And Job, you ask God,\par ‘What will a person gain\par if he tries to please God?\par What good will it do me\par if I don’t sin?’\par
Job 36:21 - Easy To Read Version Job, you have suffered a lot.\par But don’t choose evil.\par Be careful not to do wrong.\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Take heed, regard not iniquity: For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Take heed, turn not to iniquity, for this [the iniquity of complaining against God] you have chosen rather than [submission in] affliction. American Standard Version (1901) Take heed, regard not iniquity: For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction. Common English Bible Take care; don’t turn to evil because you’ve chosen it over affliction. Catholic Public Domain Version Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity; for, after your misery, you have begun to follow this. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Beware thou turn not aside to iniquity: for this thou hast begun to follow after misery. |
And Job, you ask God,\par ‘What will a person gain\par if he tries to please God?\par What good will it do me\par if I don’t sin?’\par
God will force those people\par to listen to his warning.\par He will command them to stop sinning.\par
But God will humble people\par from their troubles.\par God uses those troubles\par to make people wake up\par and listen to him.\par
So if people are punished,\par if they are tied with chains and ropes\par then they did something wrong.\par
“So I won’t be quiet!\par I will speak out!\par My spirit is suffering!\par I will complain because\par my soul is bitter.\par
I hate people who worship false gods.\par I trust only in the Lord.\par
But I will give them an answer. \{I will punish them!\} You must tell those people these things. ‘The Lord my Master says: If any Israelite comes to a prophet and asks me for advice, then \{the prophet won’t give that person an answer\}. I myself will answer that person’s question. I will answer him even if he still has his filthy idols, even if he kept the things that made him sin, and even if he still worships those statues. I will speak to him in spite of all his filthy idols.
Daniel always prayed to God three times every day. Three times every day, Daniel got down on his knees and prayed and praised God. When Daniel heard about the new law he went to his house. Daniel went up to his room on the roof of his house. Daniel went to the windows that opened toward Jerusalem. Then Daniel got down on his knees and prayed, like he always did.
But that person does not let the teaching go deep into his life. He keeps that teaching only a short time. When trouble or persecution {\cf2\super [183]} comes because of the teaching he accepted, then he quickly quits.
Then Jesus said to his followers, “If any person wants to follow me, he must say ‘No’ to the things he wants. That person must accept the cross (suffering) that is given to him, and he must follow me.
Moses chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Those pleasures end quickly. Instead, Moses chose to suffer bad things with God’s people. Moses did this because he had faith.
It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong. Yes, it is better if that is what God wants.