Old/New Testament
Elihu’s Speech Continues
36 Elihu continued:
2 “Listen to me a little longer. Then I will show you
that there is more to be said for God’s side.
3 What I know comes from far away.
I will show that God, my Maker, is right.
4 You can be sure that my words are not false.
One who really knows is with you.
5 “God is powerful, but he does not hate people.
He is powerful and sure of what he wants to do.
6 God will not keep evil people alive.
But he gives troubled people their rights.
7 God does not stop watching over those who do right.
He sets them on thrones with kings.
And he lifts them up on high forever.
8 People may be bound in chains.
Or trouble may tie them up like ropes around them.
9 But then God tells them what they have done.
He tells them they have sinned by being too proud.
10 God makes them listen to his warning.
He commands them to change from doing evil.
11 If they obey and serve him,
the rest of their lives will be successful.
And the rest of their years will be happy.
12 But if they do not listen,
they will die by the sword.
And they will die without knowing better.
13 “People who have wicked hearts hold on to anger.
Even when God ties them down with trouble, they do not cry for help.
14 They die while they are still young.
They die among the male prostitutes at the places of worship.
15 But God will save suffering people by their suffering.
He gets them to listen through their pain.
16 “God is gently calling you from the jaws of trouble.
He is calling you to an open place of freedom.
There he has set your table full of the best food.
17 But now you are given the punishment evil people should have.
Now you are being punished.
18 Be careful! Don’t be led away from God by riches.
Don’t let a promise of much money turn you away.
19 Neither your wealth nor all your great strength
will keep you out of trouble.
20 Don’t wish for the night.
That is when people are taken from their homes.
21 Be careful not to turn to evil,
which you seem to want more than suffering.
22 “God does great things by his power.
No other teacher is like him.
23 No one has planned his ways for him.
No one has said to God, ‘You have done wrong.’
24 Remember to praise his work.
Men sing about it.
25 Everybody has seen it.
People look at it from far off.
26 God is so great! He is greater than we can understand!
No one can discover how many years he has been alive.
27 “God takes up the drops of water from the earth.
And he turns them into drops of rain.
28 Then the rain pours down from the clouds.
And showers fall on people.
29 No one understands how God spreads out the clouds.
No one understands how he thunders from where he lives.
30 Watch how God scatters his lightning around him.
It even lights up the deepest parts of the sea.
31 This is the way God governs the nations.
This is how he gives us enough food.
32 God fills his hands with lightning.
And he commands it to strike its target.
33 His thunder announces that a storm is coming.
Even the cattle show that the storm is coming.
37 “At the sound of his thunder, my heart pounds.
It is as if my heart will jump out of my chest.
2 Listen! Listen to the thunder of God’s voice.
Listen to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He turns his lightning loose under the whole sky.
And he sends it to the farthest parts of the earth.
4 After that you can hear the roar
when he thunders with a great sound.
He does not hold back the flashing
when his voice is heard.
5 God’s voice thunders in wonderful ways.
He does great things we cannot understand.
6 God says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth.’
And he says to the rain shower, ‘Be a heavy rain.’
7 With it, God stops everyone from working.
That way, everyone knows it is the work of God.
8 The animals take cover from the rain.
They stay in their dens.
9 The storm comes from where it was stored.
The cold comes from the strong winds.
10 The breath of God makes ice.
And the wide waters become frozen.
11 God fills the clouds up with water.
And he scatters his lightning through them.
12 At God’s command they swirl around
over the whole earth.
They do whatever he commands.
13 God uses the clouds to punish people
or to water his earth and show his love.
14 “Job, listen to this.
Stop and notice God’s miracles.
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?
16 Do you know how the clouds hang in the sky?
They are the miracles of God, who knows everything.
17 You suffer in your clothes
when the land is made quiet by the hot, south wind.
18 You cannot stretch out the sky like God
and make it look as hard as polished bronze.
19 Tell us what we should say to God.
We cannot get our arguments ready because we do not have enough understanding.
20 Should God be told that I want to speak?
A man might try to speak to God, but he would surely be
swallowed up.
21 No one can look at the sun
when it is bright in the sky
after the wind has blown all the clouds away.
22 God comes out of the north in golden light.
He comes in overwhelming greatness.
23 God All-Powerful is too high for us to reach.
He has great strength.
He is always right and never punishes unfairly.
24 That is why people honor God.
He does not respect those who say they are wise.”
Letter to Non-Jewish Believers
22 The apostles, the elders, and the whole church decided to send some of their men with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. They chose Judas Barsabbas and Silas, who were respected by the believers. 23 They sent the following letter with them:
From the apostles and elders, your brothers.
To all the non-Jewish brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Dear Brothers,
24 We have heard that some of our men have come to you and said things that trouble and upset you. But we did not tell them to do this! 25 We have all agreed to choose some men and send them to you. They will be with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have given their lives to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 So we have sent Judas and Silas with them. They will tell you the same things. 28 It has pleased the Holy Spirit that you should not have a heavy load to carry, and we agree. You need to do only these things: 29 Do not eat any food that has been offered to idols. Do not taste blood. Do not eat any animals that have been strangled. Do not take part in any kind of sexual sin. If you stay away from these things, you will do well.
Good-bye.
30 So the men left Jerusalem and went to Antioch. There they gathered the church and gave them the letter. 31 When they read it, they were very happy because of the encouraging letter. 32 Judas and Silas were also prophets, who said many things to encourage the believers and make them stronger. 33 After some time Judas and Silas were sent off in peace by the believers. They went back to those who had sent them. 34 [But Silas decided to remain there.][a]
35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others preached the Good News and taught the people the message of the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 After some time, Paul said to Barnabas, “We preached the message of the Lord in many towns. We should go back to all those towns to visit the believers and see how they are doing.”
37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them too. 38 But John Mark had left them at Pamphylia; he did not continue with them in the work. So Paul did not think it was a good idea to take him. 39 Paul and Barnabas had a serious argument about this. They separated and went different ways. Barnabas sailed to Cyprus and took Mark with him. 40 But Paul chose Silas and left. The believers in Antioch put Paul into the Lord’s care. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, giving strength to the churches.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.