Old/New Testament
Zophar Speaks: The Wicked Will Suffer
20 Then (A)Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Therefore my (B)thoughts answer me,
because of my haste within me.
3 I hear censure that insults me,
and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.
4 Do you not know this from of old,
(C)since man was placed on earth,
5 (D)that the exulting of the wicked is short,
and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 (E)Though his height mount up to the heavens,
and his head reach to the clouds,
7 he will perish forever like his own (F)dung;
those who have seen him will say, (G)‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away like (H)a dream and not be found;
he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 (I)The eye that saw him will see him no more,
nor will his place any more behold him.
10 His children will seek the favor of the poor,
and his hands will (J)give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his (K)youthful vigor,
but it will lie (L)down with him in the dust.
12 “Though evil is sweet in his mouth,
though he hides it (M)under his tongue,
13 though he is loath to let it go
and holds it in his mouth,
14 yet his food is turned in his stomach;
it is the venom of (N)cobras within him.
15 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again;
God casts them out of his belly.
16 He will suck the poison of cobras;
(O)the tongue of a viper will kill him.
17 He will not look upon (P)the rivers,
the streams flowing with (Q)honey and (R)curds.
18 He will (S)give back the fruit of his toil
and will not (T)swallow it down;
from the profit of his trading
he will get no enjoyment.
19 For he has crushed and abandoned the poor;
he has seized a house that he did not build.
20 “Because he (U)knew no (V)contentment in his belly,
(W)he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.
21 There was nothing left after he had eaten;
therefore his prosperity will not endure.
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress;
the hand of everyone in misery will come against him.
23 To fill his belly to the full,
God[a] will send his burning anger against him
and rain it upon him (X)into his body.
24 (Y)He will flee from an iron weapon;
(Z)a bronze arrow will strike (AA)him through.
25 It (AB)is drawn forth and comes out of his body;
(AC)the glittering point comes out of his (AD)gallbladder;
(AE)terrors come upon him.
26 Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures;
(AF)a fire not fanned will devour him;
what is left in his tent will be consumed.
27 (AG)The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
and the earth will rise up against him.
28 The possessions of his house will be carried away,
dragged off in the day of God's[b] wrath.
29 (AH)This is the wicked man's portion from God,
(AI)the heritage decreed for him by God.”
Job Replies: The Wicked Do Prosper
21 Then Job answered and said:
2 (AJ)“Keep listening to my words,
and let this be your comfort.
3 Bear with me, and I will speak,
and after I have spoken, (AK)mock on.
4 As for me, is my (AL)complaint against man?
Why should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me and be appalled,
and (AM)lay your hand over your mouth.
6 When I remember, I am dismayed,
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
7 (AN)Why do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
8 Their (AO)offspring are established in their presence,
and their descendants before their eyes.
9 Their houses are (AP)safe from fear,
and (AQ)no rod of God is upon them.
10 Their bull breeds without fail;
their cow calves and (AR)does not miscarry.
11 They send out their (AS)little boys like a flock,
and their children dance.
12 They sing to (AT)the tambourine and (AU)the lyre
and rejoice to the sound of (AV)the pipe.
13 They (AW)spend their days in prosperity,
and in (AX)peace they go down to (AY)Sheol.
14 They say to God, (AZ)‘Depart from us!
We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
15 (BA)What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what (BB)profit do we get if we pray to him?’
16 Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?
(BC)The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is it that (BD)the lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity comes upon them?
That God[c] distributes pains in his anger?
18 That they are like (BE)straw before the wind,
and like (BF)chaff that the storm carries away?
19 You say, ‘God (BG)stores up their iniquity for their (BH)children.’
Let him pay it out to them, that they may (BI)know it.
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction,
and let them (BJ)drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what do they care for their houses after them,
when (BK)the number of their months is cut off?
22 (BL)Will any teach God knowledge,
seeing that he (BM)judges those who are on high?
23 One dies in his full vigor,
being wholly at ease and secure,
24 his pails[d] full of milk
and (BN)the marrow of his bones moist.
25 Another dies in (BO)bitterness of soul,
never having tasted of prosperity.
26 They (BP)lie down alike in the dust,
and (BQ)the worms cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts
and your schemes to wrong me.
28 For you say, (BR)‘Where is the house of the prince?
Where is (BS)the tent in which the wicked lived?’
29 Have you not asked those who travel the roads,
and do you not accept their testimony
30 that (BT)the evil man is spared in the day of calamity,
that he is rescued in the day of wrath?
31 Who declares his way (BU)to his face,
and who (BV)repays him for what he has done?
32 When he is (BW)carried to the grave,
watch is kept over his tomb.
33 (BX)The clods of the valley are sweet to him;
(BY)all mankind follows after him,
and those who go before him are innumerable.
34 How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?
There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.”
24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and (A)fell down at his feet and (B)worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, (C)“Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew (D)to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but (E)God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”
30 And Cornelius said, (F)“Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at (G)the ninth hour,[a] and behold, (H)a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, (I)your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that (J)God (K)shows no partiality, 35 but (L)in every nation anyone who fears him and (M)does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for (N)the word that he sent to Israel, (O)preaching good news of (P)peace through Jesus Christ ((Q)he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, (R)beginning (S)from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how (T)God anointed Jesus of Nazareth (U)with the Holy Spirit and with (V)power. He went about doing good and healing all (W)who were oppressed by the devil, (X)for God was with him. 39 And (Y)we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. (Z)They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but (AA)God raised him on (AB)the third day and made him to (AC)appear, 41 (AD)not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as (AE)witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And (AF)he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify (AG)that he is the one appointed by God to be judge (AH)of the living and the dead. 43 (AI)To him (AJ)all the prophets bear witness that (AK)everyone who believes in him receives (AL)forgiveness of sins (AM)through his name.”
The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still saying these things, (AN)the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among (AO)the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because (AP)the gift of the Holy Spirit (AQ)was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them (AR)speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 (AS)“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit (AT)just as we have?” 48 And he (AU)commanded them (AV)to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.