbolt,
26 to bring rain on (BK)a land where no man is,
on (BL)the desert in which there is no man,
27 to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
and to make the ground sprout with (BM)grass?
28 “Has (BN)the rain a father,
or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb did (BO)the ice come forth,
and who has given birth to (BP)the frost of heaven?
30 The waters become hard like stone,
and the face of the deep is (BQ)frozen.
31 “Can you bind the chains of (BR)the Pleiades
or loose the cords of (BS)Orion?
32 Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth[e] in their season,
or can you guide (BT)the Bear with its children?
33 Do you know (BU)the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
that (BV)a flood of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has (BW)put wisdom in (BX)the inward parts[f]
or given understanding to the mind?[g]
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
38 when the dust runs into a mass
and (BY)the clods stick fast together?
Romans 4
English Standard Version
Abraham Justified by Faith
4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, (A)our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but (B)not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? (C)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now (D)to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but (E)believes in[a] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7 (F)“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not (G)count his sin.”
9 Is this blessing then only for (H)the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? (I)For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 (J)He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was (K)to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
The Promise Realized Through Faith
13 For (L)the promise to Abraham and his offspring (M)that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 (N)For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For (O)the law brings wrath, but (P)where there is no law (Q)there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, (R)in order that the promise may rest on grace and (S)be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, (T)who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, (U)“I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, (V)who gives life to the dead and calls into existence (W)the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, (X)“So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was (Y)as good as dead ((Z)since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered (AA)the barrenness[b] of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that (AB)God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But (AC)the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us (AD)who believe in (AE)him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 (AF)who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised (AG)for our justification.
Footnotes
- Romans 4:5 Or but trusts; compare verse 24
- Romans 4:19 Greek deadness
Psalm 94:6-12
English Standard Version
6 They kill (A)the widow and the sojourner,
and murder (B)the fatherless;
7 (C)and they say, “The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob does not perceive.”
8 (D)Understand, O dullest of the people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
9 (E)He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who (F)disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who (G)teaches man knowledge—
11 (H)the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
that they are (I)but a breath.[a]
Footnotes
- Psalm 94:11 Septuagint they are futile
Proverbs 20:9-10
English Standard Version
9 (A)Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
10 (B)Unequal[a] weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:10 Or Two kinds of; also verse 23
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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