Acts 18

New International Version

In Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens^(A) and went to Corinth.^(B) ²There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,^(C) because Claudius^(D) had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.^(E) ⁴Every Sabbath^(F) he reasoned in the synagogue,^(G) trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵When Silas^(H) and Timothy^(I) came from Macedonia,^(J) Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.^(K) ⁶But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,^(L) he shook out his clothes in protest^(M) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!^(N) I am innocent of it.^(O) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^(P)

⁷Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.^(Q) ⁸Crispus,^(R) the synagogue leader,^(S) and his entire household^(T) believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:^(U) “Do not be afraid;^(V) keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰For I am with you,^(W) and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.^(X)

¹²While Gallio was proconsul^(Y) of Achaia,^(Z) the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³“This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law^(AA)—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶So he drove them off. ¹⁷Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes^(AB) the synagogue leader^(AC) and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

¹⁸Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters^(AD) and sailed for Syria,^(AE) accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.^(AF) Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae^(AG) because of a vow he had taken.^(AH) ¹⁹They arrived at Ephesus,^(AI) where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.”^(AJ) Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²²When he landed at Caesarea,^(AK) he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.^(AL)

²³After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia^(AM) and Phrygia,^(AN) strengthening all the disciples.^(AO)

²⁴Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos,^(AP) a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.^(AQ) He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor^[a]^(AR) and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.^(AS) ²⁶He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila^(AT) heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

²⁷When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,^(AU) the brothers and sisters^(AV) encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures^(AW) that Jesus was the Messiah.^(AX)

Footnotes

Acts 18:25 Or with fervor in the Spirit

Job 3-5

New International Version

Job Speaks

3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.^(A) ²He said:

³“May the day of my birth perish,
    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’^(B)
⁴That day—may it turn to darkness;
    may God above not care about it;
    may no light shine on it.
⁵May gloom and utter darkness^(C) claim it once more;
    may a cloud settle over it;
    may blackness overwhelm it.
⁶That night—may thick darkness^(D) seize it;
    may it not be included among the days of the year
    nor be entered in any of the months.
⁷May that night be barren;
    may no shout of joy^(E) be heard in it.
⁸May those who curse days^[a] curse that day,^(F)
    those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.^(G)
⁹May its morning stars become dark;
    may it wait for daylight in vain
    and not see the first rays of dawn,^(H)
¹⁰for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
    to hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹“Why did I not perish at birth,
    and die as I came from the womb?^(I)
¹²Why were there knees to receive me^(J)
    and breasts that I might be nursed?
¹³For now I would be lying down^(K) in peace;
    I would be asleep and at rest^(L)
¹⁴with kings and rulers of the earth,^(M)
    who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,^(N)
¹⁵with princes^(O) who had gold,
    who filled their houses with silver.^(P)
¹⁶Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,^(Q)
    like an infant who never saw the light of day?^(R)
¹⁷There the wicked cease from turmoil,^(S)
    and there the weary are at rest.^(T)
¹⁸Captives^(U) also enjoy their ease;
    they no longer hear the slave driver’s^(V) shout.^(W)
¹⁹The small and the great are there,^(X)
    and the slaves are freed from their owners.

²⁰“Why is light given to those in misery,
    and life to the bitter of soul,^(Y)
²¹to those who long for death that does not come,^(Z)
    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,^(AA)
²²who are filled with gladness
    and rejoice when they reach the grave?^(AB)
²³Why is life given to a man
    whose way is hidden,^(AC)
    whom God has hedged in?^(AD)
²⁴For sighing^(AE) has become my daily food;^(AF)
    my groans^(AG) pour out like water.^(AH)
²⁵What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded^(AI) has happened to me.^(AJ)
²⁶I have no peace,^(AK) no quietness;
    I have no rest,^(AL) but only turmoil.”^(AM)

Eliphaz

4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite^(AN) replied:

²“If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
    But who can keep from speaking?^(AO)
³Think how you have instructed many,^(AP)
    how you have strengthened feeble hands.^(AQ)
⁴Your words have supported those who stumbled;^(AR)
    you have strengthened faltering knees.^(AS)
⁵But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;^(AT)
    it strikes^(AU) you, and you are dismayed.^(AV)
⁶Should not your piety be your confidence^(AW)
    and your blameless^(AX) ways your hope?

