Old/New Testament
Job's friend Zophar speaks to him[a]
11 Job's friend Zophar, who came from Naamah, decided to speak. He said this to Job:
2 ‘Someone must answer all these words that you have spoken.
You have talked a lot,
but that does not mean that you are right.
3 Your proud words will not cause other people to say nothing.
We must make you ashamed when you laugh at us.
4 You have said, “The things that I teach are true.
God knows that I am a good man.”
5 So God himself should answer you.
He should tell you what he thinks.
6 He would show you the secret of wisdom.
True wisdom is not easy to understand.
But you must understand this:
God is punishing you less than you deserve.
7 You cannot discover everything about God.
You cannot know how powerful he is.
8 His power goes higher than the sky.
You cannot do anything about that.
His power goes deeper than the place of death.
You cannot know all about that.
9 The truth about God is wider than the whole earth.
It goes far beyond the sea.
10 God may catch you and put you in prison.
He may accuse you in a court.
Nobody can stop him doing that.
11 God knows the people who are not honest.
He sees the evil things that they do.
12 Wild donkeys never give birth to human children.
And foolish people never become wise!
13 As for you, Job, you should be faithful to God.
Raise your hands and pray to God.
14 If you want to do an evil thing,
stop yourself from doing it.
Do not let people do wrong things in your home.
15 Do what I say. Then you will not be ashamed any more.
Instead, you will be strong. You will not be afraid.
16 You will forget about your trouble.
It will be like water that has disappeared.
You will not remember it.
17 You will have a happy life
that is brighter than the sun at noon.
Even if trouble makes it dark,
it will still seem like a bright morning.
18 You will be safe as you trust God.
God will protect you.
You will be able to rest safely.
19 When you lie down to sleep,
you will not be afraid of anyone.
Many people will ask you to help them.
20 But wicked people will not find any help.
They cannot escape from their troubles.
They can only hope to die.’
Job replies to Zophar[b]
12 Then Job replied. This is what he said:
2 ‘You people think that you know everything.
You think that there will be no wisdom after you die.
3 But I understand things as well as you.
You are no better than I am.
Everyone knows the things that you have been saying.
4 I am a person who prayed to God and he answered me.
But my friends now laugh at me.
I have always lived completely in the right way.
But still my friends laugh at me.
5 Some people never have any troubles.
They think that people who suffer are fools.
If people are in trouble,
they knock them down!
6 But robbers seem to live in peace.
They cause God to be angry
but they think that they are safe.
They trust their own strength as their god.
7 Ask the animals and they will teach you.
The birds in the sky would tell you the truth.
8 Speak to the earth and it will teach you.
The fish in the sea would tell you what is right.
9 Any of them could tell you that the Lord has done this.
10 He has authority over the life of all the animals.
He gives breath to all people so that they can live.
11 We use our mouths to taste food.
And we use our ears to test what we hear.
12 Old people are often wise.
People who have lived for a long time understand things better.
13 God is wise and he is also powerful.
He understands things and he gives good advice.
14 If God destroys something,
nobody can repair it.
If God puts someone in prison,
that person cannot escape.
15 If God stops the rain, the land becomes dry.
If he sends lots of rain, there are floods.
16 God has strength and wisdom.
He has power over people who tell lies,
and the people that they deceive.
17 He causes clever people to become ashamed.
He causes leaders to do foolish things.
18 He takes authority away from kings.
He dresses them like slaves.
19 He causes priests to become ashamed.
He removes the power of important people.
20 He stops faithful men from giving advice.
He removes the wisdom of old men.
21 He causes rulers to be ashamed.
He destroys the power of strong men.
22 He shows people things that have been secrets.
He shines light into dark places.
23 He can make nations become great.
He can also destroy them.
He can make their land become bigger.
He can also send their people away to other places.
24 He stops the world's leaders from understanding things properly.
He sends them to travel through empty deserts.
25 They try to walk in the dark, without any light.
He causes them to walk like drunk men.
Job continues to speak
13 I have seen all these things with my own eyes.
I have heard everything that you have said.
I have understood it.
2 I know as much as you do.
You are no better than I am.
3 But I want to speak to the Almighty God.
I need to show him that I am right.
4 What you say about me is only lies.
You would be useless as doctors.
5 It would be better if you said nothing.
That would be a wise thing for you to do.
6 Listen now to what I have to say.
Listen carefully to the words that I speak.
7 You think that you can tell lies to speak on behalf of God!
Your lies are not helping God.
8 You are trying to win the argument for God.
But you are not being honest when you do that.
9 If God asks you questions,
would he find that you speak the truth?
Or would you try to deceive him,
as you deceive other people?
