Calvary Chapel Deerfield Beach

Job 40, 41 & 42

Job 40 New King James Version (NKJV)

God’s Power and Wisdom

40 Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:

² “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”

Job’s Response to God

³ Then Job answered the Lord and said:

⁴ “Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
⁵ Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

God’s Challenge to Job

⁶ Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

⁷ “Now ^[a]prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me:

⁸ “Would you indeed ^[b]annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
⁹ Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with a voice like His?
¹⁰ Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
¹¹ Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
¹² Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
¹³ Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
¹⁴ Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵ “Look now at the ^[c]behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
¹⁶ See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
¹⁷ He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
¹⁸ His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
¹⁹ He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
²⁰ Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
²¹ He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
²² The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
²³ Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
²⁴ Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.

 

Job 41 New King James Version (NKJV)

God’s Power in the Leviathan

41 “Can you draw out Leviathan^[a] with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
² Can you put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a ^[b]hook?
³ Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
⁴ Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
⁵ Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
⁶ Will your companions ^[c]make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
⁷ Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
⁸ Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
⁹ Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
¹⁰ No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
¹¹ Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine.

¹² “I will not ^[d]conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
¹³ Who can ^[e]remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
¹⁴ Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
¹⁵ His rows of ^[f]scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
¹⁶ One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
¹⁷ They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
¹⁸ His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
¹⁹ Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
²⁰ Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
²¹ His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
²² Strength dwells in his neck,
And ^[g]sorrow dances before him.
²³ The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
²⁴ His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
²⁵ When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they ^[h]are beside themselves.
²⁶ Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
²⁷ He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
²⁸ The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
²⁹ Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
³⁰ His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
³¹ He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
³² He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
³³ On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
³⁴ He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”

Job 42 New King James Version (NKJV)

Job’s Repentance and Restoration

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

² “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
³ You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
⁴ Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’

⁵ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
⁶ Therefore I abhor^[a] myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”

⁷ And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. ⁸ Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept ^[b]him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”

⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had ^[c]accepted Job. ¹⁰ And the Lord ^[d]restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. ¹¹ Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.

¹² Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. ¹³ He also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴ And he called the name of the first ^[e]Jemimah, the name of the second ^[f]Keziah, and the name of the third ^[g]Keren-Happuch. ¹⁵ In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

¹⁶ After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. ¹⁷ So Job died, old and full of days.

Act 21: 15-40

Acts 21:15-40 New King James Version (NKJV)

Paul Urged to Make Peace

¹⁵ And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge.

¹⁷ And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. ¹⁸ On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; ²¹ but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise theirchildren nor to walk according to the customs. ²² What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. ²³ Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. ²⁴ Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but thatyou yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. ²⁵ But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

Arrested in the Temple

²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

²⁷ Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” ²⁹ (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

³⁰ And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. ³¹ Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³² He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another.

So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. ³⁵ When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. ³⁶ For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, “Away with him!”

Addressing the Jerusalem Mob

³⁷ Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?”

He replied, “Can you speak Greek? ³⁸ Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”

³⁹ But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.”

⁴⁰ So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,

Act 21: 1-14

Acts 21:1-14 New King James Version (NKJV)

Warnings on the Journey to Jerusalem

21 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. ³ When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. ⁴ And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. ⁵ When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed. ⁶ When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. ⁸ On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was oneof the seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. ¹⁰ And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”

¹² Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

¹⁴ So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”

Psalm 32:1-5 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Joy of Forgiveness

32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
⁴ For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
⁵ I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Luke 7:40-47 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

⁴¹ “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” ⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. ⁴⁷ Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Matthew 18:21-35 New King James Version (NKJV)

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ³⁰ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³² Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

³⁵ “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Isaiah 11:1-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
² The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

³ His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
⁴ But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

⁶ “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
⁹ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.”

Proverbs 23:18 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁸ For surely there is a hereafter,
And your hope will not be cut off.

Luke 23:43 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

John 14:1-4 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Psalm 34:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.

2 Samuel 22:2 New King James Version (NKJV)

² And he said:

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

Psalm 18:2 New King James Version (NKJV)

² The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 40:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Psalm 144:2 New King James Version (NKJV)

² My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.

Romans 11:26 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

Psalm 23 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

Job 38 & 39

Job 38 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence to Job

38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

² “Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
³ Now ^[a]prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the ^[b]line upon it?
⁶ To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸ “Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
⁹ When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
¹⁰ When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
¹¹ When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’

¹² “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
¹³ That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
¹⁴ It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
¹⁵ From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the ^[c]upraised arm is broken.

¹⁶ “Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
¹⁷ Have the gates of death been ^[d]revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
¹⁸ Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

¹⁹ “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
²⁰ That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
²¹ Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?

