Romans 15

New International Version

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak^(A) and not to please ourselves. ²Each of us should please our neighbors for their good,^(B) to build them up.^(C) ³For even Christ did not please himself^(D) but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”^[a]^(E) ⁴For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us,^(F) so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

⁵May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind^(G) toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify^(H) the God and Father^(I) of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷Accept one another,^(J) then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ⁸For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews^[b]^(K) on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises^(L) made to the patriarchs might be confirmed ⁹and, moreover, that the Gentiles^(M) might glorify God^(N) for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.”^[c]^(O)

¹⁰Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”^[d]^(P)

¹¹And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.”^[e]^(Q)

¹²And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse^(R) will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”^[f]^(S)

¹³May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace^(T) as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.^(U)

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

¹⁴I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness,^(V) filled with knowledge^(W) and competent to instruct one another. ¹⁵Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me^(X) ¹⁶to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.^(Y) He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God,^(Z) so that the Gentiles might become an offering^(AA) acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus^(AB) in my service to God.^(AC) ¹⁸I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles^(AD) to obey God^(AE) by what I have said and done— ¹⁹by the power of signs and wonders,^(AF) through the power of the Spirit of God.^(AG) So from Jerusalem^(AH) all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.^(AI) ²⁰It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel^(AJ) where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.^(AK) ²¹Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”^[g]^(AL)

²²This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.^(AM)

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

²³But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you,^(AN) ²⁴I plan to do so when I go to Spain.^(AO) I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist^(AP) me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem^(AQ) in the service^(AR) of the Lord’s people^(AS) there. ²⁶For Macedonia^(AT) and Achaia^(AU) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.^(AV) ²⁷They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.^(AW) ²⁸So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain^(AX) and visit you on the way. ²⁹I know that when I come to you,^(AY) I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,^(AZ) to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.^(BA) ³¹Pray that I may be kept safe^(BB) from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution^(BC) I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people^(BD) there, ³²so that I may come to you^(BE) with joy, by God’s will,^(BF) and in your company be refreshed.^(BG) ³³The God of peace^(BH) be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

Romans 15:3 Psalm 69:9
Romans 15:8 Greek circumcision
Romans 15:9 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49
Romans 15:10 Deut. 32:43
Romans 15:11 Psalm 117:1
Romans 15:12 Isaiah 11:10 (see Septuagint)
Romans 15:21 Isaiah 52:15 (see Septuagint)

Job 33-34

New International Version

33 “But now, Job, listen^(A) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.^(B)
²I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
³My words come from an upright heart;^(C)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.^(D)
⁴The Spirit^(E) of God has made me;^(F)
    the breath of the Almighty^(G) gives me life.^(H)
⁵Answer me^(I) then, if you can;
    stand up^(J) and argue your case before me.^(K)
⁶I am the same as you in God’s sight;^(L)
    I too am a piece of clay.^(M)
⁷No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.^(N)

⁸“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
⁹‘I am pure,^(O) I have done no wrong;^(P)
    I am clean and free from sin.^(Q)
¹⁰Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.^(R)
¹¹He fastens my feet in shackles;^(S)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’^(T)

¹²“But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.^(U)
¹³Why do you complain to him^(V)
    that he responds to no one’s words^[a]?^(W)
¹⁴For God does speak^(X)—now one way, now another^(Y)—
    though no one perceives it.^(Z)
¹⁵In a dream,^(AA) in a vision^(AB) of the night,^(AC)
    when deep sleep^(AD) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
¹⁶he may speak^(AE) in their ears
    and terrify them^(AF) with warnings,^(AG)
¹⁷to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,^(AH)
¹⁸to preserve them from the pit,^(AI)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.^[b]^(AJ)

¹⁹“Or someone may be chastened^(AK) on a bed of pain^(AL)
    with constant distress in their bones,^(AM)
²⁰so that their body finds food^(AN) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.^(AO)
²¹Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,^(AP) once hidden, now stick out.^(AQ)
²²They draw near to the pit,^(AR)
    and their life to the messengers of death.^[c]^(AS)
²³Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,^(AT) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,^(AU)
²⁴and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;^(AV)
    I have found a ransom for them^(AW)—
²⁵let their flesh be renewed^(AX) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’^(AY)—
²⁶then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,^(AZ)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;^(BA)
    he will restore them to full well-being.^(BB)
²⁷And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,^(BC) I have perverted what is right,^(BD)
    but I did not get what I deserved.^(BE)
²⁸God has delivered^(BF) me from going down to the pit,^(BG)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’^(BH)

