Job 38–40
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel
by words without knowledge?
3 Prepare yourself like a man;
for I will question you,
and you shall answer Me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if you have understanding.
5 Who has determined its measurements, if you know?
Or who has stretched the line upon it?
6 To what are 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 up the sea with doors
when it broke forth and went out of the womb?
9 When I made the cloud its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 and broke up for it My decreed place,
and set bars and doors,
11 and said, ‘This far you will come but no farther,
and here your proud waves will be stopped’?
12 “Have you commanded the morning in your days,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
13 that it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It is turned like clay by the seal,
and it stands out as a garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
and the high arm will be broken.
16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have the gates of death been opened to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you perceived the breadth of the earth?
Declare, if you know it all.
19 “Where is the path where light dwells?
And as for darkness, where is its place,
20 that you should take it to its boundary,
and that you should know the paths to its house?
21 Do you know it because you were born then,
or because the number of your days is many?
22 “Have you entered the treasuries of the snow?
Or have you seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light diffused,
or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
25 Who has divided a channel for the overflowing waters,
or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 to cause it to rain on the earth where no man is,
on the wilderness in which there are no people,
27 to satisfy the desolate waste,
and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Does the rain have a father?
Or who has produced the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb came 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.
31 “Can you tie the cords to the Pleiades
or loosen the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out the constellation in its season?
Or can you guide the Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the ordinances of heaven?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
that abundance of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send lightning that they may go forth
and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts,
or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can empty out the bottles of heaven,
38 when the dust turns into hard clumps
and the clods stick together?
39 “Will you hunt the prey for the lion?
Or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 when they crouch in their dens
and lie in the thicket to wait in ambush?
41 Who provides for the raven his food
when his young ones cry unto God,
and they wander about for lack of food?
Chapter 39
1 “Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats produce offspring?
Or can you observe when the deer gives birth?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill,
or do you know the time when they bring forth?
3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones,
they get rid of their labor pains.
4 Their young ones are healthy, they grow strong with grain;
they go forth and do not return to them.
5 “Who has sent out the wild donkey free?
Or who has loosed the bands of the wild donkey,
6 whose home I have made the wilderness,
and the barren land his dwelling?
7 He scorns the multitude in the city
and does not regard 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
or spend the night 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 grain
and gather it into your barn?
13 “Did you give the beautiful wings to the peacocks?
Or wings and feathers to the ostrich,
14 who leaves her eggs in the earth,
and warms them in dust,
15 and forgets that a foot may crush them,
or that the wild beast may break them?
16 She is hardened against her young ones,
as though they were not hers;
her labor is in vain, without concern,
17 because God has deprived her of wisdom,
nor has He imparted understanding to her.
18 When she lifts up herself on high,
she scorns the horse and his rider.
19 “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Can you make him afraid like a grasshopper?
The glory of his nostrils is awesome.
21 He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength;
he goes on to meet the armed men.
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 the shield.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage,
and he does not stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
25 At the sound of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha’;
he smells the battle afar off,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
and stretch her wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle mount up at your command
and make her nest on high?
28 She dwells and remains on the rock,
upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
29 From there she seeks the prey,
and her eyes see it from afar.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood,
and where the slain are, there she is.”
Chapter 40
1 Moreover, the Lord answered Job and said:
2 “Will he who argues with the Almighty instruct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You?
I will lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken, but I will not answer;
yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7 “Prepare yourself now like a man;
I will question you,
and you will answer Me.
8 “Will you indeed annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me, that you may be righteous?
9 Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with a voice like Him?
10 Adorn yourself now with majesty and excellence,
and array yourself with glory and beauty.
11 Let loose the rage of your wrath,
and look on every one who is proud and abase him;
12 look on every one who is proud and bring him low,
and tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together,
and imprison them in the hidden place of the grave.
14 Then I will also confess to you
that your own right hand can save you.
15 “Look now at the 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 the muscles of his belly.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are wrapped together.
18 His bones are like strong pieces of brass;
his bones are like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the works of God;
He who made him can bring near His sword.
20 Surely the mountains bring forth food for him,
where all the beasts of the field play.
21 He lies under the shady trees,
in the thicket of the reed and marsh.
22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow;
the willows of the brook surround him.
23 Look, the river rages, but he is not alarmed;
he trusts that he can draw up the Jordan into his mouth.
24 Can anyone catch it by its eyes,
or pierce its nose with a snare?”
Acts 16:1–21
1 Then he came to Derbe and then to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted him to travel with him. So he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to observe, that were set forth by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they came near Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not allow them. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 From Troas we set sail on a straight course to Samothrace and the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the main city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony. We stayed in this city several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went out of the city to a riverside, where prayer was customarily offered. And we sat down and spoke to the women who had assembled. 14 A woman named Lydia, a seller of purple fabric of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to acknowledge what Paul said. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she entreated us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and remain there.” And she persuaded us.
16 On one occasion, as we went to the place of prayer, a servant girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 She did this for many days. But becoming greatly troubled, Paul turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out at that moment.
19 When her masters saw that the hope of their profits was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers. 20 And they brought them to the magistrates, saying, “These men, being Jews, greatly trouble our city 21 and teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”