Old/New Testament
Zophar’s First Response to Job
11 Then[a] Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Should an abundance of words go unanswered,
or a man full of talk[b] be vindicated?[c]
3 Should your loose talk put people to silence?
And when you mock, shall no one put you to shame?[d]
4 For you say, ‘My teaching is pure,
and I am clean in your sight.’
5 But,[e] O that[f] God might speak,
and that he would open his lips to you,
6 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom,
for insight has many sides.[g]
And know that God on your behalf[h] has forgotten some of[i] your guilt.
7 “Can you find out the essence of God,
or can you find out the ultimate limits[j] of Shaddai?
8 It is higher than the heaven;[k] what can you do?
It is deeper than Sheol; what can you know?
9 Its measure is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.
10 “If he passes through and imprisons someone[l]
and summons the assembly,[m] then[n] who can hinder him?
11 For he knows those who are worthless;[o]
when he sees[p] iniquity, he will not consider it.[q]
12 But[r] an empty-headed person[s] will get understanding
when[t] a wild donkey’s colt is born as a human being.
13 “If you yourself[u] direct your heart
and stretch out your hands to him—
14 if iniquity[v] is in your hand, put it far away,
and you must not let wickedness reside in your tents—
15 surely then you will lift up your face without[w] blemish,
and you will be firmly established and will not fear.[x]
16 For you yourself[y] will forget your misery;
you will remember it as water that has flowed past.
17 “And your life will be brighter than noon;[z]
its darkness will be like the morning.
18 And you will have confidence because there is hope;
and you will be well protected—you will sleep in safety.[aa]
19 And you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid;[ab]
and many will entreat your favor.[ac]
20 But[ad] the eyes of the wicked will fail;
and refuge will be lost to them,
and their hope is to breathe their last breath.”[ae]
Job’s Fourth Speech
12 Then[af] Job answered and said,
2 “Truly indeed you[ag] are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.[ah]
3 I also have insight[ai] like you;[aj]
I am not more inferior than you.[ak]
And who does not know things like these?[al]
4 I am a laughingstock to my friends:[am]
‘He calls on God, and he answers him.’
A righteous, blameless man is a laughingstock.
5 Those at ease have contempt[an] for the thought of disaster,[ao]
but it is ready for those unstable of foot.
6 The tents of the destroyers are at peace,
and there is security for those who provoke God,
for those whom God brings into his hand.[ap]
7 “But[aq] ask[ar] the animals, and they will teach you,
and the birds of the heaven, and they will tell you;
8 or ask the earth, and it will teach you,
and the fishes of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all of these does not know
that Yahweh’s hand has done this?
10 In whose hand is the life of all living things
and the breath of every human being?[as]
11 Does not the ear test words
and the palate taste food for itself?
12 Wisdom is with the aged,
and understanding is in length of days.
13 “With him are wisdom and powerful deeds,
and to him belong counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, then[at] it will not be rebuilt;
if he shuts a man in, then[au] he cannot be freed.
15 Look, if he withholds the water,[av] then[aw] they dry up;
and if he sends them out, then[ax] they overwhelm the land.
16 “Strength and sound wisdom are with him;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.[ay]
17 He leads counselors away stripped,
and he makes fools of judges.
18 He loosens the fetters of kings,
and he binds a loincloth on their loins.
19 He leads priests away stripped,
and he overthrows the members of ancient families.[az]
20 He deprives the trustworthy of speech,
and he takes away the discretion of elders.
21 He pours contempt on noblemen,
and he loosens the girdle of the mighty.
22 “He uncovers mysteries out of darkness,
and he brings deep shadow to the light.
23 He makes the nations great, then[ba] he destroys them;
he expands the nations, then[bb] he guides them.
24 He strips away the insight of the heads of the earth’s people,
and he makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.[bc]
25 They grope in the dark without[bd] light,
and he makes them stagger like a[be] drunkard.
Job’s Fourth Speech Continues
13 “Look, my eye has seen everything;
my ear has heard and has understood it.
2 What you[bf] know,[bg] I myself[bh] also know—
I am not more inferior than you.[bi]
3 But I would speak to Shaddai,
and I desire to argue with God.
4 “But[bj] you[bk] whitewash with lies;[bl]
all of you[bm] are worthless healers.[bn]
5 O that[bo] you[bp] would keep completely silent,
and that it would become wisdom for you.[bq]
6 Please hear my argument,
and listen attentively to the pleadings of my lips.
7 “Will you[br] speak falsely for God?
And will you[bs] speak deceitfully for him?
8 Will you[bt] show partiality for him?[bu]
Or do you[bv] want to plead God’s case?
9 Will it be well, if he examines you?[bw]
Or can you[bx] deceive him like deceiving a human being?
10 “Surely he will rebuke you[by]
if you[bz] show partiality[ca] in secret.
11 Will not his majesty terrify you,[cb]
and his dread fall upon you?[cc]
12 Your[cd] maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your[ce] defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “Let me have silence,[cf] and I myself[cg] will speak,
and let come over me whatever may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
and[ch] put[ci] my life in my hand?
15 Look,[cj] though he kill me, I will hope in[ck] him;
however, I will defend my ways before him.[cl]
16 Moreover, this is salvation to me,
that the godless would not come before him.[cm]
17 “Listen carefully to my words,
and let my exposition be in your ears.
18 Please look,[cn] I have prepared my case;
I know that I myself[co] will be vindicated.
19 Who is he who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent, and I would pass away.
Job Argues His Case with God
20 “Only you[cp] must not do these two things to me;
then I will not hide from your face:
21 withdraw your[cq] hand from me,
and let not your[cr] dread terrify me.
22 Then[cs] call, and I myself[ct] will answer;
or let me speak, then[cu] reply to me.
23 “How many[cv] are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my transgression and my sin.
24 Why do you[cw] hide your[cx] face
and count me as your[cy] enemy?
25 Will you[cz] terrify a blown leaf?
And will you[da] pursue dry stubble?
26 “Indeed, you[db] write bitter things against me,
and you[dc] make me reap the iniquities of my childhood.
27 And you[dd] put my feet in the block,
and you[de] watch all my paths;
you carve a mark on the soles of my feet.[df]
28 And he himself [dg]wastes away like something rotten,
like a garment that the moth has eaten.
Saul’s Conversion on the Damascus Road
9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and[a] asked for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, both men and women, he could bring them[b] tied up[c] to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he proceeded, it happened that when he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting! 6 But get up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.”[d] 7 (Now the men who were traveling together with him stood speechless, because they[e] heard the voice but saw no one.) 8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although[f] his eyes were open he could see nothing. And leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was unable to see[g] for three days, and he did not eat or drink.
Ananias Sent to Saul
10 Now there was a certain disciple in Damascus named[h] Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” And he said, “Behold, here I am, Lord!” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up, go to the street called ‘Straight’ and in the house of Judas look for a man named Saul from Tarsus.[i] For behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named[j] Ananias coming in and placing hands[k] on him so that he may regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to tie up[l] all who call upon your name!” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles[m] and kings and the sons of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered into the house, and placing his[n] hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight and got up and[o] was baptized, 19 and after[p] taking food, he regained his strength. And he was with the disciples in Damascus several days.
Saul Proclaims Christ in Damascus
20 And immediately he began proclaiming[q] Jesus in the synagogues: “This one is the Son of God!” 21 And all who heard him[r] were amazed, and were saying, “Is this not the one who was wreaking havoc in Jerusalem on those who call upon this name, and had come here for this reason, that he could bring them tied up[s] to the chief priests?”
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