Job 32–33; Acts 14

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Job 32–33

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Three Friends

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was vrighteous in his own eyes. Then Elihu the son of Barachel wthe Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself xrather than God. He burned with anger also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, although they had ydeclared Job to be in the wrong. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said:

I am young in years,

and you are zaged;

therefore I was timid and afraid

to declare my opinion to you.

I said, Let days speak,

and many years teach wisdom.

But it is athe spirit in man,

bthe breath of the Almighty, that makes him cunderstand.

dIt is not the old1 who are wise,

nor the aged who understand what is right.

10  Therefore I say, Listen to me;

let me also declare my opinion.

11  Behold, I waited for your words,

I listened for your wise sayings,

while you searched out what to say.

12  I gave you my attention,

and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job

or who answered his words.

13  Beware elest you say, We have found wisdom;

God may vanquish him, not a man.

14  He has not directed his words against me,

and I will not answer him with your speeches.

15  They are dismayed; they answer no more;

they have not a word to say.

16  And shall I wait, because they do not speak,

because they stand there, and answer no more?

17  I also will answer with my share;

I also will declare my opinion.

18  For I am full of words;

the spirit within me constrains me.

19  Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent;

like new fwineskins ready to burst.

20  gI must speak, that I may find hrelief;

I must open my lips and answer.

21  I will not ishow partiality to any man

or use flattery toward any person.

22  For I do not know how to flatter,

else my Maker would soon take me away.

Elihu Rebukes Job

But now, hear my speech, O Job,

and listen to all my words.

Behold, I jopen my mouth;

the tongue in my mouth speaks.

My words declare the uprightness of my heart,

and what my lips know they speak sincerely.

kThe Spirit of God has made me,

and lthe breath of the Almighty gives me life.

mAnswer me, if you can;

nset your words in order before me; take your stand.

Behold, I am toward God as you are;

I too was pinched off from a piece of oclay.

Behold, no pfear of me need terrify you;

my qpressure will not be heavy upon you.

Surely you have spoken in my ears,

and I have heard the sound of your words.

You say, I am rpure, without stransgression;

I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.

10  Behold, he finds occasions against me,

he tcounts me as his enemy,

11  he uputs my feet in the stocks

and vwatches all my paths.

12  Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,

for God is greater than man.

13  Why do you wcontend against him,

saying, He xwill answer none of man’s2 words?3

14  For God yspeaks in one way,

zand in two, though man adoes not perceive it.

15  In ba dream, in ca vision of dthe night,

when cdeep sleep falls on men,

while they slumber on their beds,

16  then he eopens the ears of men

and terrifies4 them with warnings,

17  that he may turn man aside from his fdeed

and conceal pride from a man;

18  he keeps back his soul from the pit,

his life from gperishing by the sword.

19  Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed

and with continual strife in his hbones,

20  so that his ilife loathes bread,

and his appetite jthe choicest food.

21  His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,

and his bones that were not seen kstick out.

22  His soul draws near lthe pit,

and his life to mthose who bring death.

23  If there be for him nan angel,

oa mediator, pone of the thousand,

to declare to man what is qright for him,

24  and he is merciful to him, and says,

Deliver him from going down into the pit;

I have found ra ransom;

25  let his flesh sbecome fresh with youth;

let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;

26  then man5 tprays to God, and he accepts him;

he usees his face with a shout of joy,

and he vrestores to man his righteousness.

27  He sings before men and says:

I wsinned and perverted what was right,

and it was not repaid to me.

28  He has redeemed my xsoul from going down yinto the pit,

and my life shall zlook upon the light.

29  Behold, God does all these things,

twice, athree times, with a man,

30  to bring back his soul from the pit,

that he may be lighted with bthe light of life.

31  Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;

be silent, and I will speak.

32  If you have any words, canswer me;

dspeak, for I desire to justify you.

33  If not, elisten to me;

be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.


Acts 14

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium

Now at Iconium athey entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. bBut the cunbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against dthe brothers.1 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for ethe Lord, who bore witness to fthe word of his grace, ggranting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city hwere divided; isome sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, jto mistreat them and kto stone them, they learned of it and lfled to mLystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra

Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was ncrippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and oseeing that he had faith to be made well,2 10 said in a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. And he psprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, qThe gods have come down to us in the likeness of men! 12 Barnabas they called rZeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of rZeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and swanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they ttore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 Men, uwhy are you doing these things? We also are men, vof like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that wyou should turn from these xvain things to ya living God, zwho made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he aallowed all the nations bto walk in their own ways. 17 Yet che did not leave himself without witness, for he ddid good by egiving you rains from heaven and ffruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with gfood and hgladness. 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

Paul Stoned at Lystra

19 iBut Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, jthey stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had kmade many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 lstrengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them mto continue in nthe faith, and saying that othrough many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had pappointed qelders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting rthey committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, swhere they had been tcommended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, uthey declared all that God had done with them, and vhow he had wopened xa door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.