Job 37-39
New American Standard Bible 1995
Elihu Says God Is Back of the Storm
37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 “Listen closely to the (A)thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His [a]lightning to the (B)ends of the earth.
4 “After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain [b]the lightnings when His voice is heard.
5 “God (C)thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing (D)great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 “For to (E)the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the [c](F)downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 “He (G)seals the hand of every man,
That (H)all men may know His work.
8 “Then the beast goes into its (I)lair
And remains in its [d]den.
9 “Out of the [e](J)south comes the storm,
And out of the [f]north the cold.
10 “From the breath of God (K)ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 “Also with moisture He (L)loads the thick cloud;
He (M)disperses (N)the cloud of His [g]lightning.
12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That [h]it may do whatever He (O)commands [i]it
On the (P)face of the inhabited earth.
13 “Whether for [j](Q)correction, or for (R)His world,
Or for (S)lovingkindness, He causes it to [k]happen.
14 “Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
15 “Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the [l]lightning of His cloud to shine?
16 “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The (T)wonders of one (U)perfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
18 “Can you, with Him, (V)spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19 “Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We (W)cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
20 “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
[m]Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?
21 “Now [n]men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 “Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
23 “The Almighty—(X)we cannot find Him;
He is (Y)exalted in power
And (Z)He will not do violence (AA)to justice and abundant righteousness.
24 “Therefore men (AB)fear Him;
He does not (AC)regard any who are wise of heart.”
God Speaks Now to Job
38 Then the Lord (AD)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2 “Who is this that (AE)darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 “Now (AF)gird up your loins like a man,
And (AG)I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4 “Where were you (AH)when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you [o]have understanding,
5 Who set its (AI)measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
6 “On what (AJ)were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together
And all the (AK)sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who (AL)enclosed the sea with doors
When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;
9 When I made a cloud its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 And I [p](AM)placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
11 And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;
And here shall your proud waves stop’?
God’s Mighty Power
12 “Have you [q]ever in your life commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of (AN)the ends of the earth,
And (AO)the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 “It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand forth like a garment.
15 “(AP)From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the (AQ)uplifted arm is broken.
16 “Have you entered into (AR)the springs of the sea
Or walked [r]in the recesses of the deep?
17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
Or have you seen the gates of (AS)deep darkness?
18 “Have you understood the [s]expanse of (AT)the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to (AU)its territory
And that you may discern the paths to its [t]home?
21 “You know, for (AV)you were born then,
And the number of your days is great!
22 “Have you entered the storehouses (AW)of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the (AX)hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress,
For the day of war and battle?
24 “Where is the way that (AY)the light is divided,
Or the east wind scattered on the earth?
25 “Who has cleft a channel for the flood,
Or a way for the thunderbolt,
26 To bring (AZ)rain on a land without [u]people,
On a desert without a man in it,
27 To (BA)satisfy the waste and desolate land
And to make the [v]seeds of grass to sprout?
28 “Has (BB)the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 “From whose womb has come the (BC)ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30 “Water [w]becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.
31 “Can you bind the chains of the (BD)Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of Orion?
32 “Can you lead forth a [x]constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her [y]satellites?
33 “Do you know the (BE)ordinances of the heavens,
Or fix their rule over the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an (BF)abundance of water will cover you?
35 “Can you (BG)send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 “Who has (BH)put wisdom in the innermost being
Or given (BI)understanding to the [z]mind?
37 “Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
Or (BJ)tip the water jars of the heavens,
38 When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together?
39 “Can you hunt the (BK)prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they (BL)crouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?
41 “Who prepares for (BM)the raven its nourishment
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?
God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings
39 “Do you know the time the [aa](BN)mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the (BO)deer?
2 “Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
3 “They kneel down, they bring forth their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.
4 “Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.
5 “Who sent out the (BP)wild donkey free?
And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 To whom I gave (BQ)the wilderness for a home
And the salt land for his dwelling place?
7 “He scorns the tumult of the city,
The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.
8 “He explores the mountains for his pasture
And searches after every green thing.
9 “Will the (BR)wild ox consent to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your manger?
10 “Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with [ab]ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you?
11 “Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?
12 “Will you have faith in him that he will return your [ac]grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
13 “The ostriches’ wings flap joyously
With the pinion and plumage of [ad]love,
14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [ae]them,
Or that a wild beast may trample [af]them.
16 “She treats her young (BS)cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor be in vain, she is [ag]unconcerned;
17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 “When she lifts herself [ah]on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.
19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 “Do you make him (BT)leap like the locust?
His majestic (BU)snorting is terrible.
21 “[ai]He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He (BV)goes out to meet the weapons.
22 “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 “The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 “With shaking and rage he [aj]races over the ground,
And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.
25 “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
27 “Is it at your [ak]command that the eagle mounts up
And makes (BW)his nest on high?
28 “On the cliff he dwells and lodges,
Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.
29 “From there he (BX)spies out food;
His eyes see it from afar.
30 “His young ones also suck up blood;
And (BY)where the slain are, there is he.”
