12 About that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict and oppress and torment some who belonged to the church (assembly).

² And he killed James the brother of John with a sword;

³ And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further and arrested Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week].

⁴ And when he had seized [Peter], he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him, purposing after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church (assembly).

⁶ The very night before Herod was about to bring him forth, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

⁷ And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared [standing beside him], and a light shone in the place where he was. And the angel gently smote Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, Get up quickly! And the chains fell off his hands.

⁸ And the angel said to him, Tighten your belt and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap your outer garment around you and follow me.

⁹ And [Peter] went out [along] following him, and he was not conscious that what was apparently being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

¹⁰ When they had passed through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city. Of its own accord [the gate] swung open, and they went out and passed on through one street; and at once the angel left him.

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18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

² How long will you lay snares for words and have to hunt for your argument? Do some clear thinking, and then we will reply.

³ Why are we counted as beasts [as if we had no sense]? Why are we unclean in your sight?

⁴ You who tear yourself in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for you, or the rock be removed out of its place?

⁵ Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the flame of his fire shall not shine.^(A)

⁶ The light shall be dark in his dwelling, and his lamp beside him shall be put out.^(B)

⁷ The steps of his strength shall be shortened, and his own counsel and the plans in which he trusted shall bring about his downfall.

⁸ For the wicked is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walks upon a lattice-covered pit.

⁹ A trap will catch him by the heel, and a snare will lay hold on him.

¹⁰ A noose is hidden for him on the ground and a trap for him in the way.

¹¹ Terrors shall make him afraid on every side and shall chase him at his heels.

¹² The strength [of the wicked] shall be hunger-bitten, and calamity is ready at his side [if he halts].

¹³ By disease his strength and his skin shall be devoured; the firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] shall consume his limbs.

¹⁴ He shall be rooted out of his dwelling place in which he trusted, and he shall be brought to the king of terrors [death].

¹⁵ There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his [family]; sulphur shall be scattered over his dwelling [to purify it after his going].

¹⁶ The roots [of the wicked] shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off and wither.

¹⁷ His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

¹⁸ He shall be thrust from light into darkness and driven out of the world.

¹⁹ He shall neither have son nor grandson among his people, nor any remaining where he sojourned.

²⁰ They [of the west] that come after [the wicked man] shall be astonished and appalled at his day, as they [of the east] that went before were seized with horror.

²¹ Surely such are the dwellings of the ungodly, and such is the place of him who knows not (recognizes not and honors not) God.

19 Then Job answered:

² How long will you vex and torment me and break me in pieces with words?

³ These ten times you have reproached me; you are not ashamed that you make yourselves strange [harden yourselves against me and deal severely with me].

⁴ And if it were true that I have erred, my error would remain with me [I would be conscious of it].

⁵ If indeed you magnify yourselves against me and plead against me my reproach and humiliation,

⁶ Know that God has overthrown and put me in the wrong and has closed His net about me.

⁷ Behold, I cry out, Violence! but I am not heard; I cry aloud for help, but there is no justice.

⁸ He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and He has set darkness upon my paths.

⁹ He has stripped me of my glory and taken the crown from my head.

¹⁰ He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone; my hope has He pulled up like a tree.

¹¹ He has also kindled His wrath against me, and He counts me as one of His adversaries.

¹² His troops come together and cast up their way and siege works against me and encamp round about my tent.

¹³ He has put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.

¹⁴ My kinsfolk have failed me, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

¹⁵ Those who live temporarily in my house and my maids count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

¹⁶ I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer, though I beseech him with words.

¹⁷ I am repulsive to my wife and loathsome to the children of my own mother.

¹⁸ Even young children despise me; when I get up, they speak against me.

¹⁹ All the men of my council and my familiar friends abhor me; those whom I loved are turned against me.

²⁰ My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped with the skin or gums of my teeth.

²¹ Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me!

²² Why do you, as if you were God, pursue and persecute me? [Acting like wild beasts] why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

²³ Oh, that the words I now speak were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book [carved on a tablet of stone]!

²⁴ That with an iron pen and [molten] lead they were graven in the rock forever!

²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at last He [the Last One] will stand upon the earth.^(C)

²⁶ And after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God,

²⁷ Whom I, even I, shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger! My heart pines away and is consumed within me.

²⁸ If you say, How we will pursue him! [and continue to persecute me with the claim] that the root [cause] of all these [afflictions] is found in me,

²⁹ Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance], for wrathful are the punishments of that sword, that you may know there is a judgment.