Job 36, 37
1 Elihu also proceeded and said:
2 ‘Wait for me yet a little while, that I may teach you,
For there is yet more for me to say.
3 I will gather my knowledge from afar
And truly speak of righteousness in my works.
4 You were not hearing unjust words without good reason.
5 “But know that the Lord who is mighty in strength of heart
Does not cast off an innocent man.
6 He will not give life to the ungodly,
But He will give judgment to the poor.
7 He will not turn away from the righteous,
But will seat them on the throne with kings;
For He will lift them in triumph, and they will be exalted.
8 But if they are bound in fetters,
They shall be held in the cords of poverty.
9 He will tell them their works and their transgressions,
For such will act with violence.
10 He also will hear the righteous,
And He said they will turn from wrongdoing.
11 If they give ear and serve Him,
They shall spend their days in good things
And their years in dignity.
12 But He does not save the ungodly,
Because they are not willing to know the Lord,
And because they refused to listen when they were admonished.
13 “For the hypocrites in heart will marshal anger against themselves,
And they will not cry for help, because He has bound them.
14 Therefore, may their soul die in youth,
And their life be wounded by messengers of death,
15 Because they afflicted the weak and helpless;
And He will make manifest the judgment of the gentle.
16 “Besides, He deceived you by the mouth of the enemy.
There is an abyss and a pouring over beneath it,
And your table descended full of fatness.
17 Judgment shall not fail from the righteous,
18 But there shall be anger against the ungodly
Because of the ungodliness of the gifts they received for wrongdoings.
19 Let not your heart willingly turn you aside
From the petition of the weak who are in distress.
20 Do not lure away all the mighty men at night
So the people should go up instead of them.
21 “But guard yourself, lest you do what is wrong,
For you chose this because of poverty.
22 Behold, the Mighty One shall prevail by His strength.
Who is so powerful as He?
23 Who is he who examines His works?
Or who can say, ‘He has done unjustly’?
God’s Works Are Great
24 “Remember, His works are great,
Because of which men began to exist.
25 Everyone has seen for himself
How many mortals are wounded.
26 “Behold, the Mighty One is great,
And we do not know Him.
The number of His years is also endless.
27 For He numbers the drops of rain,
And they shall be poured out in rain to form a cloud.
28 The ancient clouds shall drop down
And overshadow innumerable mortals.
He has fixed a time for cattle,
And they know the appointed time for their rest.
Yet your mind is not astonished by these things,
Nor does your heart leap out from your body.
29 For one should perceive the outspreadings of a cloud
And the measure of His tabernacle.
30 Behold, He stretches His bow against him
And covers the bottom of the sea.
31 For by these He will judge the peoples.
He will give food to him who has strength.
32 He has hidden light in His hands
And given orders to the cloud by which it is diverted.
33 The Lord will proclaim it to His friend,
But there is also a portion for unrighteousness.
1 “At this also my heart was troubled and flows from its place.
2 Listen attentively to the thunder of the Lord’s wrath
And the discourse coming from His mouth.
3 His dominion is under the whole heaven
And His light to the ends of the earth.
4 Behind Him a voice will cry aloud.
He will thunder with His voice of outrage,
Yet He will not change them when His voice is heard.
5 The Mighty One will thunder marvelously with His voice,
For He does great things we cannot comprehend.
6 For He commands the snow, ‘Fall upon the earth,’
And likewise there is the winter,
The rain and the winter storms of His might.
7 He seals up the hand of every man
That everyone may know his weakness.
8 The wild animals go into their shelters
And are at rest in their lairs.
9 From the secret chambers comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the mountaintop.
10 By the breath of the Mighty One, He will send frost,
And He freezes the waters as He wishes.
11 And when the cloud obscures what He chooses,
His light will disperse the cloud.
12 He will swirl the encircling clouds by His governance
To perform all their works,
Moving them to do whatever He commands.
This has been appointed by Him on the earth,
13 Whether for correction or for His earth,
Or if He shall find him an object for mercy.
14 “Pay close attention to this, O Job.
Stand still and consider the power of the Lord.
15 We know that God has appointed His works,
Having made light out of darkness.
16 He knows the division of the clouds
And the violent falls of evil men.
17 But your robe is warm,
And there is quiet upon the land.
18 Will you establish with Him the foundations
For the ancient heavens?
They are strong like a molten mirror.
19 “What is this to you? Teach me what we will say to Him,
And let us cease speaking many words.
20 Have I a book or scribe by me
That I may stand and put man to silence?
21 But the light is not visible to all.
It shines far off in the ancient heavens,
As that which is from Him in the clouds.
22 From the north come the clouds, shining like gold;
In these great things are the glory and honor of the Almighty.
23 We do not find another like Him in His strength.
Do you not think He who judges righteously listens?
24 Therefore men shall fear Him,
And the wise in heart shall fear Him.”
Psalm 43:1–9
1 For the End; a psalm for the sons of Korah; for understanding.
2 O God, we heard with our ears;
Our fathers proclaimed it to us,
The work You performed in their days, in days of old.
3 Your hand utterly destroyed the nations, and You planted them;
You afflicted and cast out peoples.
4 For they did not inherit the land with their sword,
And their arm did not save them;
But it was Your right hand and Your arm,
And the light of Your countenance,
Because You took pleasure in them.
5 You Yourself are my King and God,
Who commands salvation for Jacob;
6 In You we shall push back our enemies,
And in Your name we shall scorn those who rise up against us.
7 For I will not hope in my bow,
And my sword will not save me;
8 For You saved us from those who afflict us,
And You disgraced those who hate us.
9 We shall praise God all day long,
And we shall give thanks to Your name forever.
(Pause)
Proverbs 8:32–35
32 Now therefore, my son, hear me:
Blessed is the man who shall hearken to me
And the man who shall guard my ways;
33 Who watches daily at my doors,
Who keeps watch at the doors of my entryways;
34 For my issues are the issues of life,
And grace is prepared from the Lord.
35 But those who sin against me act ungodly toward their own souls,
And those who hate me love death.”
Romans 15:22–33
22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you.
23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you,
24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.
25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.
26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.
28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain.
29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.