Old/New Testament
36 Elihu continued:
2 “Let me go on and I will show you the truth of what I am saying. For I have not finished defending God! 3 I will give you many illustrations of the righteousness of my Maker. 4 I am telling you the honest truth, for I am a man of well-rounded knowledge.
5 “God is almighty and yet does not despise anyone! And he is perfect in his understanding. 6 He does not reward the wicked with his blessings, but gives them their full share of punishment. 7 He does not ignore the good men but honors them by placing them upon eternal, kingly thrones. 8 If troubles come upon them and they are enslaved and afflicted, 9 then he takes the trouble to point out to them the reason, what they have done that is wrong, or how they have behaved proudly. 10 He helps them hear his instruction to turn away from their sin.
11 “If they listen and obey him, then they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. 12 If they won’t listen to him, they shall perish in battle and die because of their lack of good sense. 13 But the godless reap his anger. They do not even return to him when he punishes them. 14 They die young after lives of dissipation and depravity. 15 He delivers by distress! This makes them listen to him!
16 “How he wanted to lure you away from danger into a wide and pleasant valley and to prosper you there. 17 But you are too preoccupied with your imagined grievances against others. 18 Watch out! Don’t let your anger at others lead you into scoffing at God! Don’t let your suffering embitter you at the only one who can deliver you. 19 Do you really think that if you shout loudly enough against God, he will be ashamed and repent? Will this put an end to your chastisement?
20 “Do not desire the nighttime, with its opportunities for crime. 21 Turn back from evil, for it was to prevent you from getting into a life of evil that God sent this suffering.
22 “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? 23 Who can say that what he does is absurd or evil? 24 Instead, glorify him for his mighty works for which he is so famous. 25 Everyone has seen these things from a distance.
26 “God is so great that we cannot begin to know him. No one can begin to understand eternity. 27 He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain, 28 which the skies pour down. 29 Can anyone really understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunders within? 30 See how he spreads the lightning around him, and blankets the tops of the mountains. 31 By his fantastic powers in nature he punishes or blesses the people, giving them food in abundance. 32 He fills his hands with lightning bolts. He hurls each at its target. 33 We feel his presence in the thunder. Even the cattle know when a storm is coming.
37 “My heart trembles at this. 2 Listen, listen to the thunder of his voice. 3 It rolls across the heavens and his lightning flashes out in every direction. 4 Afterwards comes the roaring of the thunder—the tremendous voice of his majesty. 5 His voice is glorious in the thunder. We cannot comprehend the greatness of his power. 6 For he directs the snow, the showers, and storm to fall upon the earth. 7 Man’s work stops at such a time so that all men everywhere may recognize his power. 8 The wild animals hide in the rocks or in their dens.
9 “From the south comes the rain; from the north, the cold. 10 God blows upon the rivers, and even the widest torrents freeze. 11 He loads the clouds with moisture, and they send forth his lightning. 12 The lightning bolts are directed by his hand and do whatever he commands throughout the earth. 13 He sends the storms[a] as punishment or, in his loving-kindness, to encourage.
14 “Listen, O Job, stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God. 15 Do you know how God controls all nature and causes the lightning to flash forth from the clouds? 16-17 Do you understand the balancing of the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill? Do you know why you become warm when the south wind is blowing and everything is still? 18 Can you spread out the gigantic mirror of the skies as he does?
19-20 “You who think you know so much,[b] teach the rest of us how we should approach God. For we are too dull to know! With your wisdom, would we then dare to approach him? Well, does a man wish to be swallowed alive? 21 For as we cannot look at the sun for its brightness when the winds have cleared away the clouds, 22 neither can we gaze at the terrible majesty of God breaking forth upon us from heaven, clothed in dazzling splendor. 23 We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty, and yet he is so just and merciful that he does not destroy us. 24 No wonder men everywhere fear him! For he is not impressed by the world’s wisest men!”
22 Then the apostles and elders and the whole congregation voted to send delegates to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas.
23 This is the letter they took along with them:
“From: The apostles, elders and brothers at Jerusalem.
“To: The Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Greetings!
24 “We understand that some believers from here have upset you and questioned your salvation,[a] but they had no such instructions from us. 25 So it seemed wise to us, having unanimously agreed on our decision, to send to you these two official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. 26 These men—Judas and Silas, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ—will confirm orally what we have decided concerning your question.
27-29 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden of Jewish laws on you than to abstain from eating food offered to idols and from unbled meat of strangled animals,[b] and, of course, from fornication. If you do this, it is enough. Farewell.”
30 The four messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the Christians and gave them the letter. 31 And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read it.
32 Then Judas and Silas, both being gifted speakers,[c] preached long sermons to the believers, strengthening their faith. 33 They stayed several days,[d] and then Judas and Silas returned to Jerusalem taking greetings and appreciation to those who had sent them. 34-35 Paul and Barnabas stayed on at Antioch to assist several others who were preaching and teaching there.
36 Several days later Paul suggested to Barnabas that they return again to Turkey and visit each city where they had preached before,[e] to see how the new converts were getting along. 37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. 38 But Paul didn’t like that idea at all, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia. 39 Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus, 40-41 while Paul chose Silas and, with the blessing of the believers, left for Syria and Cilicia to encourage the churches there.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.