Elihu Rebukes Job’s Three Friends
1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was vrighteous in his own eyes. 2 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. 3 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. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.
6 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.
7 I said, ‘Let days speak,
and many years teach wisdom.’
8 But it is athe spirit in man,
bthe breath of the Almighty, that makes him cunderstand.
9 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
1 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
and listen to all my words.
2 Behold, I jopen my mouth;
the tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
4 kThe Spirit of God has made me,
and lthe breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 mAnswer me, if you can;
nset your words in order before me; take your stand.
6 Behold, I am toward God as you are;
I too was pinched off from a piece of oclay.
7 Behold, no pfear of me need terrify you;
my qpressure will not be heavy upon you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my ears,
and I have heard the sound of your words.
9 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.”
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12 “In this connection kI journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me lin the Hebrew language,1 ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and mstand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, nto appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 odelivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—pto whom I qam sending you 18 rto open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from sthe power of Satan to God, that they may receive tforgiveness of sins and ua place among those who are sanctified vby faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to wthe heavenly vision, 20 but declared first xto those in Damascus, ythen in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also zto the Gentiles, that they should arepent and bturn to God, performing deeds cin keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason dthe Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 eTo this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so fI stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what gthe prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 hthat the Christ imust suffer and that, jby being the first kto rise from the dead, lhe would proclaim mlight both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, nyou are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, omost excellent Festus, but I am speaking ptrue and qrational words. 26 For rthe king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be sa Christian?”2 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day tmight become such as I am—except for uthese chains.”
30 Then the king rose, and vthe governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, w“This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, x“This man could have been set yfree if he had not appealed zto Caesar.”
