Old/New Testament
Zophar’s Second Speech[a]
Chapter 20
The Joy of a Sinner Lasts Only for a Moment.
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2 “The words you have spoken have caused me great distress,
and as a result, I am forced to reply.
3 I have been outraged by your censure,
but now a spirit beyond my understanding
provides me with the answers to rebuke you.
4 “Surely you must know that since time began
and man was first placed on the earth,
5 the triumph of the wicked has always been short-lived,
and the joy of the sinner lasts only for a moment.
6 Even though in his pride he towers to the sky
and his head touches the clouds,
7 he is destined to perish forever like his own dung,[b]
and those who used to see him will ask:
‘Where is he?’
8 He will fade away like a dream and never be found again;
he will vanish like a vision of the night.
9 The eyes that saw him will see him no more,
and his dwelling will not behold him any longer.
He Wolfs Down Riches and Then Vomits Them Up
10 “His children will seek the favor of the poor,
and his hands will be forced to return his wealth.
11 The youthful vigor that once filled his body
will be stagnant with him in the earth.
12 “Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,
13 though he continues to keep it in his mouth
and is loath to let it go,
14 yet such food will turn sour in his stomach,
working inside him like the venom of asps.
15 He wolfs down riches and then vomits them up;
God forces him to disgorge them from his stomach.
16 “Such a person will suck the venom of asps;
the tongue of a viper will slay him.
17 He will see no streams of oil
or rivers flowing with honey and cream.[c]
18 He will be forced to restore his gains without enjoying them;
even though his wealth increased, he will derive no enjoyment.
19 For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute,
seizing houses that he did not build.
20 “Since his avarice could never be satisfied,
no amount of hoarding will save him.
21 Since his greed was insatiable,
his prosperity will not endure.
22 When he possesses everything he desires,
his troubles will begin,
and the full force of misery will strike him down.
23 “God will unleash the fury of his wrath against him
and rain down upon him a hail of arrows.
24 If he escapes a weapon of iron,
a bow of bronze will pierce him through.
25 The tip of the arrow will protrude from his body
and the glittering point will emerge from his bladder;
terrors will descend upon him.
26 “Unrelieved darkness is what awaits him;
a fire[d] that does not need to be fanned will devour him,
and anything left in his tent will be consumed.
27 The heavens will lay bare his iniquity,
and the earth will rise up against him.
28 Flood waters will sweep away his house
like the torrents on the day of God’s wrath.
29 This is the lot that God reserves for the wicked,
the heritage assigned to him by God.”
Job’s Sixth Response[e]
Chapter 21
The Very Thought of My Plight Fills Me with Horror.[f] 1 Job then answered with these words:
2 “Listen carefully to my words;
at the very least, grant me this consolation.
3 Bear with me while I speak;
once I have finished, you may jeer.
4 “Is my complaint limited to my fellow men?
Do I not have good reason to be impatient?
5 If you consider my plight carefully,
you will have good reason to be appalled
and to place your hand over your mouth.
6 The very thought of it fills me with horror,
and my entire body shudders.
Why Do the Wicked Continue To Survive?[g]
7 “Why do the wicked continue to survive,
achieving old age and increasing in power?
8 They behold their children established around them
and their descendants continuing to flourish.
9 Their households are secure, with no cause for fear;
the rod of God does not descend upon them.
10 Their bulls breed without fail;
their cows give birth without miscarriage.
11 “The wicked send forth children as a flock;
their little ones dance and frolic.
12 They sing to the sound of the tambourine and the harp
and rejoice at the playing of the flute.
13 They spend their days in prosperity
and go down to the netherworld in peace.
They Say to God, “Leave Us Alone!”
14 “Despite this, these people say to God,
‘Leave us alone!
We do not want to learn your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty that we should serve him?
And what would we gain by praying to him?’
16 Is not the prosperity of the wicked
the result of their own efforts,
since they have never sought God’s help?
How Often?[h]
17 “Yet, how often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished?
How often does calamity befall them
as God in his anger uses his retribution to repay them?
18 How often are they like straw blown away by the wind
or like chaff that the storm carries off?
What Concern Will He Have for His Family?[i]
19 “According to you, God stores up punishment for a man’s children,
but the wicked should be the ones punished and requited for their evil.
20 Let his own eyes witness the destruction of God
that his sins have earned,
and let him quaff the wrath[j] of the Almighty!
21 For what concern will he have for his family
once his allotted number of months has been completed?
All Are Consigned To Lie Down in the Earth
22 “Who can offer wisdom to God
when God judges those who are on high?
23 One man passes away while enjoying vigorous health,
blessed with security and contentment;
24 his loins are full of vigor
and his bones are rich in marrow.
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,
never having tasted happiness.
26 Both are consigned to lie down in the earth
and worms soon cover them.
Have You Never Questioned Travelers?
27 “Believe me, I know what your thoughts are,
as well as the arguments you will use to counter me.
28 You will say, ‘Where now is the great lord’s house?
Where is the tent in which the wicked man dwelled?’
29 Have you never questioned travelers?
Do you ever listen to the evidence they proffer?
30 They testify that the wicked man is saved from disaster
and is rescued before the day of wrath.
31 “Who will reproach him for his conduct
and repay him for the evil he has done?
32 When he is carried to the grave,
a watch is maintained over his tomb.
33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him;[k]
the remainder of mankind will follow him,
and those who preceded him are beyond counting.
34 How then can you possibly offer me any comfort
when your words lack any semblance of truth?”
27 While they conversed together, they went inside where a large crowd had gathered. 28 Peter said to them, “You are well aware that Jews are forbidden to associate with or visit a Gentile. However, God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. 29 That is why I came without offering any objection when I was summoned. I would like to know exactly why you sent for me.”
30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago, at this very hour, three o’clock in the afternoon,[a] I was in my house praying when suddenly I saw a man in shining robes standing before me. 31 He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving has not been forgotten by God. 32 Therefore, send to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is also called Peter. He is lodging at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’ 33 And so I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now all of us have assembled here in the presence of God to listen to everything that the Lord has commanded you to say.”
34 Peter’s Speech. Then Peter addressed them: “I now understand how true it is that God has no favorites, 35 but that in every nation all those who fear God and do what is right are acceptable to him. 36 He sent his word to the children of Israel and proclaimed the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of all.
37 “You are well aware of what was proclaimed all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism of John, 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
39 “We are witnesses to everything he did in the Jewish countryside and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him to life on the third day and allowed him to be seen 41 not by all the people but by witnesses who were chosen by God in advance—by us who ate and drank with him[b] after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to bear witness that he is the one designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the Prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 The Baptism of Cornelius. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit descended upon all who were listening to his message. 45 The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and proclaiming the greatness of God.
Peter said further, 47 “Can anyone withhold the water of baptism from these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 Then he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
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