²² “Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
²³ Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
²⁴ By what way is light ^[e]diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

²⁵ “Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
²⁶ To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
²⁷ To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
²⁸ Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
²⁹ From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
³⁰ The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen.^[f]

³¹ “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,^[g]
Or loose the belt of Orion?
³² Can you bring out ^[h]Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide ^[i]the Great Bear with its cubs?
³³ Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?

³⁴ “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
³⁵ Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
³⁶ Who has put wisdom in ^[j]the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
³⁷ Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
³⁸ When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?

³⁹ “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
⁴⁰ When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
⁴¹ Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?

Job 39 New King James Version (NKJV)

God Continues to Challenge Job

39 “Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?
² Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
³ They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their ^[a]offspring.
⁴ Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.

⁵ “Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the ^[b]onager,
⁶ Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the ^[c]barren land his dwelling?
⁷ He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
⁸ The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after every green thing.

⁹ “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
¹⁰ Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
¹¹ Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
¹² Will you trust him to bring home your ^[d]grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?

¹³ “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
¹⁴ For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
¹⁵ She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
¹⁶ She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without ^[e]concern,
¹⁷ Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not endow her with understanding.
¹⁸ When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.

¹⁹ “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with ^[f]thunder?
²⁰ Can you ^[g]frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
²¹ He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the clash of arms.
²² He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
²³ The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
²⁴ He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
²⁵ At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.

²⁶ “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
²⁷ Does the eagle mount up at your command,
And make its nest on high?
²⁸ On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
²⁹ From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
³⁰ Its young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there it is.”

Acts 20:13-38

Acts 20:13-38 New King James Version (NKJV)

From Troas to Miletus

¹³ Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on foot. ¹⁴ And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵ We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus. ¹⁶ For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.

The Ephesian Elders Exhorted

¹⁷ From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; ²⁰ how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, ²¹ testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. ²² And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. ²⁴ But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵ “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. ²⁸ Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

³² “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. ³⁴ Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. ³⁵ I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, ³⁸ sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Job 36,37

Job 36 New King James Version (NKJV)

Elihu Proclaims God’s Goodness

36 Elihu also proceeded and said:

² “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
³ I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
⁴ For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
He is mighty in strength ^[a]of understanding.
⁶ He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the oppressed.
⁷ He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
⁸ And if they are bound in ^[b]fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
⁹ Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted ^[c]defiantly.
¹⁰ He also opens their ear to ^[d]instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
¹¹ If they obey and serve Him,
They shall spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
¹² But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die ^[e]without knowledge.

¹³ “But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
¹⁴ They^[f] die in youth,
And their life ends among the ^[g]perverted persons.
¹⁵ He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.

¹⁶ “Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And what is set on your table would be full of richness.
¹⁷ But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
¹⁸ Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with oneblow;
For a large ransom would not help you avoid it.
¹⁹ Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
²⁰ Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.
²¹ Take heed, do not turn to iniquity,
For you have chosen this rather than affliction.

²² “Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
²³ Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?

Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty

²⁴ “Remember to magnify His work,
Of which men have sung.
²⁵ Everyone has seen it;
Man looks on it from afar.

²⁶ “Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him;
Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
²⁷ For He draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
²⁸ Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
²⁹ Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
³⁰ Look, He scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
³¹ For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
³² He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to ^[h]strike.
³³ His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning ^[i]the rising storm.

Job 37 New King James Version (NKJV)

God’s Works and Wisdom

37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
² Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
³ He sends it forth under the whole heaven,
His ^[a]lightning to the ends of the earth.
⁴ After it a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.
⁵ God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
⁶ For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
Likewise to the ^[b]gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
⁷ He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
⁸ The beasts go into dens,
And remain in their lairs.
⁹ From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
¹⁰ By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
¹¹ Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His ^[c]bright clouds.
¹² And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may do whatever He commands them
On the face of ^[d]the whole earth.
¹³ He causes it to come,
Whether for ^[e]correction,
Or for His land,
Or for mercy.

¹⁴ “Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.
¹⁵ Do you know when God ^[f]dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
¹⁶ Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
¹⁷ Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
¹⁸ With Him, have you spread out the skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?

¹⁹ “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
²⁰ Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
²¹ Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
²² He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
²³ As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him;
He is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
²⁴ Therefore men fear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart.”

