37 “At this my heart pounds(A)
    and leaps from its place.
Listen!(B) Listen to the roar of his voice,(C)
    to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.(D)
He unleashes his lightning(E) beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.(F)
After that comes the sound of his roar;
    he thunders(G) with his majestic voice.(H)
When his voice resounds,
    he holds nothing back.
God’s voice thunders(I) in marvelous ways;(J)
    he does great things beyond our understanding.(K)
He says to the snow,(L) ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’(M)
So that everyone he has made may know his work,(N)
    he stops all people from their labor.[a](O)
The animals take cover;(P)
    they remain in their dens.(Q)
The tempest comes out from its chamber,(R)
    the cold from the driving winds.(S)
10 The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen.(T)
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;(U)
    he scatters his lightning(V) through them.(W)
12 At his direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever he commands them.(X)
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,(Y)
    or to water his earth and show his love.(Z)

14 “Listen(AA) to this, Job;
    stop and consider God’s wonders.(AB)
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
    and makes his lightning(AC) flash?(AD)
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,(AE)
    those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?(AF)
17 You who swelter in your clothes
    when the land lies hushed under the south wind,(AG)
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,(AH)
    hard as a mirror of cast bronze?(AI)

19 “Tell us what we should say to him;(AJ)
    we cannot draw up our case(AK) because of our darkness.(AL)
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
    Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
21 Now no one can look at the sun,(AM)
    bright as it is in the skies
    after the wind has swept them clean.
22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;(AN)
    God comes in awesome majesty.(AO)
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;(AP)
    in his justice(AQ) and great righteousness, he does not oppress.(AR)
24 Therefore, people revere him,(AS)
    for does he not have regard for all the wise(AT) in heart?[b]

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job(AU) out of the storm.(AV) He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans(AW)
    with words without knowledge?(AX)
Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(AY)

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(AZ)
    Tell me, if you understand.(BA)
Who marked off its dimensions?(BB) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line(BC) across it?
On what were its footings set,(BD)
    or who laid its cornerstone(BE)
while the morning stars(BF) sang together(BG)
    and all the angels[c](BH) shouted for joy?(BI)

“Who shut up the sea behind doors(BJ)
    when it burst forth from the womb,(BK)
when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,(BL)
10 when I fixed limits for it(BM)
    and set its doors and bars in place,(BN)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;(BO)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?(BP)

12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,(BQ)
    or shown the dawn its place,(BR)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked(BS) out of it?(BT)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;(BU)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,(BV)
    and their upraised arm is broken.(BW)

16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?(BX)
17 Have the gates of death(BY) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?(BZ)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?(CA)
    Tell me, if you know all this.(CB)

19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?(CC)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths(CD) to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!(CE)
    You have lived so many years!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow(CF)
    or seen the storehouses(CG) of the hail,(CH)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,(CI)
    for days of war and battle?(CJ)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,(CK)
    or the place where the east winds(CL) are scattered over the earth?(CM)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,(CN)
26 to water(CO) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,(CP)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?(CQ)
28 Does the rain have a father?(CR)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens(CS)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?(CT)

31 “Can you bind the chains[d] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(CU)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(CV) in their seasons[e]
    or lead out the Bear[f] with its cubs?(CW)
33 Do you know the laws(CX) of the heavens?(CY)
    Can you set up God’s[g] dominion over the earth?

34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?(CZ)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?(DA)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[h](DB)
    or gives the rooster understanding?[i](DC)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars(DD) of the heavens(DE)
38 when the dust becomes hard(DF)
    and the clods of earth stick together?(DG)

39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions(DH)
40 when they crouch in their dens(DI)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?(DJ)
41 Who provides food(DK) for the raven(DL)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?(DM)

Footnotes

  1. Job 37:7 Or work, / he fills all people with fear by his power
  2. Job 37:24 Or for he does not have regard for any who think they are wise.
  3. Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
  4. Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
  5. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  6. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  7. Job 38:33 Or their
  8. Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
  9. Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit,(A) brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.(B) You know that when you were pagans,(C) somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.(D) Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,”(E) and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”(F) except by the Holy Spirit.(G)

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit(H) distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone(I) it is the same God(J) at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.(K) To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,(L) to another a message of knowledge(M) by means of the same Spirit, to another faith(N) by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing(O) by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers,(P) to another prophecy,(Q) to another distinguishing between spirits,(R) to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a](S) and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,(T) and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,(U) so it is with Christ.(V) 13 For we were all baptized(W) by[c] one Spirit(X) so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free(Y)—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.(Z) 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.(AA)

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed(AB) the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.(AC) 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.(AD)

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ,(AE) and each one of you is a part of it.(AF) 28 And God has placed in the church(AG) first of all apostles,(AH) second prophets,(AI) third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,(AJ) of helping, of guidance,(AK) and of different kinds of tongues.(AL) 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]?(AM) Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire(AN) the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:10 Or languages; also in verse 28
  2. 1 Corinthians 12:10 Or languages; also in verse 28
  3. 1 Corinthians 12:13 Or with; or in
  4. 1 Corinthians 12:30 Or other languages

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