⁷“Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?^(AY)
    Where were the upright ever destroyed?^(AZ)
⁸As I have observed,^(BA) those who plow evil^(BB)
    and those who sow trouble reap it.^(BC)
⁹At the breath of God^(BD) they perish;
    at the blast of his anger they are no more.^(BE)
¹⁰The lions may roar^(BF) and growl,
    yet the teeth of the great lions^(BG) are broken.^(BH)
¹¹The lion perishes for lack of prey,^(BI)
    and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.^(BJ)

¹²“A word^(BK) was secretly brought to me,
    my ears caught a whisper^(BL) of it.^(BM)
¹³Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
    when deep sleep falls on people,^(BN)
¹⁴fear and trembling^(BO) seized me
    and made all my bones shake.^(BP)
¹⁵A spirit glided past my face,
    and the hair on my body stood on end.^(BQ)
¹⁶It stopped,
    but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
    and I heard a hushed voice:^(BR)
¹⁷‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?^(BS)
    Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?^(BT)
¹⁸If God places no trust in his servants,^(BU)
    if he charges his angels with error,^(BV)
¹⁹how much more those who live in houses of clay,^(BW)
    whose foundations^(BX) are in the dust,^(BY)
    who are crushed^(BZ) more readily than a moth!^(CA)
²⁰Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
    unnoticed, they perish forever.^(CB)
²¹Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,^(CC)
    so that they die^(CD) without wisdom?’^(CE)

5 “Call if you will, but who will answer you?^(CF)
    To which of the holy ones^(CG) will you turn?
²Resentment^(CH) kills a fool,
    and envy slays the simple.^(CI)
³I myself have seen^(CJ) a fool taking root,^(CK)
    but suddenly^(CL) his house was cursed.^(CM)
⁴His children^(CN) are far from safety,^(CO)
    crushed in court^(CP) without a defender.^(CQ)
⁵The hungry consume his harvest,^(CR)
    taking it even from among thorns,
    and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
⁶For hardship does not spring from the soil,
    nor does trouble sprout from the ground.^(CS)
⁷Yet man is born to trouble^(CT)
    as surely as sparks fly upward.

⁸“But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
    I would lay my cause before him.^(CU)
⁹He performs wonders^(CV) that cannot be fathomed,^(CW)
    miracles that cannot be counted.^(CX)
¹⁰He provides rain for the earth;^(CY)
    he sends water on the countryside.^(CZ)
¹¹The lowly he sets on high,^(DA)
    and those who mourn^(DB) are lifted^(DC) to safety.
¹²He thwarts the plans^(DD) of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.^(DE)
¹³He catches the wise^(DF) in their craftiness,^(DG)
    and the schemes of the wily are swept away.^(DH)
¹⁴Darkness^(DI) comes upon them in the daytime;
    at noon they grope as in the night.^(DJ)
¹⁵He saves the needy^(DK) from the sword in their mouth;
    he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.^(DL)
¹⁶So the poor^(DM) have hope,
    and injustice shuts its mouth.^(DN)

¹⁷“Blessed is the one whom God corrects;^(DO)
    so do not despise the discipline^(DP) of the Almighty.^[b]^(DQ)
¹⁸For he wounds, but he also binds up;^(DR)
    he injures, but his hands also heal.^(DS)
¹⁹From six calamities he will rescue^(DT) you;
    in seven no harm will touch you.^(DU)
²⁰In famine^(DV) he will deliver you from death,
    and in battle from the stroke of the sword.^(DW)
²¹You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,^(DX)
    and need not fear^(DY) when destruction comes.^(DZ)
²²You will laugh^(EA) at destruction and famine,^(EB)
    and need not fear the wild animals.^(EC)
²³For you will have a covenant^(ED) with the stones^(EE) of the field,
    and the wild animals will be at peace with you.^(EF)
²⁴You will know that your tent is secure;^(EG)
    you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.^(EH)
²⁵You will know that your children will be many,^(EI)
    and your descendants like the grass of the earth.^(EJ)
²⁶You will come to the grave in full vigor,^(EK)
    like sheaves gathered in season.^(EL)