Acts 21:1-16

New International Version

On to Jerusalem

21 After we^(A) had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ²We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,^(B) went on board and set sail. ³After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria.^(C) We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴We sought out the disciples^(D) there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit^(E) they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.^(F) ⁶After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

⁷We continued our voyage from Tyre^(G) and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters^(H) and stayed with them for a day. ⁸Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea^(I) and stayed at the house of Philip^(J) the evangelist,^(K) one of the Seven. ⁹He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.^(L)

¹⁰After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus^(M) came down from Judea. ¹¹Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says,^(N) ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind^(O) the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”^(P)

¹²When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die^(Q) in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”^(R) ¹⁴When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up^(S) and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”^(T)

¹⁵After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.^(U) ¹⁶Some of the disciples from Caesarea^(V) accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus^(W) and one of the early disciples.

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Job 25-28

New International Version

Bildad

25 Then Bildad the Shuhite^(A) replied:

²“Dominion and awe belong to God;^(B)
    he establishes order in the heights of heaven.^(C)
³Can his forces be numbered?
    On whom does his light not rise?^(D)
⁴How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?^(E)
⁵If even the moon^(F) is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes,^(G)
⁶how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
    a human being,^(H) who is only a worm!”^(I)

Job

26 Then Job replied:

²“How you have helped the powerless!^(J)
    How you have saved the arm that is feeble!^(K)
³What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
    And what great insight^(L) you have displayed!
⁴Who has helped you utter these words?
    And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?^(M)

⁵“The dead are in deep anguish,^(N)
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
⁶The realm of the dead^(O) is naked before God;
    Destruction^[a]^(P) lies uncovered.^(Q)
⁷He spreads out the northern skies^(R) over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.^(S)
⁸He wraps up the waters^(T) in his clouds,^(U)
    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
⁹He covers the face of the full moon,
    spreading his clouds^(V) over it.
¹⁰He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters^(W)
    for a boundary between light and darkness.^(X)
¹¹The pillars of the heavens quake,^(Y)
    aghast at his rebuke.
¹²By his power he churned up the sea;^(Z)
    by his wisdom^(AA) he cut Rahab^(AB) to pieces.
¹³By his breath the skies^(AC) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.^(AD)
¹⁴And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper^(AE) we hear of him!^(AF)
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”^(AG)

Job’s Final Word to His Friends

27 And Job continued his discourse:^(AH)

²“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,^(AI)
    the Almighty,^(AJ) who has made my life bitter,^(AK)
³as long as I have life within me,
    the breath of God^(AL) in my nostrils,
⁴my lips will not say anything wicked,
    and my tongue will not utter lies.^(AM)
⁵I will never admit you are in the right;
    till I die, I will not deny my integrity.^(AN)
⁶I will maintain my innocence^(AO) and never let go of it;
    my conscience^(AP) will not reproach me as long as I live.^(AQ)

⁷“May my enemy be like the wicked,^(AR)
    my adversary^(AS) like the unjust!
⁸For what hope have the godless^(AT) when they are cut off,
    when God takes away their life?^(AU)
⁹Does God listen to their cry
    when distress comes upon them?^(AV)
¹⁰Will they find delight in the Almighty?^(AW)
    Will they call on God at all times?

¹¹“I will teach you about the power of God;
the ways^(AX) of the Almighty I will not conceal.^(AY)
¹²You have all seen this yourselves.
Why then this meaningless talk?

¹³“Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
    the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:^(AZ)
¹⁴However many his children,^(BA) their fate is the sword;^(BB)
    his offspring will never have enough to eat.^(BC)
¹⁵The plague will bury those who survive him,
    and their widows will not weep for them.^(BD)
¹⁶Though he heaps up silver like dust^(BE)
    and clothes like piles of clay,^(BF)
¹⁷what he lays up^(BG) the righteous will wear,^(BH)
    and the innocent will divide his silver.^(BI)
¹⁸The house^(BJ) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,^(BK)
    like a hut^(BL) made by a watchman.
¹⁹He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;^(BM)
    when he opens his eyes, all is gone.^(BN)
²⁰Terrors^(BO) overtake him like a flood;^(BP)
    a tempest snatches him away in the night.^(BQ)
²¹The east wind^(BR) carries him off, and he is gone;^(BS)
    it sweeps him out of his place.^(BT)
²²It hurls itself against him without mercy^(BU)
    as he flees headlong^(BV) from its power.^(BW)
²³It claps its hands^(BX) in derision
    and hisses him out of his place.”^(BY)

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28 There is a mine for silver
    and a place where gold is refined.^(BZ)
²Iron is taken from the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.^(CA)
³Mortals put an end to the darkness;^(CB)
    they search out the farthest recesses
    for ore in the blackest darkness.^(CC)
⁴Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,^(CD)
    in places untouched by human feet;
    far from other people they dangle and sway.
⁵The earth, from which food comes,^(CE)
    is transformed below as by fire;
⁶lapis lazuli^(CF) comes from its rocks,
    and its dust contains nuggets of gold.^(CG)
⁷No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
    no falcon’s eye has seen it.^(CH)
⁸Proud beasts^(CI) do not set foot on it,
    and no lion prowls there.^(CJ)
⁹People assault the flinty rock^(CK) with their hands
    and lay bare the roots of the mountains.^(CL)
¹⁰They tunnel through the rock;^(CM)
    their eyes see all its treasures.^(CN)
¹¹They search^[b] the sources of the rivers^(CO)
    and bring hidden things^(CP) to light.

¹²But where can wisdom be found?^(CQ)
    Where does understanding dwell?^(CR)
¹³No mortal comprehends its worth;^(CS)
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.^(CT)
¹⁴The deep^(CU) says, “It is not in me”;
    the sea^(CV) says, “It is not with me.”
¹⁵It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
    nor can its price be weighed out in silver.^(CW)
¹⁶It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,^(CX)
    with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.^(CY)
¹⁷Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,^(CZ)
    nor can it be had for jewels of gold.^(DA)
¹⁸Coral^(DB) and jasper^(DC) are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.^(DD)
¹⁹The topaz^(DE) of Cush^(DF) cannot compare with it;
    it cannot be bought with pure gold.^(DG)

²⁰Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?^(DH)
²¹It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.^(DI)
²²Destruction^[c]^(DJ) and Death^(DK) say,
    “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
²³God understands the way to it
    and he alone^(DL) knows where it dwells,^(DM)
²⁴for he views the ends of the earth^(DN)
    and sees everything under the heavens.^(DO)
²⁵When he established the force of the wind
    and measured out the waters,^(DP)
²⁶when he made a decree for the rain^(DQ)
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(DR)
²⁷then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
    he confirmed it and tested it.^(DS)
²⁸And he said to the human race,
    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil^(DT) is understanding.”^(DU)