Matthew 10:1-39 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Twelve Apostles

10 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. ² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and ^[a]Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the ^[b]Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Sending Out the Twelve

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven ^[c]is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick,^[d]cleanse the lepers, ^[e]raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. ⁹ Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, ¹⁰ nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

¹¹ “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. ¹² And when you go into a household, greet it.¹³ If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. ¹⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

Persecutions Are Coming

¹⁶ “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless^[f] as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, forthey will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.¹⁸ You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹ “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.²⁵ It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house ^[g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! ²⁶ Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

²⁷ “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[h]hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a ^[i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men

³² “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Christ Brings Division

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set^[j] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his ownhousehold.’ ³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Acts 19-20:12

Acts 19:1-20:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

 

Paul at Ephesus

19 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ² he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”

So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

⁴ Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. ⁷ Now the men were about twelve in all.

⁸ And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. ⁹ But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Miracles Glorify Christ

¹¹ Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸ And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

The Riot at Ephesus

²¹ When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ²² So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

²³ And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. ²⁴ For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. ²⁵ He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. ²⁶ Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. ²⁷ So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

²⁸ Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. ³⁰ And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. ³¹ Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. ³² Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³ And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. ³⁴ But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? ³⁶ Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. ³⁷ For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. ³⁸ Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ³⁹ But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. ⁴⁰ For we are in danger of being called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.” ⁴¹ And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

Journeys in Greece

20 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself,embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia. ² Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece ³ and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. ⁴ And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. ⁵ These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. ⁶ But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Ministering at Troas

⁷ Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. ⁹ And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” ¹¹ Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. ¹² And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

Job 32,33,34,35

Job 32-35 New King James Version (NKJV)

Elihu Contradicts Job’s Friends

32 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he wasrighteous in his own eyes. ² Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. ³ Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

⁴ Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. ⁵ When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.

⁶ So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said:

“I am young in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was afraid,
And dared not declare my opinion to you.
⁷ I said, ‘Age should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
⁸ But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
⁹ Great men are not always wise,
Nor do the aged always understand justice.

¹⁰ “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will declare my opinion.’
¹¹ Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
¹² I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—
¹³ Lest you say,
‘We have found wisdom’;
God will vanquish him, not man.
¹⁴ Now he has not directed his words against me;
So I will not answer him with your words.

¹⁵ “They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.
¹⁶ And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood still and answered no more.
¹⁷ I also will answer my part,
I too will declare my opinion.
¹⁸ For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
¹⁹ Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
²⁰ I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.
²¹ Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter any man.
²² For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me away.

Elihu Contradicts Job

33 “But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
² Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
³ My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
⁴ The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
⁵ If you can answer me,
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
⁶ Truly I am as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
⁷ Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.

⁸ “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
⁹ ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
¹⁰ Yet He finds occasions against me,
He counts me as His enemy;
¹¹ He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’

¹² “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
¹³ Why do you contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
¹⁴ For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
¹⁶ Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
¹⁷ In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
¹⁸ He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ “Man is also chastened with pain on his bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
²⁰ So that his life abhors bread,
And his soul succulent food.
²¹ His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
²² Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.

²³ “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
²⁴ Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom’;
²⁵ His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
²⁶ He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
²⁷ Then he looks at men and says,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it did not profit me.’
²⁸ He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.

²⁹ “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
³⁰ To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

³¹ “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
³² If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
³³ If not, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice

34 Elihu further answered and said:

² “Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
³ For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵ “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my justice;
⁶ Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
Who drinks scorn like water,
⁸ Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
⁹ For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
¹¹ For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
¹² Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
¹⁴ If He should set His heart on it,
If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
¹⁵ All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

¹⁶ “If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
¹⁷ Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn Him who is most just?
¹⁸ Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
¹⁹ Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For they are all the work of His hands.
²⁰ In a moment they die, in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹ “For His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
²² There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
²³ For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
²⁴ He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
²⁵ Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
²⁷ Because they turned back from Him,
And would not consider any of His ways,
²⁸ So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He hears the cry of the afflicted.
²⁹ When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
³⁰ That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.

³¹ “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
³² Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
³³ Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴ “Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
³⁵ ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
³⁶ Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
³⁷ For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”

Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness

35 Moreover Elihu answered and said:

² “Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
³ For you say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’

⁴ “I will answer you,
And your companions with you.
⁵ Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
⁶ If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
⁷ If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
⁸ Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.

⁹ “Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
¹⁰ But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs in the night,
¹¹ Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
¹² There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
¹³ Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
¹⁴ Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him.
¹⁵ And now, because He has not punished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
¹⁶ Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;He multiplies words without knowledge.”

Acts 19:1-20

Acts 19:1-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

Paul at Ephesus

19 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ² he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”

So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

⁴ Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. ⁷ Now the men were about twelve in all.

