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’s1 words’?2
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 terrifies3 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 man4 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.”
Elihu Asserts God’s Justice
1 Then Elihu answered and said:
One Body with Many Members
12 For just as ithe body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, jso it is with Christ. 13 For kin one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—lJews or Greeks, slaves1 or free—and mall were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, nGod arranged the members in the body, each one of them, oas he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts,2 yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, pall rejoice together.
27 Now qyou are the body of Christ and individually rmembers of it. 28 And sGod has appointed in the church first tapostles, second uprophets, third teachers, then vmiracles, then wgifts of healing, xhelping, yadministrating, and vvarious kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But zearnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
17 he had ssent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was tsold as a slave.
18 His ufeet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until vwhat he had said came to pass,
the word of the Lord wtested him.
20 xThe king sent and yreleased him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he zmade him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind1 his princes at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.
Words of the Wise
17 pIncline your ear, and hear qthe words of the wise,
rand apply your heart to my knowledge,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
