Old/New Testament

Elihu Talks

32 Then these three men stopped answering Job, because he was right and good in his own eyes. ² But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. He was angry at Job because he said he was right with God. ³ And he was angry at his three friends because they had found no answer, yet they had said that Job was wrong. ⁴ Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. ⁵ And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, he was very angry. ⁶ So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite said, “I am young, and you are old. So I did not feel that I should speak. I was afraid to tell you what I think. ⁷ I thought the older men should speak, and that the many years should teach wisdom. ⁸ But it is the spirit in a man and the breath of the All-powerful that gives him understanding. ⁹ The old may not be wise. They may not understand what is right and fair. ¹⁰ So I say, ‘Listen to me. I also will tell you what I think.’

¹¹ “See, I waited for your words. I listened to what you said and waited to hear more from you. ¹² I was careful to listen to you. There was no one who could prove that Job was wrong. None of you could answer his words. ¹³ Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom. God will show he is wrong, not man.’ ¹⁴ Now Job has not spoken his words against me. And I will not answer him with your words.

¹⁵ “They are troubled and have no more to say. Words do not come. ¹⁶ Should I wait because they do not speak, because they stand there and do not answer? ¹⁷ I also will give my answer. I will tell what I think. ¹⁸ For I am full of words. The spirit within me makes me speak. ¹⁹ See, my stomach is like wine that cannot get out. It is ready to break like new wine bottles made of skin. ²⁰ Let me speak, that I may find comfort. Let me open my lips and answer. ²¹ I will not show favor to anyone, or praise any man in a false way. ²² For I do not know how to say sweet-sounding words that are not true, for then my Maker would soon take me away.

Elihu Keeps On Speaking

33 “But now, Job, hear what I say. Listen to all my words. ² See, I open my mouth. My tongue in my mouth wants to speak. ³ My words come from my heart that is right. My lips speak in truth what I know. ⁴ The Spirit of God has made me. And the breath of the All-powerful gives me life. ⁵ Prove me wrong if you can. Get ready to answer me, and take your stand. ⁶ See, I belong to God like you. I also have been made from the clay. ⁷ See, you have no reason to be afraid of me. I should not make it hard for you.

⁸ “For sure you have spoken in my hearing. I have heard all you have said. ⁹ You said, ‘I am pure and without sin. I am not guilty, and there is no sin in me. ¹⁰ But see, God finds things against me. He thinks of me as someone who hates Him. ¹¹ He puts my feet in chains, and watches all my paths.’ ¹² See, I tell you, in this you are not right. For God is greater than man.

¹³ “Why do you complain against Him? He does not give a reason for all He does. ¹⁴ For God speaks once, or twice, and yet no one listens. ¹⁵ In a dream, a special dream of the night, when deep sleep comes upon men, while they sleep in their beds, ¹⁶ then He opens the ears of men. He teaches them and makes them afraid telling them of danger, ¹⁷ that He may turn man away from wrong-doing and keep him from pride. ¹⁸ He keeps his soul from going to the place of the dead. And He keeps his life from being destroyed by the sword.

¹⁹ “Man is also punished with pain on his bed and has pain all the time in his bones. ²⁰ So he hates bread, and has no desire for fine foods. ²¹ His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen. His bones which were not seen stick out. ²² His soul comes close to the grave, and his life to those who bring death.

²³ “If there is an angel, one out of a thousand, to speak with God for him, and to show a man what is right for him, ²⁴ then let him be kind to him, and say, ‘Save him from going down to the grave. I have found someone to pay the price to make him free. ²⁵ Let his flesh become young again. Let him return to the days when he was young and strong.’ ²⁶ Then he will pray to God, and God will be pleased with him. He will see His face with joy. And God will make man right with Him again. ²⁷ He will sing to men and say, ‘I have sinned and have not done what is right, but He did not punish me. ²⁸ He has kept my soul from going to the grave. And my life will see the light.’

²⁹ “See, God does all these things twice, even three times, to a man, ³⁰ to turn back his soul from the grave, that he may see the light of life. ³¹ Hear what I say, O Job, listen to me. Be quiet and let me speak. ³² If you have anything to say, answer me. Speak, for I want to make you right with God. ³³ If not, listen to me. Be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Paul and Barnabas Preach in Iconium

14 In the city of Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish place of worship. They preached with power and many people became Christians. These people were Jews and Greeks. ² But the Jews who did not want to believe worked against those who were not Jews. They made them turn against the Christians. ³ Paul and Barnabas stayed there a long time preaching with the strength the Lord gave. God helped them to do powerful works when they preached which showed He was with them. ⁴ The people of the city were divided. Some were on the side of the Jews. Some were on the side of the missionaries. ⁵ All the people and the leaders tried to hurt them and throw stones at them.

Paul and Barnabas Go to Lystra

⁶ When Paul and Barnabas heard this, they got away and went to the cities of Lystra and Derbe in Lycaonia and to the country close by. ⁷ They stayed there and kept on preaching the Good News. ⁸ There was a man in Lystra who had never walked from the time he was born. ⁹ This man listened as Paul spoke. Paul watched him. He saw that the man believed he could be healed. ¹⁰ Calling to him with a loud voice, Paul said, “Stand up on your feet!” The man jumped up and walked around.

Paul and Barnabas Are Called Gods, Then Stoned

¹¹ The people saw what Paul did. They called with loud voices in the language of the people of Lycaonia, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” ¹² They said that Barnabas was Jupiter. Paul was called Mercury because he spoke more than Barnabas. ¹³ The god of Jupiter was in a building near the gate leading into the city. The religious leader of that place brought cattle and flowers to the gate. He and many other people wanted to burn these as gifts in an act of worship to Paul and Barnabas.

¹⁴ When Paul and Barnabas heard this, they ran among the people. They tore their clothes and cried out, ¹⁵ “Why are you doing this? We are only men with feelings like yours. We preach the Good News that you should turn from these empty things to the living God. He made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. ¹⁶ Long ago He allowed all people to live the way they wanted to. ¹⁷ Even then God did not leave you without something to see of Him. He did good. He gave you rain from heaven and much food. He made you happy.” ¹⁸ Even with these words it was hard for Paul and Barnabas to keep the people from burning cattle in an act of worship to them.

¹⁹ By this time some Jews from the cities of Antioch and Iconium came. They turned the minds of the people against Paul and Barnabas and told them to throw stones at Paul. After they threw stones at him, they dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead.

Paul and Barnabas Preach to the Christians on Their Return Trip to Antioch

²⁰ As the Christians gathered around Paul, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he went with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ In that city they preached the Good News and taught many people. Then they returned to the cities of Lystra and Iconium and Antioch. ²² In each city they helped the Christians to be strong and true to the faith. They told them, “We must suffer many hard things to get into the holy nation of God.”

²³ In every church they chose leaders for them. They went without food during that time so they could pray better. Paul and Barnabas prayed for the leaders, giving them over to the Lord in Whom they believed.

²⁴ When they had gone through the city of Pisidia, they came to the city of Pamphylia. ²⁵ Then they preached the Good News in the city of Perga. After this they went down to the city of Attalia. ²⁶ From there they went by ship to Antioch where they had been given to the Lord for His work. The work of this trip was done.

²⁷ When they got there, they called the church together. They told them everything God had done for them. They told how God had opened the door for the people who were not Jews to have faith. ²⁸ They stayed there with the followers a long time.