⁸ And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. ⁹ But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Miracles Glorify Christ

¹¹ Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸ And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

Job 29-31

Job 29-31 New King James Version (NKJV)

Job’s Summary Defense

29 Job further continued his discourse, and said:

² “Oh, that I were as in months past,
As in the days when God watched over me;
³ When His lamp shone upon my head,
And when by His light I walked through darkness;
⁴ Just as I was in the days of my prime,
When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
⁵ When the Almighty was yet with me,
When my children were around me;
⁶ When my steps were bathed with cream,
And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!

⁷ “When I went out to the gate by the city,
When I took my seat in the open square,
⁸ The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged arose and stood;
⁹ The princes refrained from talking,
And put their hand on their mouth;
¹⁰ The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
¹¹ When the ear heard, then it blessed me,
And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
¹² Because I delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
¹³ The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,
And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
¹⁴ I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
¹⁵ I was eyes to the blind,
And I was feet to the lame.
¹⁶ I was a father to the poor,
And I searched out the case that I did not know.
¹⁷ I broke the fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.

¹⁸ “Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days as the sand.
¹⁹ My root is spread out to the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.
²⁰ My glory is fresh within me,
And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

²¹ “Men listened to me and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
²² After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech settled on them as dew.
²³ They waited for me as for the rain,
And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
²⁴ If I mocked at them, they did not believe it,
And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
²⁵ I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;
So I dwelt as a king in the army,
As one who comforts mourners.

Job’s Wealth Now Poverty

30 “But now they mock at me, men younger than I,
Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.
² Indeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me?
Their vigor has perished.
³ They are gaunt from want and famine,
Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste,
⁴ Who pluck mallow by the bushes,
And broom tree roots for their food.
⁵ They were driven out from among men,
They shouted at them as at a thief.
⁶ They had to live in the clefts of the valleys,
In caves of the earth and the rocks.
⁷ Among the bushes they brayed,
Under the nettles they nestled.
⁸ They were sons of fools,
Yes, sons of vile men;
They were scourged from the land.

⁹ “And now I am their taunting song;
Yes, I am their byword.
¹⁰ They abhor me, they keep far from me;
They do not hesitate to spit in my face.
¹¹ Because He has loosed my bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off restraint before me.
¹² At my right hand the rabble arises;
They push away my feet,
And they raise against me their ways of destruction.
¹³ They break up my path,
They promote my calamity;
They have no helper.
¹⁴ They come as broad breakers;
Under the ruinous storm they roll along.
¹⁵ Terrors are turned upon me;
They pursue my honor as the wind,
And my prosperity has passed like a cloud.

¹⁶ “And now my soul is poured out because of my plight;
The days of affliction take hold of me.
¹⁷ My bones are pierced in me at night,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.
¹⁸ By great force my garment is disfigured;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
¹⁹ He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.

²⁰ “I cry out to You, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You regard me.
²¹ But You have become cruel to me;
With the strength of Your hand You oppose me.
²² You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it;
You spoil my success.
²³ For I know that You will bring me to death,
And to the house appointed for all living.

²⁴ “Surely He would not stretch out His hand against a heap of ruins,
If they cry out when He destroys it.
²⁵ Have I not wept for him who was in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
²⁶ But when I looked for good, evil came to me;
And when I waited for light, then came darkness.
²⁷ My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest;
Days of affliction confront me.
²⁸ I go about mourning, but not in the sun;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
²⁹ I am a brother of jackals,
And a companion of ostriches.
³⁰ My skin grows black and falls from me;
My bones burn with fever.
³¹ My harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the voice of those who weep.

Job Defends His Righteousness

31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I look upon a young woman?
² For what is the allotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
³ Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?
⁴ Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?

⁵ “If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,
⁶ Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my integrity.
⁷ If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
⁸ Then let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be rooted out.

⁹ “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
¹⁰ Then let my wife grind for another,
And let others bow down over her.
¹¹ For that would be wickedness;
Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
¹² For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.

¹³ “If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
¹⁴ What then shall I do when God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
¹⁵ Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

¹⁶ “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
¹⁷ Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it
¹⁸ (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided the widow);
¹⁹ If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
²⁰ If his heart has not blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
²¹ If I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
²² Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.
²³ For destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

²⁴ “If I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
²⁵ If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
²⁶ If I have observed the sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
²⁷ So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;
²⁸ This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

²⁹ “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
³⁰ (Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his soul);
³¹ If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
³² (But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler);
³³ If I have covered my transgressions as Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
³⁴ Because I feared the great multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
³⁵ Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the Almighty would answer me,
That my Prosecutor had written a book!
³⁶ Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
³⁷ I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

³⁸ “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
³⁹ If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or caused its owners to lose their lives;
⁴⁰ Then let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.