18 After this [Paul] departed from Athens and went to Corinth.

² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently arrived from Italy with Priscilla his wife, due to the fact that Claudius had issued an edict that all the Jews were to leave Rome. And [Paul] went to see them,

³ And because he was of the same occupation, he stayed with them; and they worked [together], for they were tentmakers by trade.

⁴ But he discoursed and argued in the synagogue every Sabbath and won over [both] Jews and Greeks.

⁵ By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was completely engrossed with preaching, earnestly arguing and testifying to the Jews that Jesus [is] the Christ.

⁶ But since they kept opposing and abusing and reviling him, he shook out his clothing [against them] and said to them, Your blood be upon your [own] heads! I am innocent [of it]. From now on I will go to the Gentiles (the heathen).^(A)

⁷ He then left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue.

⁸ But Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed [that Jesus is the Messiah and acknowledged Him with joyful trust as Savior and Lord], together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians who listened [to Paul also] believed and were baptized.

⁹ And one night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, Have no fear, but speak and do not keep silent;

¹⁰ For I am with you, and no man shall assault you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.^(B)

¹¹ So he settled down among them for a year and six months, teaching the Word of God [concerning the ^[a]attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].

¹² But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (most of Greece), the Jews unitedly made an attack upon Paul and brought him before the judge’s seat,

¹³ Declaring, This fellow is advising and inducing and inciting people to worship God in violation of the ^[b]Law [of Rome and of Moses].

¹⁴ But when Paul was about to open his mouth to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of some misdemeanor or villainy, O Jews, I should have cause to bear with you and listen;

¹⁵ But since it is merely a question [of doctrine] about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I decline to be a judge of such matters and I have no intention of trying such cases.

¹⁶ And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

¹⁷ Then they [the Greeks] all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

¹⁸ Afterward Paul remained many days longer, and then told the brethren farewell and sailed for Syria; and he was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he [^[c]Paul] cut his hair, for he had made a vow.

¹⁹ Then they arrived in Ephesus, and [Paul] left the others there; but he himself entered the synagogue and discoursed and argued with the Jews.

²⁰ When they asked him to remain for a longer time, he would not consent;

²¹ But when he was leaving them he said, I will return to you if God is willing, and he set sail from Ephesus.

²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and saluted the church [at Jerusalem], and then went down to Antioch.

²³ After staying there some time, he left and went from place to place in an orderly journey through the territory of Galatia and Phrygia, establishing the disciples and imparting new strength to them.

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9 Then Job answered and said,

² Yes, I know it is true. But how can mortal man be right before God?

³ If one should want to contend with Him, he cannot answer one [of His questions] in a thousand.

⁴ [God] is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has [ever] hardened himself against Him and prospered or even been safe?

⁵ [God] Who removes the mountains, and they know it not when He overturns them in His anger;

⁶ Who shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars of it tremble;

⁷ Who commands the sun, and it rises not; Who seals up the stars [from view];

⁸ Who alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the waves and high places of the sea;

⁹ Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the [loose cluster] Pleiades, and the [vast starry] spaces of the south;

¹⁰ Who does great things past finding out, yes, marvelous things without number.

¹¹ Behold, He goes by me, and I see Him not; He passes on also, but I perceive Him not.

¹² Behold, He snatches away; who can hinder or turn Him back? Who will say to Him, What are You doing?

¹³ God will not withdraw His anger; the [proud] helpers of Rahab [arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.

¹⁴ How much less shall I answer Him, choosing out my words to reason with Him

¹⁵ Whom, though I were righteous (upright and innocent) yet I could not answer? I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge [for my right].

¹⁶ If I called and He answered me, yet would I not believe that He listened to my voice.

¹⁷ For He overwhelms and breaks me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause.

¹⁸ He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

¹⁹ If I speak of strength, behold, He is mighty! And if of justice, Who, says He, will summon Me?

²⁰ Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, He would prove me perverse.

²¹ Though I am blameless, I regard not myself; I despise my life.

²² It is all one; therefore I say, God [does not discriminate, but] destroys the blameless and the wicked.

²³ When [His] scourge slays suddenly, He mocks at the calamity and trial of the innocent.

²⁴ The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blinded to justice]. If it is not [God], who then is it [responsible for all this inequality]?

²⁵ Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.

²⁶ They are passed away like the swift rowboats made of reeds, or like the eagle that swoops down on the prey.

