Old/New Testament
Elihu Addresses Job and His Friends
32 These three men stopped responding to Job, because he was claiming to be righteous, in his own opinion.[a] 2 But then Barachel’s son Elihu from Buz, one of Ram’s descendants, got really angry. He was furious with Job because he had been declaring himself righteous instead of vindicating God. 3 Furthermore, he was furious with his three friends because they had not answered Job, but instead had condemned him. 4 Elihu waited to have a word with Job, since the others were older than he, 5 but when he saw that there had been no response[b] from those three, he got even more angry. 6 Barachel’s son Elihu from Buz responded and said:
“I’m younger than you are.
Because you’re older,[c] I was terrified
to tell you what I know.
7 I thought, experience[d] should speak;
abundance of years teaches wisdom.
8 However, a spirit exists in mankind,
and the Almighty’s breath gives him insight.”
There’s No Fool Like an Old Fool
9 “The aged aren’t always wise,
nor do the elderly always understand justice.
10 Therefore I’m saying, ‘Listen to me!’
Then I’ll declare what I know.
11 “Look! I have waited to hear your speech,
so I listened to your insights
while you searched for the right words to say.[e]
12 Indeed, I paid close attention to you all,
but none of you were able to refute[f] Job
or answer his arguments convincingly.
13 “So that you cannot claim, ‘We have found wisdom!’
let God do the rebuking, not man;
14 let him not direct a rebuke toward me.
I won’t be responding to him with your arguments.
15 “Job’s friends[g] won’t reason with him anymore;
discouraged, words escape them.
16 Shall I continue to wait, since they’re no longer talking?
After all, they’re only standing there;
they’re no longer responding.
17 “I will contribute my arguments[h] as an answer;
I’ll declare what I know,
18 because I’m filled with things to say,
and my spirit within me compels me to speak.[i]
19 My insides feel like unvented wine,
like it’s about to burst like a new wineskin.
20 “Let me speak! I need relief!
Let me open my lips and respond.
21 I won’t discriminate against anyone,
and I won’t flatter any person,
22 since I don’t know the first thing about how to flatter;
and the one who made me would sweep me away
as if I were nothing.”
Elihu Begins His Discourse
33 “Now please listen to what I have to say, Job.
Listen to every word!
2 Look! I’ve begun to speak,[j]
and I’m fashioning my words.[k]
3 I speak from the innocence[l] of my heart;
and my lips will utter what I sincerely know.
4 “The spirit of God fashioned me;
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me, if you can!
Present your case! Take your stand in my presence!
6 Look! As far as God is concerned,[m] I’m just like you are—
I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.
7 Don’t be afraid of me;
I’ll go easy[n] on you.”
Elihu Reviews Job’s Claim for Innocence
8 “You spoke clearly so I could hear;
I’ve heard what you’ve said:
9 ‘I’m pure. I’m without sin;
I’m innocent. I’m harboring no iniquity inside of me.
10 Nevertheless, God[o] has found a pretext to attack me;
he considers me his enemy.
11 He has bound my feet in shackles,
and keeps watching everything I do.’”[p]
God Responds to Humanity’s Need
12 “You aren’t right about this;
My response is that God is greater than human beings.
13 Why are you arguing with him?
He doesn’t have to give explanations for what he does to you!
14 “God speaks time and time again[q]—
but nobody notices—
15 in a dream or night vision,
when a deep sleep falls on mankind
while they sleep on their beds.
16 That’s when he opens the ear of mankind,
authenticating his messages[r] to them,
17 turning a person from his actions,
keeping him[s] from pride,
18 sparing his soul from the Pit[t]
and his life from violent death.[u]
19 “He is being reproved by painful bed rest,
with continual aching in his bones.
20 He cannot stand his food,
and he[v] has no desire for appetizing food.
21 His flesh wastes away;
his bones, which once couldn’t be seen, are visible.
22 His soul is getting close to the Pit;[w]
his life is approaching its executioner.”
God Delivers through His Ransom
23 “If there’s a messenger[x] appointed to mediate for Job[y]
—one out of a thousand—
to represent the man’s integrity on his behalf,
24 to show favor to him and to plead,
‘Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit[z]—
I know where his ransom is!’
25 Let his flesh be rejuvenated[aa] as he was in his youth!
Let him recover the strength of his youth.
26 Let him pray to God
and he will accept him;
he will appear before him with joyful shouts!”
The Song of the Ransomed
27 “He’ll sing to mankind with these words:
‘I’ve sinned. I have twisted what is right.
Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve.[ab]
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit;[ac]
my life will see the light.’
29 Indeed God does all these things
again and again[ad] with a person
30 to bring back his soul from the Pit;[ae]
to light him with the light of life.”
Elihu Invites Job to Respond
31 “Job, pay attention! Listen to me!
Be silent and let me speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, because I’d be happy to vindicate you.
33 But if you have nothing to say, then at least listen to me!
Be quiet and learn some wisdom from me.”
Paul and Barnabas in Iconium
14 In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas[a] went into 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 They stayed there a considerable time and continued to speak boldly for the Lord, who kept affirming his word of grace and granting signs and wonders to be done by them. 4 But the people of the city were divided. Some were with the Jews, while others were with the apostles.
5 Now when an attempt was made by both gentiles and Jews, along with their authorities, to mistreat and stone them, 6 Paul and Barnabas[b] found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding territory. 7 There they kept talking about the good news.
Paul and Barnabas in Lystra
8 Now in Lystra there was a man sitting down who couldn’t use his feet. He had been crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He was listening to Paul as he spoke. Paul[c] watched him closely, and when he saw that he had faith to be healed, 10 he said in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” Then the man[d] jumped up and began to walk.
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us!” 12 They began to call Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the main speaker. 13 The priest of the temple of Zeus, which was just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates. He and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15 “Men, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings with natures like yours. We are telling you the good news so you’ll turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.[e] 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways, 17 yet he has not abandoned his witness: he continues to do good, to give you rain from heaven, to give you[f] fruitful seasons, and to fill you with food and your hearts with joy.” 18 Even by saying this, it was all Paul and Barnabas[g] could do to keep the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.
Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria
19 But some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds by persuasion. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking he was dead. 20 But the disciples formed a circle around him, and he got up and went back to town. The next day, he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 As they were proclaiming the good news in that city, they discipled a large number of people. Then they went back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships,” they said, “to get into the kingdom of God.” 23 Paul and Barnabas[h] appointed elders for them in each church, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 They spoke the word[i] in Perga and 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 completed. 27 When they arrived, they called the church together and told them everything that God had done with them and how he had opened a door so that gentiles would believe. 28 Then they spent a long time with the disciples.
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