Job 9-10
English Standard Version
Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter
9 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know that it is so:
But how can a man be (A)in the right before God?
3 If one wished to (B)contend with him,
one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
4 He is (C)wise in heart and mighty in strength
—who has (D)hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
5 he who removes mountains, and they know it not,
when he overturns them in his anger,
6 who (E)shakes the earth out of its place,
and (F)its pillars tremble;
7 who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
who seals up the stars;
8 who alone (G)stretched out the heavens
and trampled the waves of the sea;
9 who (H)made (I)the Bear and (J)Orion,
the Pleiades (K)and the chambers of the south;
10 who does (L)great things beyond searching out,
and marvelous things beyond number.
11 Behold, he passes by me, and I (M)see him not;
he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
12 Behold, he snatches away; (N)who can turn him back?
(O)Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 “God will not turn back his anger;
beneath him bowed the helpers of (P)Rahab.
14 (Q)How then can I (R)answer him,
choosing my words with him?
15 (S)Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him;
I must (T)appeal for mercy to my accuser.[a]
16 If I summoned him and he answered me,
I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
17 For he crushes me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds (U)without cause;
18 he will not let me get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a contest of (V)strength, behold, he is mighty!
If it is a matter of justice, who can (W)summon him?[b]
20 Though I am in the right, (X)my own mouth would condemn me;
though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
21 I am (Y)blameless; I regard not myself;
I (Z)loathe my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (AA)destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When (AB)disaster brings sudden death,
he mocks at the calamity[c] of the innocent.
24 (AC)The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he (AD)covers the faces of its judges—
(AE)if it is not he, who then is it?
25 “My (AF)days are swifter than (AG)a runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
26 They go by like (AH)skiffs of reed,
like (AI)an eagle swooping on the prey.
27 If I say, (AJ)‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face, and (AK)be of good cheer,’
28 I become (AL)afraid of all my suffering,
for I know you will not (AM)hold me innocent.
29 I shall be (AN)condemned;
why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow
and (AO)cleanse my hands with lye,
31 yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will (AP)abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should (AQ)come to trial together.
33 (AR)There is no[d] arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.
34 (AS)Let him take his (AT)rod away from me,
and let (AU)not dread of him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak without fear of him,
for I am not so in myself.
Job Continues: A Plea to God
10 “I (AV)loathe my life;
I will give free utterance to my (AW)complaint;
I will speak in (AX)the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, Do not (AY)condemn me;
let me know why you (AZ)contend against me.
3 (BA)Does it seem good to you to oppress,
to despise (BB)the work of your hands
(BC)and favor the designs of the wicked?
4 Have you (BD)eyes of flesh?
(BE)Do you see as man sees?
5 Are your days as the days of man,
or your (BF)years as a man's years,
6 that you (BG)seek out my iniquity
and search for my sin,
7 although you (BH)know that I am not guilty,
and there is (BI)none to deliver out of your hand?
8 (BJ)Your hands fashioned and made me,
and now you have destroyed me altogether.
9 Remember that you have made me like (BK)clay;
and will you return me to the (BL)dust?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and steadfast love,
and your care has preserved my spirit.
13 Yet these things you hid in your heart;
I know that (BM)this was your purpose.
14 If I sin, you (BN)watch me
and do not (BO)acquit me of my iniquity.
15 (BP)If I am guilty, woe to me!
If I am (BQ)in the right, I cannot lift up my head,
for I am filled with disgrace
and (BR)look on my affliction.
16 And were my head lifted up,[e] you would hunt me like (BS)a lion
and again work (BT)wonders against me.
17 You renew your (BU)witnesses against me
and increase your vexation toward me;
you (BV)bring fresh troops against me.
18 (BW)“Why did you bring me out from the womb?
Would that I had died before any eye had seen me
19 (BX)and were as though I had not been,
carried from the womb to the grave.
20 (BY)Are not my days few?
(BZ)Then cease, and leave me alone, (CA)that I may find a little cheer
21 before I go—and (CB)I shall not return—
to the land of (CC)darkness and (CD)deep shadow,
22 the land of gloom like thick darkness,
like deep shadow without any order,
where light is as thick darkness.”
Acts 22:22-23:11
English Standard Version
Paul and the Roman Tribune
22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, (A)“Away with such a fellow from the earth! For (B)he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into (C)the barracks, saying that he should be (D)examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips,[a] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog (E)a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about (F)to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also (G)was afraid, (H)for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that (I)he had bound him.
Paul Before the Council
30 But on the next day, (J)desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.
23 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, (K)I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest (L)Ananias commanded those who stood by him (M)to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you (N)whitewashed (O)wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet (P)contrary to the law you (Q)order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile (R)God's high priest?” 5 And Paul said, (S)“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, (T)‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were (U)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, (V)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is (W)with respect to the (X)hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees (Y)say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of (Z)the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, (AA)“We find nothing wrong in this man. What (AB)if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into (AC)the barracks.
11 (AD)The following night (AE)the Lord stood by him and said, (AF)“Take courage, for (AG)as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must (AH)testify also in Rome.”
Footnotes
- Acts 22:25 Or when they had tied him up with leather strips
Psalm 89:14-20
English Standard Version
14 (A)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
(B)steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are the people who know (C)the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in (D)the light of your face,
16 who exult in your (E)name all the day
and in your righteousness are (F)exalted.
17 For you are (G)the glory of their strength;
by your favor our (H)horn is exalted.
18 For our (I)shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to (J)the Holy One of Israel.
19 (K)Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one,[a] and said:
“I have (L)granted help to one who is (M)mighty;
I have exalted one (N)chosen from the people.
20 (O)I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have (P)anointed him,
Footnotes
- Psalm 89:19 Some Hebrew manuscripts godly ones
Proverbs 19:3-4
English Standard Version
3 When a man's folly (A)brings his way to ruin,
his heart (B)rages against the Lord.
4 (C)Wealth brings many new friends,
(D)but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
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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