²⁷ If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer and brighten up,

²⁸ I become afraid of all my pains and sorrows [yet to come], for I know You will not pronounce me innocent [by removing them].

²⁹ I shall be held guilty and be condemned; why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?

³⁰ If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,

³¹ Yet You will plunge me into the ditch, and my own clothes will abhor me [and refuse to cover so foul a body].

³² For [God] is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in court.

³³ There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand upon us both, [would that there were!]^(A)

³⁴ That He might take His rod away from [threatening] me, and that the fear of Him might not terrify me.

³⁵ [Then] would I speak and not fear Him, but I am not so in myself [to make me afraid, were only a fair trial given me].

10 I am weary of my life and loathe it! I will give free expression to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

² I will say to God, Do not condemn me [do not make me guilty]! Show me why You contend with me.

³ Does it seem good to You that You should oppress, that You should despise and reject the work of Your hands, and favor the schemes of the wicked?

⁴ Have You eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees?

⁵ Are Your days as the days of man, are Your years as man’s [years],

⁶ That You inquire after my iniquity and search for my sin—

⁷ Although You know that I am not wicked or guilty and that there is none who can deliver me out of Your hand?

⁸ Your hands have formed me and made me. Would You turn around and destroy me?

⁹ Remember [earnestly], I beseech You, that You have fashioned me as clay [out of the same earth material, exquisitely and elaborately]. And will You bring me into dust again?

¹⁰ Have You not poured me out like milk and curdled me like cheese?

¹¹ You have clothed me with skin and flesh and have knit me together with bones and sinews.

¹² You have granted me life and favor, and Your providence has preserved my spirit.

¹³ Yet these [the present evils] have You hid in Your heart [for me since my creation]; I know that this was with You [in Your purpose and thought].

¹⁴ If I sin, then You observe me, and You will not acquit me from my iniquity and guilt.

¹⁵ If I am wicked, woe unto me! And if I am righteous, yet must I not lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace and the sight of my affliction.

¹⁶ If I lift myself up, You hunt me like a lion and again show Yourself [inflicting] marvelous [trials] upon me.

¹⁷ You renew Your witnesses against me and increase Your indignation toward me; I am as if attacked by a troop time after time.

¹⁸ Why then did You bring me forth out of the womb? Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

¹⁹ I should have been as though I had not existed; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

²⁰ Are not my days few? Cease then and let me alone, that I may take a little comfort and cheer up

²¹ Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,

²² The land of sunless gloom as intense darkness, [the land] of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as thick darkness.

11 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied,

² Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk [and making such great professions] be pronounced free from guilt or blame?

³ Should your boastings and babble make men keep silent? And when you mock and scoff, shall no man make you ashamed?

⁴ For you have said, My doctrine [that God afflicts the righteous knowingly] is pure, and I am clean in [God’s] eyes.^(B)

⁵ But oh, that God would speak, and open His lips against you,

⁶ And that He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For He is manifold in understanding! Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your guilt and iniquity [deserve].

⁷ Can you find out the deep things of God, or can you by searching find out the limits of the Almighty [explore His depths, ascend to His heights, extend to His breadths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]?

⁸ His wisdom is as high as the heights of heaven! What can you do? It is deeper than Sheol (the place of the dead)! What can you know?

⁹ Longer in measure [and scope] is it than the earth, and broader than the sea.

¹⁰ If [God] sweeps in and arrests and calls into judgment, who can hinder Him? [If He is against a man, who shall call Him to account for it?]

¹¹ For He recognizes and knows hollow, wicked, and useless men (men of falsehood); when He sees iniquity, will He not consider it?

¹² But a stupid man will get wisdom [only] when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man [as when he thinks himself free because he is lifted up in pride].

¹³ If you set your heart aright and stretch out your hands to [God],

¹⁴ If you put sin out of your hand and far away from you and let not evil dwell in your tents;

¹⁵ Then can you lift up your face to Him without stain [of sin, and unashamed]; yes, you shall be steadfast and secure; you shall not fear.

¹⁶ For you shall forget your misery; you shall remember it as waters that pass away.

¹⁷ And [your] life shall be clearer than the noonday and rise above it; though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.

¹⁸ And you shall be secure and feel confident because there is hope; yes, you shall search about you, and you shall take your rest in safety.

¹⁹ You shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; yes, many shall sue for your favor.

²⁰ But the eyes of the wicked shall look [for relief] in vain, and they shall not escape [the justice of God]; and their hope shall be to give up the ghost.