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The Lord Answers Job

38 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job.

The Lord

Who are you to question my wisdom
    with your ignorant, empty words?
Now stand up straight
    and answer the questions I ask you.
Were you there when I made the world?
    If you know so much, tell me about it.
Who decided how large it would be?
    Who stretched the measuring line over it?
    Do you know all the answers?
What holds up the pillars that support the earth?
    Who laid the cornerstone of the world?
(A)In the dawn of that day the stars sang together,
    and the heavenly beings[a] shouted for joy.

(B)Who closed the gates to hold back the sea[b]
    when it burst from the womb of the earth?
It was I who covered the sea with clouds
    and wrapped it in darkness.
10 I marked a boundary for the sea
    and kept it behind bolted gates.
11 I told it, “So far and no farther!
    Here your powerful waves must stop.”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 38:7 See 1.6.
  2. Job 38:8 See 26.12.

BOOK FIVE(A)

In Praise of God's Goodness

107 (B)“Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good;
    his love is eternal!”
Repeat these words in praise to the Lord,
    all you whom he has saved.
He has rescued you from your enemies
    and has brought you back from foreign countries,
    from east and west, from north and south.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 107:3 Probable text south; Hebrew the Mediterranean Sea (meaning “west”).

23 Some sailed over the ocean in ships,
    earning their living on the seas.
24 They saw what the Lord can do,
    his wonderful acts on the seas.
25 He commanded, and a mighty wind began to blow
    and stirred up the waves.
26 The ships were lifted high in the air
    and plunged down into the depths.
In such danger the sailors lost their courage;
27     they stumbled and staggered like drunks—
    all their skill was useless.
28 Then in their trouble they called to the Lord,
    and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the raging storm,
    and the waves became quiet.
30 They were glad because of the calm,
    and he brought them safe to the port they wanted.
31 They must thank the Lord for his constant love,
    for the wonderful things he did for them.
32 They must proclaim his greatness in the assembly of the people
    and praise him before the council of the leaders.

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In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. (A)Hear what God says:

“When the time came for me to show you favor,
    I heard you;
when the day arrived for me to save you,
    I helped you.”

Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!

We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way. Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties. (B)We have been beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food. By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God's servants—by the Holy Spirit, by our true love, by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. We are honored and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed; 10 although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.

11 Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you; we have opened our hearts wide. 12 It is not we who have closed our hearts to you; it is you who have closed your hearts to us. 13 I speak now as though you were my children: show us the same feelings that we have for you. Open your hearts wide!

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Jesus Calms a Storm(A)

35 On the evening of that same day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they left the crowd; the disciples got into the boat in which Jesus was already sitting, and they took him with them. Other boats were there too. 37 Suddenly a strong wind blew up, and the waves began to spill over into the boat, so that it was about to fill with water. 38 Jesus was in the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we are about to die?”

39 Jesus stood up and commanded the wind, “Be quiet!” and he said to the waves, “Be still!” The wind died down, and there was a great calm. 40 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you frightened? Do you still have no faith?”

41 But they were terribly afraid and began to say to one another, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

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