Old/New Testament
Zophar Says the Joy of the Wicked Is Short
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me [a]respond,
Even because of my haste within me.
3 I listened to (A)the discipline which dishonors me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 Do you know this from (B)of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
5 That the (C)shouts of joy of the wicked are short,
And (D)the gladness of the godless momentary?
6 Though his loftiness (E)goes up to the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He (F)perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him (G)will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He flies away like a (H)dream, and they cannot find him;
Even like a vision of the night he is (I)chased away.
9 The (J)eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And (K)his place no longer beholds him.
10 His (L)sons seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands (M)give back his wealth.
11 His (N)bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him [b]in the dust.
12 “Though (O)evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he [c]desires it and will not forsake it,
And holds it (P)to his palate,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the [d]venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows up wealth,
But will (Q)vomit it up;
God will expel it from his belly.
16 He sucks (R)the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 He does not look at (S)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 He (T)returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the wealth of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy it.
19 For he has (U)crushed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no ease within his belly,
In his covetousness, he does (V)not let anything escape.
21 Nothing remains [e]for him to devour;
Therefore (W)his prosperity does not endure.
22 In the fullness of his plenty he will be confined;
The (X)hand of everyone who is troubled will come against him.
23 So it will be that he (Y)fills his belly,
And God will send His burning anger on him
And will (Z)rain it on him [f]while he is eating.
24 He may (AA)flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from (AB)his gall;
(AC)Bouts of dread come upon him.
26 Complete (AD)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures;
A (AE)fire unfanned will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 The (AF)heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The (AG)increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away (AH)in the day of His anger.
29 This is the wicked man’s (AI)portion from God,
Even the inheritance decreed to him by God.”
God Does Not Punish the Wicked
21 Then Job answered and said,
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
3 Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may (AJ)mock.
4 As for me, is (AK)my musing [g]to man?
And (AL)why should [h]I not be impatient?
5 Look at me, and be appalled,
And (AM)put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember, I am dismayed,
And (AN)horror seizes my flesh.
7 Why (AO)do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very (AP)powerful?
8 Their (AQ)seed is established with them in their presence,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (AR)are safe from dread,
And the rod of God is not on them.
10 His ox mates and does not fail;
His cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.
12 They lift up the tambourine and harp
And are glad at the sound of the pipe.
13 They (AS)spend their days in prosperity,
And [i]suddenly they go down to Sheol.
14 They say to God, ‘(AT)Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 [j]Who is [k]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And (AU)what would we profit if we entreat Him?’
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (AV)counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is (AW)the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their (AX)disaster fall on them?
Does [l]God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 Are they as (AY)straw before the wind,
And like (AZ)chaff which the storm steals away?
19 You say, ‘(BA)God stores away [m]a man’s wickedness for his sons.’
Let [n]God repay him so that he may know it.
20 Let his (BB)own eyes see his decay,
And let him (BC)drink of the wrath of [o]the Almighty.
21 For what desire does he have for his household [p]after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?
22 Can anyone (BD)teach God knowledge,
In that He (BE)judges those on high?
23 One (BF)dies in his full strength,
Being wholly carefree and at ease;
24 His [q]sides are filled out with fat,
And the (BG)marrow of his bones is moist,
25 But another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even eats anything good.
26 Together they (BH)lie down in the dust,
And (BI)worms cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plans by which you do violence against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of (BJ)the nobleman,
And where is the (BK)tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked those who pass by along the way,
And do you not recognize their [r]witness?
30 That the (BL)wicked is reserved for the day of disaster;
They will be led forth at (BM)the day of fury.
31 Who will declare to his face about his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
32 While he is led forth to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb.
33 The (BN)clods of the valley will [s]gently cover him;
Moreover, (BO)all men will draw up after him,
While countless ones go before him.
34 How then will you vainly (BP)comfort me,
Indeed when your answers remain full of [t]falsehood?”
24 And on the following day he entered (A)Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 And when Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and [a](B)worshiped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “(C)Stand up; I too am just a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he entered and *found (D)many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how (E)unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet (F)God has shown me that I should not call any man defiled or unclean. 29 That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was summoned. So I ask for what reason you have summoned me.”
30 And Cornelius said, “(G)Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during (H)the [b]ninth hour; and behold, (I)a man stood before me in shining garments, 31 and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your [c]alms have been remembered before God. 32 Therefore send to (J)Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is lodging at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and you have [d]been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been ordered by the Lord.”
The Holy Spirit Poured Out on the Gentiles
34 (K)And opening his mouth, Peter said:
“I most truly comprehend now that (L)God is not one to show partiality, 35 but (M)in every nation the one who [e](N)fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him. 36 As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, (O)proclaiming the good news of (P)peace through Jesus Christ—He is (Q)Lord of all— 37 you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 [f]You know of (R)Jesus of Nazareth, how God (S)anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, [g](T)and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for (U)God was with Him. 39 And we are (V)witnesses of all the things He did both in the [h]land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also (W)put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. 40 (X)God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, 41 (Y)not to all the people, but to (Z)witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us (AA)who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He (AB)commanded us to [i]preach to the people, and solemnly to (AC)bear witness that this is the One who has been (AD)designated by God as (AE)Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him (AF)all the prophets bear witness that through (AG)His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these things, (AH)the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. 45 (AI)And all the [j]circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been (AJ)poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them (AK)speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, 47 “(AL)Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who (AM)have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 And he (AN)ordered them to be baptized (AO)in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for a few days.
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