Job 36-37
English Standard Version
Elihu Extols God's Greatness
36 And Elihu continued, and said:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you,
for I have yet something to say on God's behalf.
3 I will get my knowledge from (A)afar
and ascribe (B)righteousness to my (C)Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false;
one who is (D)perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty, and (E)does not despise any;
he is (F)mighty in strength of understanding.
6 He does not keep the wicked alive,
but gives (G)the afflicted their right.
7 He does not withdraw his (H)eyes from the righteous,
but with (I)kings on the throne
he sets them forever, and they are (J)exalted.
8 And if they are (K)bound in chains
and caught in the cords of affliction,
9 then he declares to them their work
and their transgressions, that they are (L)behaving arrogantly.
10 He (M)opens their ears to instruction
and commands that they (N)return from iniquity.
11 (O)If they listen and serve him,
they (P)complete their days in prosperity,
and their years in pleasantness.
12 But if they do not listen, they (Q)perish by the sword
and die (R)without knowledge.
13 “The (S)godless in heart cherish anger;
they do not cry for help when he (T)binds them.
14 They (U)die in youth,
and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
15 He delivers (V)the afflicted by their affliction
and (W)opens their ear by adversity.
16 He also allured you out of distress
into (X)a broad place where there was no cramping,
and what was set on your (Y)table was full of (Z)fatness.
17 “But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;
judgment and justice seize you.
18 Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,
and let not the greatness of (AA)the ransom turn you aside.
19 Will your (AB)cry for help avail to keep you from distress,
or all the force of your strength?
20 Do not long for (AC)the night,
when peoples vanish (AD)in their place.
21 Take care; (AE)do not turn to iniquity,
for this you have chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power;
who is (AF)a teacher like him?
23 Who has (AG)prescribed for him his way,
or who can say, (AH)‘You have done wrong’?
24 “Remember to (AI)extol his work,
of which men have (AJ)sung.
25 All mankind has looked on it;
man beholds it from afar.
26 Behold, God is great, and we (AK)know him not;
the number of his (AL)years is unsearchable.
27 For he draws up the drops of water;
they distill his (AM)mist in (AN)rain,
28 which (AO)the skies pour down
and drop on mankind abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand (AP)the spreading of the clouds,
the thunderings of his (AQ)pavilion?
30 Behold, he scatters his lightning about him
and covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he (AR)judges peoples;
he gives (AS)food in abundance.
32 He covers his (AT)hands with the lightning
and commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its crashing declares his presence;[a]
the cattle also declare that he rises.
Elihu Proclaims God's Majesty
37 “At this also my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2 Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
and his (AU)lightning to the (AV)corners of the earth.
4 After it (AW)his voice roars;
(AX)he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightnings[b] when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does (AY)great things that we cannot (AZ)comprehend.
6 For to (BA)the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
7 He (BB)seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may (BC)know it.
8 Then the beasts go into their (BD)lairs,
and remain in their (BE)dens.
9 From (BF)its chamber (BG)comes the whirlwind,
and (BH)cold from the scattering winds.
10 By the breath of God (BI)ice is given,
and (BJ)the broad waters are frozen fast.
11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.
12 They (BK)turn around and around by his (BL)guidance,
(BM)to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of (BN)the habitable world.
13 Whether for (BO)correction or for his (BP)land
or for (BQ)love, he causes it to happen.
14 “Hear this, O Job;
stop and (BR)consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know how God lays his command upon them
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
16 Do you know the balancings[c] of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him who is (BS)perfect in knowledge,
17 you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
18 Can you, like him, (BT)spread out the skies,
hard as a cast metal (BU)mirror?
19 Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of (BV)darkness.
20 Shall it be told him that I would speak?
Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?
21 “And now no one looks on the light
when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 Out of the north comes golden splendor;
God is clothed with (BW)awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty—we (BX)cannot find him;
he is (BY)great in power;
(BZ)justice and abundant righteousness he will not (CA)violate.
24 Therefore men (CB)fear him;
he does not regard any who are (CC)wise in their own conceit.”[d]
Acts 15:22-41
English Standard Version
The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then it seemed good to (A)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called (B)Barsabbas, and (C)Silas, leading men among (D)the brothers, 23 with the following letter: (E)“The brothers, both (F)the apostles and the elders, to the brothers[a] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, (G)greetings. 24 Since we have heard that (H)some persons have gone out from us and (I)troubled you[b] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come (J)to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our (K)beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 (L)men who have (M)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent (N)Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good (O)to the Holy Spirit and (P)to us (Q)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 (R)that you abstain from (S)what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves (T)prophets, encouraged and (U)strengthened (V)the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off (W)in peace by (X)the brothers to those who had sent them.[c] 35 But (Y)Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit (Z)the brothers (AA)in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them (AB)John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one (AC)who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose (AD)a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. (AE)Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, (AF)having been commended by (AG)the brothers to (AH)the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, (AI)strengthening the churches.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 15:23 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 32, 33, 36
- Acts 15:24 Some manuscripts some persons from us have troubled you
- Acts 15:33 Some manuscripts insert verse 34: But it seemed good to Silas to remain there
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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