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Psalm 76

1  In Judah God is known; ♦︎
   his name is great in Israel.
2  At Salem is his tabernacle, ♦︎
   and his dwelling place in Zion.
3  There broke he the flashing arrows of the bow, ♦︎
   the shield, the sword and the weapons of war.
4  In the light of splendour you appeared, ♦︎
   glorious from the eternal mountains.
5  The boastful were plundered; they have slept their sleep; ♦︎
   none of the warriors can lift their hand.
6  At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, ♦︎
   both horse and chariot fell stunned.
7  Terrible are you in majesty: ♦︎
   who can stand before your face when you are angry?
8  You caused your judgement to be heard from heaven; ♦︎
   the earth trembled and was still,
9  When God arose to judgement, ♦︎
   to save all the meek upon earth.
10  You crushed the wrath of the peoples ♦︎
   and bridled the wrathful remnant.
11  Make a vow to the Lord your God and keep it; ♦︎
   let all who are round about him bring gifts
      to him that is worthy to be feared.
12  He breaks down the spirit of princes ♦︎
   and strikes terror in the kings of the earth.

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends

32So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ²Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God; ³he was angry also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong.^{* 4}Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he. ⁵But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he became angry.

6 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answered:
‘I am young in years,
   and you are aged;
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 truly it is the spirit in a mortal,
   the breath of the Almighty,^* that makes for understanding.
⁹ It is not the old^* that are wise,
   nor the aged that understand what is right.
¹⁰ Therefore I say, “Listen to me;
   let me also declare my opinion.”

¹¹ ‘See, I waited for your words,
   I listened for your wise sayings,
   while you searched out what to say.
¹² I gave you my attention,
   but there was in fact no one that confuted Job,
   no one among you that answered his words.
¹³ Yet do not say, “We have found wisdom;
   God may vanquish him, not a human.”
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 am I to wait, because they do not speak,
   because they stand there, and answer no more?
¹⁷ I also will give my answer;
   I also will declare my opinion.
¹⁸ For I am full of words;
   the spirit within me constrains me.
¹⁹ My heart is indeed like wine that has no vent;
   like new wineskins, it is ready to burst.
²⁰ I must speak, so that I may find relief;
   I must open my lips and answer.
²¹ I will not show partiality to any person
   or use flattery towards anyone.
²² For I do not know how to flatter—
   or my Maker would soon put an end to me!

Do Not Judge Another

14Welcome those who are weak in faith,^* but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. ²Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. ³Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. ⁴Who are you to pass judgement on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord^* is able to make them stand.

5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. ⁶Those who observe the day, observe it in honour of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honour of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honour of the Lord and give thanks to God.

7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. ⁸If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister?^* Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister?^* For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.^{* 11}For it is written,
‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
   and every tongue shall give praise to^* God.’
¹²So then, each of us will be accountable to God.^*