10 When you speak on God's behalf,
you may think that your lies are a secret.
But God will still punish you.
11 His great power will frighten you.
You will be very afraid of him.
12 Your wise teaching is worth no more than ashes.
Your arguments are weak and useless.
13 So be quiet now and let me speak.
Then we will see what happens to me.
14 I am ready for my life to be in danger.
I must take that risk.
15 Even if God kills me, I will still trust him.
I will tell him why I am not guilty.
16 I am brave enough to stand in front of God.
No wicked person would be able to do that.
So it shows that I am not guilty.
17 Listen carefully to my words.
Hear what I have to say.
18 I know what I want to say.
I am ready to explain why I am not guilty.
19 Nobody can show that I have done wrong things.
If anyone can do that, I will be quiet.
I will be ready to die.
20 God, please do two things that will help me.
If you do those things,
I will no longer hide from you.
21 Please stop punishing me.
And stop causing me to be so afraid of you.
22 Tell me to come and stand in front of you.
Then I will answer you.
Or allow me to speak first.
Then you will reply to me.
23 Tell me how many wrong things I have done.
Show me what my sins are.
24 Why do you hide yourself from me?
Why do you think that I am your enemy?
25 I am as weak as a leaf that the wind can blow away.
But you still want to frighten me.
I am as useless as chaff,
but you still attack me.
26 You write down things to accuse me.
You punish me for the sins I did when I was young.
27 You tie my feet with chains.
You watch me carefully wherever I go.
You put marks on my feet.
28 So my life is slowly disappearing.
It is like a coat that moths are eating.
Jesus meets with Saul
9 All this time, Saul was still speaking strongly against the disciples of the Lord Jesus. He wanted to kill all the believers. So he went to see the most important priest in Jerusalem. 2 Saul asked him, ‘Please will you write some letters for me?[a] Then I can give one of these letters to the leader of each Jewish group in Damascus.[b] That will give me authority to take hold of any believers that I find there.’
Saul wanted to find anyone who agreed with the Way of the Lord Jesus.[c] Then he would tie them and bring them back to Jerusalem, whether they were men or they were women. 3 He travelled towards Damascus. He was very near the city when a bright light suddenly appeared. The light came from the sky, and it shone all around him. 4 Saul fell down onto the ground. He heard a voice which said to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you fight against me?’
5 Saul asked, ‘Lord, who are you?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus. And you are fighting against me. 6 Now you must get up and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.’
7 The men who were travelling with Saul stood still. They could not say anything. They could hear that someone was speaking. But they could not see anyone. 8 Saul stood up. He opened his eyes, but he could not see anything. So the men who were with Saul held his hand. They led him into Damascus. 9 For three days, Saul could not see anything. During that time, he did not eat any food or drink anything.
10 There was a believer who lived in Damascus. His name was Ananias. God gave him a message in a vision. The Lord Jesus said to him, ‘Ananias!’ Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I am here.’
11 Jesus said to Ananias, ‘Prepare yourself and go to Straight Street. A man called Judas lives on that street. Go to his house. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus who is called Saul. He is praying to God. 12 He has had a message from God in a vision. In his vision, he saw a man who is called Ananias come to him. He saw you put your hands on him so that he could see again.’
13 Ananias replied, ‘Lord, many people have told me about this man. He has done very bad things to your own people, the believers in Jerusalem. 14 Now he has come here to Damascus, and he has brought letters with him from the leaders of the priests. They have given him authority, so that he will take hold of everyone who believes in you. He will tie them and put them in prison.’
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go now to Saul! I have chosen him to work for me. He will go to those who are not Jews and to their rulers. He will tell them about me. He will also tell the people of Israel about me. 16 I myself will tell him about the many troubles that he will have. He will have much pain on my behalf.’
17 So Ananias went to Judas's house and he went inside. He put his hands on Saul and he said to him, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus himself has sent me here to you.[d] It was Jesus that you saw on the road when you were coming here to Damascus. He has sent me to you so that you will be able to see again. God will also fill you with his Holy Spirit.’
18 When Ananias said that, immediately something like bits of fish skin fell from Saul's eyes. Then Saul could see again. So he stood up and Ananias baptized him. 19 Then Saul ate some food and he became strong again.
Saul teaches people about Jesus
Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20 He immediately went to the Jewish meeting places and he taught people about Jesus. He told them that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All the people who heard what Saul said were very surprised. They said to each other, ‘This is the same man who caused much pain to the believers in Jerusalem. We are sure it is him! Now he has come here to Damascus to take hold of the believers and take them away to Jerusalem. He wants to make them stand in front of the leaders of the priests.’
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.