Old/New Testament
Elihu’s Monologues
32 These three men gave up trying to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
2 So Elihu son of Barakel, the Buzite from the clan of Ram, burned with anger. His anger burned against Job because Job had justified himself rather than God. 3 His anger also burned against his three companions, because they had no answer for Job, but they nevertheless had condemned him.
4 Up to this point, Elihu had held back, and he had not spoken to Job, because the others were older and more experienced than he was.
5 When Elihu saw that the three men had no ready answer, his anger burned. 6 So Elihu son of Barakel, the Buzite, responded. He said:
I am young and inexperienced, and you are aged.
That is why I held back,
and I was afraid to tell you what I know.
7 I thought that experience should speak.
Many years should give a man wisdom.
8 However, it is the spirit[a] in a man
and the breath of the Almighty that give a man understanding.
9 It is not just the important men who are wise.
The elderly are not the only ones who know how to judge cases.
10 That is why I now say, “Listen to me.”
I will declare what I know—yes, I will.
11 Notice that I waited for you to finish your words.
I have listened carefully to your conclusions.
The whole time you were searching for the right words,
12 I paid attention to you.
But look, not one of you showed Job that he was wrong
or came up with an answer for Job.
13 So do not say, “We have found wisdom,
but it is God, not a man, who will have to refute him.”
14 Job has not drawn up his speeches against me,
so I will not respond to him with arguments like yours.
15 Those three are shattered. They no longer respond.
They have run out of words.
16 I have waited patiently,
but since they no longer speak,
and they just stand there and do not answer anymore,
17 I will now respond with my contribution.
I will now declare what I know,
18 for I am full of words.
A wind[b] in my belly is building up pressure.
19 My belly is like unvented wine.
I am like a new wineskin ready to burst.
20 I intend to speak, so that I can find relief for myself.
Let me open my lips and answer.
21 I will certainly not show favoritism to any man.
I will not address any man with flattering titles,
22 because I do not know how to pass out flattering titles.
If I did so, my Maker would quickly carry me away.
33 But now, Job, listen to my speech.
Pay close attention to all my words.
2 Listen, because I have opened my mouth.
See how my tongue shapes words in my mouth.
3 My speech will reveal my upright heart.
My lips express my knowledge plainly.[c]
4 The spirit[d] of God made me.
The breath of the Almighty gave me life.
5 Refute me if you are able.
Lay out your case before me! Take your stand!
6 Look, my mouth belongs to God, just as your mouth does.
Like you I was snipped off from a lump of clay.
7 Look, you should not be terrified by how awesome I am.
Pressure from me should not intimidate you.
8 However, you said this in my hearing,
and I did hear the sound of these words:
9 “I am pure, without any sinful rebellion.
I am clean. I have no guilt.
10 But look how God finds pretexts to oppose me.
He treats me like his enemy.
11 He has put my feet in stocks.
He patrols all my paths.”
12 Job, listen to this!
You are not right.
I must refute you!
Certainly, God is greater than a man.
13 Why do you bring charges against him,
just because he does not answer all of a man’s questions?
14 God does speak, sometimes one way, sometimes another,
but people do not pay attention to it.
15 In a dream, in a vision in the night,
when people are falling into a deep sleep,
while they slumber on their beds,
16 he whispers a revelation into people’s ears,
and he confirms his warnings to them,
17 in order to turn a man from his course of action
and to suppress a person’s pride.
18 He spares his life from the pit.
He spares his life from crossing the stream of death.[e]
19 Or a person may be disciplined on his bed by pain
and by continual agony in his bones,
20 so that his life makes food disgusting to him,
and he has no appetite for delicious food.
21 His flesh wastes away and disappears,
and his bones, which were hidden, now stick out.
22 Then his soul draws near to destruction,
and his life to those who bring death.
23 If there is a messenger at his side to mediate,
one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
24 if he is gracious to him,
if he says, “Spare him from going down to the pit.
I have found a ransom for him,”
25 then his flesh would become more vigorous than it was in his youth.
He would return to days of youthful vitality.
26 Then he would pray to God,
and God would be pleased with him.
With a joyful cry he would see God’s face,
and God would restore his righteousness to the man.
27 Then the man would turn to people and say,[f]
“I have sinned, and I have perverted what is right,
yet I was not punished as much as I deserved.
28 God has redeemed my soul from passing into the pit,
and my life will see the light.”
29 Look, God does all these things with a man—
two times, or even three times—
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
so that light shines on him among the living.
31 Pay attention, Job. Listen to me.
Be silent, so that I may speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me.
Speak up, for I would be delighted to declare you innocent.
33 If you have nothing to say, listen to me
Be silent, so I may teach you wisdom.
In Iconium
14 The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas entered the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3 Paul and Barnabas stayed there a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by granting them the ability to perform miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.
5 When there was a plot by both Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them, 6 they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside. 7 There they kept on preaching the good news.
In Lystra and Derbe
8 In Lystra there was a man who was sitting down because he had no strength in his feet. He had never walked because he was lame from birth. 9 When he was listening to Paul as he was speaking, Paul looked at him closely and saw that he had faith to be healed. 10 Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form.” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the main speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates, because he wanted to offer sacrifices along with the crowds.
14 But when the apostles Paul and Barnabas heard about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men with the same nature as you. We are preaching the good news to you so that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without testimony of the good he does. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and fills your hearts with gladness.” 18 Even though they said these things, they had a hard time stopping the crowds from sacrificing to them.
19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded the crowds to stone Paul. When they thought he was dead, they dragged him out of the city. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he stood up and went into the city. The next day, he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
The Return to Antioch
21 After they preached the good news in that city and had gathered many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. They told them, “We must go through many troubles on our way to the kingdom of God.” 23 They had elders elected[a] for them in every church, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they believed. 24 When they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25 When they had spoken the Word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had just completed. 27 When they arrived and called the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith for the Gentiles. 28 Then they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.