⁹ The next day as they were still on their way and were approaching the town, Peter went up to the roof of the house to pray, about the sixth hour (noon).

¹⁰ But he became very hungry, and wanted something to eat; and while the meal was being prepared a trance came over him,

¹¹ And he saw the sky opened and something like a great sheet lowered by the four corners, descending to the earth.

¹² It contained all kinds of quadrupeds and wild beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the air.

¹³ And there came a voice to him, saying, Rise up, Peter, kill and eat.

¹⁴ But Peter said, No, by no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean.

¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, do not you defile and profane by regarding and calling common and unhallowed or unclean.

¹⁶ This occurred three times; then immediately the sheet was taken up to heaven.

¹⁷ Now Peter was still inwardly perplexed and doubted as to what the vision which he had seen could mean, when [just then] behold the messengers that were sent by Cornelius, who had made inquiry for Simon’s house, stopped and stood before the gate.

¹⁸ And they called out to inquire whether Simon who was surnamed Peter was staying there.

¹⁹ And while Peter was ^[a]earnestly revolving the vision in his mind and meditating on it, the [Holy] Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking for you!

²⁰ Get up and go below and accompany them without any doubt [about its legality] or any discrimination or hesitation, for I have sent them.

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7 Is there not an [appointed] warfare and hard labor to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?

² As a servant earnestly longs for the shade and the evening shadows, and as a hireling who looks for the reward of his work,

³ So am I allotted months of futile [suffering], and [long] nights of misery are appointed to me.

⁴ When I lie down I say, When shall I arise and the night be gone? And I am full of tossing to and fro till the dawning of the day.

⁵ My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken and has become loathsome, and it closes up and breaks out afresh.

⁶ My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.

⁷ Oh, remember that my life is but wind (a puff, a breath, a sob); my eye shall see good no more.

⁸ The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more; while your eyes are upon me, I shall be gone.

⁹ As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol (the place of the dead) shall come up no more.

¹⁰ He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

¹¹ Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul [O Lord]!

¹² Am I the sea, or the sea monster, that You set a watch over me?

¹³ When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint,

¹⁴ Then You scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,

¹⁵ So that I would choose strangling and death rather than these my bones.

¹⁶ I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, for my days are a breath (futility).

¹⁷ What is man that You should magnify him and think him important? And that You should set Your mind upon him?^(A)

¹⁸ And that You should visit him every morning and try him every moment?

¹⁹ How long will Your [plaguing] glance not look away from me, nor You let me alone till I swallow my spittle?

²⁰ If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done You, O You Watcher and Keeper of men? Why have You set me as a mark for You, so that I am a burden to myself [and You]?

²¹ And why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; and [even if] You will seek me diligently, [it will be too late, for] I shall not be.

8 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite,

² How long will you say these things [Job]? And how long shall the words of your mouth be as a mighty wind?

³ Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

⁴ If your children have sinned against Him, then He has delivered them into the power of their transgression.

⁵ If you will seek God diligently and make your supplication to the Almighty,

⁶ Then, if you are pure and upright, surely He will bestir Himself for you and make your righteous dwelling prosperous again.

⁷ And though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.

⁸ For inquire, I pray you, of the former age and apply yourself to that which their fathers have searched out,

⁹ For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow.

¹⁰ Shall not [the forefathers] teach you and tell you and utter words out of their hearts (the deepest part of their nature)?

¹¹ Can the rush or papyrus grow up without marsh? Can the flag or reed grass grow without water?

¹² While it is yet green, in flower, and not cut down, it withers before any other herb [when without water].

¹³ So are the ways of all who forget God; and the hope of the godless shall perish.

¹⁴ For his confidence breaks, and [the object of] his trust is a spider’s web.

¹⁵ He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold fast to it, but it shall not last.

¹⁶ He is green before the sun, and his shoots go forth over his garden.

¹⁷ [Godless] his roots are wrapped about the [stone] heap, and see their way [promisingly] among the rocks.

¹⁸ But if [God] snatches him from his property, [then having passed into the hands of others] it [his property] will forget and deny him, [saying,] I have never seen you [before, as if ashamed of him—like his former friends].

¹⁹ See, this is the joy of going the way [of the ungodly]! And from the dust others will spring up [to take his place].

²⁰ Behold, as surely as God will never uphold wrongdoers, He will never cast away a blameless man.

²¹ He will yet fill your mouth with laughter [Job] and your lips with joyful shouting.

²² Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tents of the wicked shall be no more.