Job 32; Job 33; Acts 14

1 These three men stopped trying to answer Job, because he was so sure he was right.

2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, from the family of Ram, became very angry with Job, because Job claimed he was right instead of God.

3 Elihu was also angry with Job's three friends who had no answer to show that Job was wrong, yet continued to blame him.

4 Elihu had waited before speaking to Job, because the three friends were older than he was.

5 But when Elihu saw that the three men had nothing more to say, he became very angry.

6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said this: "I am young, and you are old. That is why I was afraid to tell you what I know.

7 I thought, 'Older people should speak, and those who have lived many years should teach wisdom.'

8 But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives understanding.

9 It is not just older people who are wise; they are not the only ones who understand what is right.

10 So I say, listen to me. I too will tell you what I know.

11 I waited while you three spoke, and listened to your explanations. While you looked for words to use,

12 I paid close attention to you. But not one of you has proved Job wrong; none of you has answered his arguments.

13 Don't say, 'We have found wisdom; only God will show Job to be wrong, not people.'

14 Job has not spoken his words against me, so I will not use your arguments to answer Job.

15 "These three friends are defeated and have no more to say; words have failed them.

16 Now they are standing there with no answers for Job. Now that they are quiet, must I wait to speak?

17 No, I too will speak and tell what I know.

18 I am full of words, and the spirit in me causes me to speak.

19 I am like wine that has been bottled up; I am ready to burst like a new leather wine bag.

20 I must speak so I will feel relief; I must open my mouth and answer.

21 I will be fair to everyone and not flatter anyone.

22 I don't know how to flatter, and if I did, my Maker would quickly take me away.

1 "Now, Job, listen to my words. Pay attention to everything I say.

2 I open my mouth and am ready to speak.

3 My words come from an honest heart, and I am sincere in saying what I know.

4 The Spirit of God created me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.

5 Answer me if you can; get yourself ready and stand before me.

6 I am just like you before God; I too am made out of clay.

7 Don't be afraid of me; I will not be hard on you.

8 "But I heard what you have said; I heard every word.

9 You said, 'I am pure and without sin; I am innocent and free from guilt.

10 But God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy.

11 He locks my feet in chains and closely watches everywhere I go.'

12 "But I tell you, you are not right in saying this, because God is greater than we are.

13 Why do you accuse God of not answering anyone?

14 God does speak -- sometimes one way and sometimes another -- even though people may not understand it.

15 He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night when people are in a deep sleep, lying on their beds.

16 He speaks in their ears and frightens them with warnings

17 to turn them away from doing wrong and to keep them from being proud.

18 God does this to save a person from death, to keep him from dying.

19 A person may be corrected while in bed in great pain; he may have continual pain in his very bones.

20 He may be in such pain that he even hates food, even the very best meal.

21 His body becomes so thin there is almost nothing left of it, and his bones that were hidden now stick out.

22 He is near death, and his life is almost over.

23 "But there may be an angel to speak for him, one out of a thousand, who will tell him what to do.

24 The angel will beg for mercy and say: 'Save him from death. I have found a way to pay for his life.'

25 Then his body is made new like a child's. It will return to the way it was when he was young.

26 That person will pray to God, and God will listen to him. with happiness. And God will set things right for him again.

27 Then he will say to others, 'I sinned and twisted what was right, but I did not receive the punishment I should have received.

28 God bought my life back from death, and I will continue to enjoy life.'

29 "God does all these things to a person two or even three times

30 so he won't die as punishment for his sins and so he may still enjoy life.

31 "Job, pay attention and listen to me; be quiet, and I will speak.

32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, because I want to prove you right.

33 But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom."

1 In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual to the Jewish syna- gogue. They spoke so well that a great many Jews and Greeks believed.

2 But some of the Jews who did not believe excited the non-Jewish people and turned them against the believers.

3 Paul and Barnabas stayed in Iconium a long time and spoke bravely for the Lord. He showed that their message about his grace was true by giving them the power to work miracles and signs.

4 But the city was divided. Some of the people agreed with the Jews, and others believed the apostles.

5 Some who were not Jews, some Jews, and some of their rulers wanted to mistreat Paul and Barnabas and to stone them to death.

6 When Paul and Barnabas learned about this, they ran away to Lystra and Derbe, cities in Lycaonia, and to the areas around those cities.

7 They announced the Good News there, too.

8 In Lystra there sat a man who had been born crippled; he had never walked.

9 As this man was listening to Paul speak, Paul looked straight at him and saw that he believed God could heal him.

10 So he cried out, "Stand up on your feet!" The man jumped up and began walking around.

11 When the crowds saw what Paul did, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like humans and have come down to us!"

12 Then the people began to call Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes," because he was the main speaker.

13 The priest in the temple of Zeus, which was near the city, brought some bulls and flowers to the city gates. He and the people wanted to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas.

14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard about it, they tore their clothes. They ran in among the people, shouting,

15 "Friends, why are you doing these things? We are only human beings like you. We are bringing you the Good News and are telling you to turn away from these worthless things and turn to the living God. He is the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.

16 In the past, God let all the nations do what they wanted.

17 Yet he proved he is real by showing kindness, by giving you rain from heaven and crops at the right times, by giving you food and filling your hearts with joy."

18 Even with these words, they were barely able to keep the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.

19 Then some Jewish people came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded the people to turn against Paul. So they threw stones at him and dragged him out of town, thinking they had killed him.

20 But the followers gathered around him, and he got up and went back into the town. The next day he and Barnabas left and went to the city of Derbe.

21 Paul and Barnabas told the Good News in Derbe, and many became followers. Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

22 making the followers of Jesus stronger and helping them stay in the faith. They said, "We must suffer many things to enter God's kingdom."

23 They chose elders for each church, by praying and giving up eating for a certain time. These elders had trusted the Lord, so Paul and Barnabas put them in the Lord's care.

24 Then they went through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.

25 When they had preached the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 And from there they sailed away to Antioch where the believers had put them into God's care and had sent them out to do this work. Now they had finished.

27 When they arrived in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas gathered the church together. They told the church all about what God had done with them and how God had made it possible for those who were not Jewish to believe.

28 And they stayed there a long time with the followers.