²⁹“God does all these things to a person^(BI)—
twice, even three times^(BJ)—
³⁰to turn them back^(BK) from the pit,^(BL)
that the light of life^(BM) may shine on them.^(BN)

³¹“Pay attention, Job, and listen^(BO) to me;^(BP)
    be silent,^(BQ) and I will speak.
³²If you have anything to say, answer me;^(BR)
    speak up, for I want to vindicate you.^(BS)
³³But if not, then listen to me;^(BT)
    be silent,^(BU) and I will teach you wisdom.^(BV)”

34 Then Elihu said:

²“Hear my words, you wise men;
    listen to me,^(BW) you men of learning.
³For the ear tests words
    as the tongue tastes food.^(BX)
⁴Let us discern for ourselves what is right;^(BY)
    let us learn together what is good.^(BZ)

⁵“Job says, ‘I am innocent,^(CA)
    but God denies me justice.^(CB)
⁶Although I am right,
    I am considered a liar;^(CC)
although I am guiltless,^(CD)
    his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’^(CE)
⁷Is there anyone like Job,
    who drinks scorn like water?^(CF)
⁸He keeps company with evildoers;
    he associates with the wicked.^(CG)
⁹For he says, ‘There is no profit
    in trying to please God.’^(CH)

¹⁰“So listen to me,^(CI) you men of understanding.^(CJ)
    Far be it from God to do evil,^(CK)
    from the Almighty to do wrong.^(CL)
¹¹He repays everyone for what they have done;^(CM)
    he brings on them what their conduct deserves.^(CN)
¹²It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,^(CO)
    that the Almighty would pervert justice.^(CP)
¹³Who appointed^(CQ) him over the earth?
    Who put him in charge of the whole world?^(CR)
¹⁴If it were his intention
    and he withdrew his spirit^[d]^(CS) and breath,^(CT)
¹⁵all humanity would perish^(CU) together
    and mankind would return to the dust.^(CV)

¹⁶“If you have understanding,^(CW) hear this;
    listen to what I say.^(CX)
¹⁷Can someone who hates justice govern?^(CY)
    Will you condemn the just and mighty One?^(CZ)
¹⁸Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
    and to nobles,^(DA) ‘You are wicked,’^(DB)
¹⁹who shows no partiality^(DC) to princes
    and does not favor the rich over the poor,^(DD)
    for they are all the work of his hands?^(DE)
²⁰They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;^(DF)
    the people are shaken and they pass away;
    the mighty are removed without human hand.^(DG)

²¹“His eyes are on the ways of mortals;^(DH)
    he sees their every step.^(DI)
²²There is no deep shadow,^(DJ) no utter darkness,^(DK)
    where evildoers can hide.^(DL)
²³God has no need to examine people further,^(DM)
    that they should come before him for judgment.^(DN)
²⁴Without inquiry he shatters^(DO) the mighty^(DP)
    and sets up others in their place.^(DQ)
²⁵Because he takes note of their deeds,^(DR)
    he overthrows them in the night^(DS) and they are crushed.^(DT)
²⁶He punishes them for their wickedness^(DU)
    where everyone can see them,
²⁷because they turned from following him^(DV)
    and had no regard for any of his ways.^(DW)
²⁸They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
    so that he heard the cry of the needy.^(DX)
²⁹But if he remains silent,^(DY) who can condemn him?^(DZ)
    If he hides his face,^(EA) who can see him?
Yet he is over individual and nation alike,^(EB)
³⁰    to keep the godless^(EC) from ruling,^(ED)
    from laying snares for the people.^(EE)

³¹“Suppose someone says to God,
    ‘I am guilty^(EF) but will offend no more.
³²Teach me what I cannot see;^(EG)
    if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’^(EH)
³³Should God then reward you on your terms,
    when you refuse to repent?^(EI)
You must decide, not I;
    so tell me what you know.

³⁴“Men of understanding declare,
    wise men who hear me say to me,
³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge;^(EJ)
    his words lack insight.’^(EK)
³⁶Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
    for answering like a wicked man!^(EL)
³⁷To his sin he adds rebellion;
    scornfully he claps his hands^(EM) among us
    and multiplies his words^(EN) against God.”^(EO)