Footnotes
- Job 37:3 Lit light
- Job 37:4 Lit them
- Job 37:6 Lit shower of rain and shower of rains
- Job 37:8 Lit dens
- Job 37:9 Lit chamber
- Job 37:9 Lit scattering winds
- Job 37:11 Lit light
- Job 37:12 Lit they
- Job 37:12 Lit them
- Job 37:13 Lit the rod
- Job 37:13 Lit be found
- Job 37:15 Lit light
- Job 37:20 Or If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up
- Job 37:21 Lit they
- Job 38:4 Lit know understanding
- Job 38:10 Lit broke My decree on it
- Job 38:12 Lit from your days
- Job 38:16 Or in search of
- Job 38:18 Or width
- Job 38:20 Lit house
- Job 38:26 Lit man
- Job 38:27 Or growth
- Job 38:30 Lit hides itself
- Job 38:32 Heb Mazzaroth
- Job 38:32 Lit sons
- Job 38:36 Or rooster
- Job 39:1 Lit goats of the rock
- Job 39:10 Lit his rope
- Job 39:12 Lit seed
- Job 39:13 Or a stork
- Job 39:15 Lit it
- Job 39:15 Lit it
- Job 39:16 Lit without fear
- Job 39:18 Or to flee
- Job 39:21 Lit They paw
- Job 39:24 Or swallows up
- Job 39:27 Lit mouth
Psalm 103
New American Standard Bible 1995
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His (B)holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And (C)forget none of His benefits;
3 Who (D)pardons all your iniquities,
Who (E)heals all your diseases;
4 Who (F)redeems your life from the pit,
Who (G)crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who (H)satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is (I)renewed like the eagle.
6 The Lord (J)performs [b]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are (K)oppressed.
7 He (L)made known His ways to Moses,
His (M)acts to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is (N)compassionate and gracious,
(O)Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9 He (P)will not always strive with us,
Nor will He (Q)keep His anger forever.
10 He has (R)not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high (S)as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He (T)removed our transgressions from us.
13 Just (U)as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him.
14 For (V)He Himself knows [e]our frame;
He (W)is mindful that we are but (X)dust.
15 As for man, his days are (Y)like grass;
As a (Z)flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the (AA)wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its (AB)place acknowledges it no longer.
17 But the (AC)lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him,
And His [g]righteousness (AD)to children’s children,
18 To (AE)those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
19 The Lord has established His (AF)throne in the heavens,
And His [h](AG)sovereignty rules over [i]all.
20 Bless the Lord, you (AH)His angels,
(AI)Mighty in strength, who (AJ)perform His word,
(AK)Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you (AL)His hosts,
You (AM)who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, (AN)all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Footnotes
- Psalm 103:5 Or desire
- Psalm 103:6 Or deeds of vindication
- Psalm 103:11 Or revere
- Psalm 103:13 Or revere
- Psalm 103:14 I.e. what we are made of
- Psalm 103:17 Or revere
- Psalm 103:17 I.e. faithfulness to His gracious promises
- Psalm 103:19 Or kingdom
- Psalm 103:19 I.e. the universe
Revelation 21
New American Standard Bible 1995
The New Heaven and Earth
21 Then I saw (A)a new heaven and a new earth; for (B)the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw (C)the holy city, (D)new Jerusalem, (E)coming down out of heaven from God, (F)made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, (G)the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will [a](H)dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them[b], 4 and He will (I)wipe away every tear from their eyes; and (J)there will no longer be any death; (K)there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; (L)the first things have passed away.”
5 And (M)He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am (N)making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for (O)these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “[c](P)It is done. I am the (Q)Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (R)I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the (S)water of life without cost. 7 (T)He who overcomes will inherit these things, and (U)I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 (V)But for the cowardly and [d]unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in (W)the lake that burns with fire and [e]brimstone, which is the (X)second death.”
9 (Y)Then one of the seven angels who had the (Z)seven bowls [f]full of the (AA)seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “(AB)Come here, I will show you the (AC)bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
The New Jerusalem
10 And (AD)he carried me away [g](AE)in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me (AF)the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having (AG)the glory of God. Her [h]brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a (AH)stone of (AI)crystal-clear jasper. 12 [i]It had a great and high wall, [j](AJ)with twelve (AK)gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had (AL)twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the (AM)twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The one who spoke with me had a [k]gold measuring (AN)rod to measure the city, and its (AO)gates and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the [l]rod, [m]fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, [n]seventy-two yards, according to (AP)human [o]measurements, which are also (AQ)angelic measurements. 18 The material of the wall was (AR)jasper; and the city was (AS)pure gold, like [p]clear (AT)glass. 19 (AU)The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was (AV)jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, (AW)emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, (AX)sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve (AY)gates were twelve (AZ)pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was (BA)pure gold, like transparent (BB)glass.
22 I saw (BC)no [q]temple in it, for the (BD)Lord God the Almighty and the (BE)Lamb are its [r]temple. 23 And the city (BF)has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for (BG)the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the (BH)Lamb. 24 (BI)The nations will walk by its light, and the (BJ)kings of the earth [s]will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for (BK)there will be no night there) (BL)its gates (BM)will never be closed; 26 and (BN)they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and (BO)nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those [t]whose names are (BP)written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Footnotes
- Revelation 21:3 Or tabernacle
- Revelation 21:3 One early ms reads, and be their God
- Revelation 21:6 Lit They are
- Revelation 21:8 Or untrustworthy
- Revelation 21:8 I.e. burning sulphur
- Revelation 21:9 Lit who were full
- Revelation 21:10 Or in spirit
- Revelation 21:11 Lit luminary
- Revelation 21:12 Lit having
- Revelation 21:12 Lit having
- Revelation 21:15 Lit measure, a gold reed
- Revelation 21:16 Lit reed
- Revelation 21:16 Lit twelve thousand stadia; a stadion was approx 600 ft
- Revelation 21:17 Lit one hundred forty-four cubits
- Revelation 21:17 Lit measure
- Revelation 21:18 Lit pure
- Revelation 21:22 Or sanctuary
- Revelation 21:22 Or sanctuary
- Revelation 21:24 Lit bring
- Revelation 21:27 Lit who have been
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
