Old/New Testament
Elihu Asserts God’s Justice
34 Thus[a] Elihu spoke up[b] and said,
2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
and listen to me, you who know,
3 for the ear tests words,
and the palate tastes food.[c]
4 Let us choose justice for ourselves;
let us determine among ourselves what is good—
5 for Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
but God has taken away my justice.
6 Should I lie concerning my justice?
Though I am without transgression, my wound caused by an arrow is incurable.’
7 What man is like Job,
who drinks scorn like water?
8 And he goes on the road in company with instigators of mischief,
and walks with men of wickedness.
9 Indeed, he says, ‘A man does not profit
when he takes delight in God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, people who have sense:[d]
far be it from God that he should commit wickedness[e]
and that Shaddai should do wrong.[f]
11 Indeed, he will repay according to a human being’s deeds,
and according to a man’s way he will let it happen to him.
12 What’s more, God truly does not act wickedly,
and Shaddai does not pervert justice.
13 Who gave him charge over the earth?
Or[g] who laid on him the whole world?
14 If he should set his heart to it,
and he should gather his spirit and his breath to himself,
15 all flesh would perish together,
and humankind would return to dust.
16 “But[h] if you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.[i]
17 Shall he who hates justice really govern?
Or will you[j] declare the Righteous One, the Mighty, guilty?—
18 the one who says to a king,
‘You worthless man,’ to noblemen, ‘You wicked man,’
19 who shows no partiality to officials[k]
and who does not take note of the noble more than of the insignificant,[l]
for all of them are the work of his hands?
20 In a moment they die,
and in the middle of the night the people are shaken, and they pass away,
and they take away the mighty effortlessly.[m]
21 “Indeed, his eyes are upon the ways of man,
and he sees all his steps.
22 There is no darkness, and there is no deep shadow
where instigators of mischief might hide themselves.
23 Indeed, he has not yet appointed a time for man
to go to God in the judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without investigation,
and he sets others in their place.
25 Therefore he knows their works,
and he overturns them in the night
so that[n] they are crushed.
26 He strikes them where the wicked stood,[o]
where there are onlookers,[p]
27 because they have turned aside from him
and have not understood any of his ways,
28 so that they cause the cry of distress from the helpless to come to him,
and he hears the cry of distress from the needy,
29 but he remains quiet, and who can condemn?
And he hides his face, and who can behold him?
Yet[q] he is over a nation and over a person alike,
30 so that godless human beings should not reign,
nor those who ensnare the people.
31 “Indeed, does anyone say to God, ‘I have endured chastisement;
I will not act corruptly again;
32 teach me yourself what I cannot see;[r]
if I have done wrong, I will not repeat it’?
33 According to your judgment,[s] must he repay it because you rejected this?
Indeed, you must choose, and not I, so[t] declare what you know.
34 Those who have sense[u] say to me,
and the wise man hearing me says:
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
and his words are without insight.
36 Would that Job were tested up to the end
because his answers are like those from men of mischief,
37 for he adds transgression to his sin;
he claps hands among us,
and he multiplies his words against God.’”
Elihu Condemns Job
35 Moreover,[v] Elihu spoke up[w] and said,
2 “Do you think this is justice when you say,
‘I am right[x] before God’?
3 If you ask what it profits you:
‘How do I benefit by refraining from my sin?’[y]
4 I myself[z] will give answer to you[aa]
and to your friends with you.
5 “Look at the heavens, and see;
and observe the clouds that are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,
or what does he receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects a person like yourself,
and your righteousness affects humans.
9 “Because of the multitude of oppressions, they cry out;
they cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But[ab] no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
who gives songs in the night,
11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth
and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12 There they cry out, but[ac] he does not answer
because of the pride of evildoers.[ad]
13 “Surely God does not hear an empty plea,
and Shaddai does not regard it.
14 How much less[ae] when you say that you do not see him,
that the case is before him,[af] and you are waiting for him!
15 But[ag] now, because his anger does not punish,
and he does not acknowledge the transgression at all,
16 therefore[ah] Job opens his mouth in empty talk—
without knowledge he multiplies words.”
The Jerusalem Council
15 And some men came down from Judea and[a] began teaching[b] the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after[c] there was no little strife and debate by Paul and Barnabas against them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this issue. 3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and[d] passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers. 4 And when they[e] arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of those who had believed from the party of the Pharisees stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them[f] to observe the law of Moses!”
6 Both the apostles and the elders assembled to deliberate concerning this matter. 7 And after[g] there was much debate, Peter stood up and[h] said to them, “Men and brothers, you know that in the early days[i] God chose among you through my mouth that the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by[j] giving them[k] the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us. 9 And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 So now why are you putting God to the test by[l] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same[m] way those also are.” 12 And the whole group became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Men and brothers, listen to me! 14 Simeon has described how God first concerned himself to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After these things I will return
and build up again the tent of David that has fallen,
and the parts of it that had been torn down I will build up again
and will restore it,
17 so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles[n] who are called by my name,[o]
says the Lord,[p] who makes these things 18 known from of old.’[q]
19 Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but we should write a letter to them to abstain from the pollution of idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. 21 For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, because he[r] is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
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