Acts 8:26-40
Contemporary English Version
Philip and an Ethiopian Official
26 The Lord's angel said to Philip, “Go south[a] along the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.”[b] 27 So Philip left.
An important Ethiopian official happened to be going along that road in his chariot. He was the chief treasurer for Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. The official had gone to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was now on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Spirit told Philip to catch up with the chariot. 30 Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The official answered, “How can I understand unless someone helps me?” He then invited Philip to come up and sit beside him.
32 (A) The man was reading the passage that said,
“He was led like a sheep
on its way to be killed.
He was silent as a lamb
whose wool
is being cut off,
and he did not say
a word.
33 He was treated like a nobody
and did not receive
a fair trial.
How can he have children,
if his life
is snatched away?”
34 The official said to Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or about someone else?” 35 So Philip began at this place in the Scriptures and explained the good news about Jesus.
36-37 As they were going along the road, they came to a place where there was some water. The official said, “Look! Here is some water. Why can't I be baptized?”[c] 38 He ordered the chariot to stop. Then they both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 After they had come out of the water, the Lord's Spirit took Philip away. The official never saw him again, but he was very happy as he went on his way.
40 Philip later appeared in Azotus. He went from town to town, all the way to Caesarea, telling people about Jesus.
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- 8.26 Go south: Or “About noon go.”
- 8.26 the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza: Or “the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza in the desert.”
- 8.36,37 Why can't I be baptized: Some manuscripts add, “Philip replied, ‘You can, if you believe with all your heart.’ The official answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ ”
Joshua 1-2
Contemporary English Version
Joshua Becomes the Leader of Israel
1 Moses, the Lord's servant, was dead. So the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had been the assistant of Moses. The Lord said:
2 My servant Moses is dead. Now you must lead Israel across the Jordan River into the land I'm giving to all of you. 3 (A) Wherever you go, I'll give you that land, as I promised Moses. 4 It will reach from the Southern Desert to the Lebanon Mountains in the north, and to the northeast as far as the great Euphrates River. It will include the land of the Hittites,[a] and the land from here at the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea on the west. 5 (B) Joshua, I will always be with you and help you as I helped Moses, and no one will ever be able to defeat you.
6-8 (C) Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law[b] he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land.
9 I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.
The Eastern Tribes Promise To Help
10 Joshua ordered the tribal leaders 11 to go through the camp and tell everyone:
In a few days we will cross the Jordan River to take the land that the Lord our God is giving us. So prepare as much food as you'll need for the march into the land.
12 (D) Joshua told the men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh:[c]
13-14 The Lord's servant Moses said that the Lord our God has given you land here on the east side of the Jordan River, where you could live in peace. Your wives and children and your animals can stay here in the land Moses gave you. But all of you that can serve in our army must pick up your weapons and lead the men of the other tribes across the Jordan River. They are your relatives, so you must help them 15 conquer the land that the Lord is giving them. The Lord will give peace to them as he has given peace to you, and then you can come back and settle here in the land that Moses promised you.
16 The men answered:
We'll cross the Jordan River and help our relatives. We'll fight anywhere you send us. 17-18 If the Lord our God will help you as he helped Moses, and if you are strong and brave, we will obey you as we obeyed Moses. We'll even put to death anyone who rebels against you or refuses to obey you.
Rahab Helps the Israelite Spies
2 (E) Joshua chose two men as spies and sent them from their camp at Acacia with these instructions: “Go across the river and find out as much as you can about the whole region, especially about the town of Jericho.”
The two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia and went to Jericho, where they decided to spend the night at the house of a prostitute[d] named Rahab.
2 But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies.” 3-7 So the king sent soldiers to Rahab's house to arrest the spies.
Meanwhile, Rahab had taken the men up to the flat roof of her house and had hidden them under some piles of flax plants[e] that she had put there to dry.
The soldiers came to her door and demanded, “Let us have the men who are staying at your house. They are spies.”
She answered, “Some men did come to my house, but I didn't know where they had come from. They left about sunset, just before it was time to close the town gate.[f] I don't know where they were going, but if you hurry, maybe you can catch them.”
The guards at the town gate let the soldiers leave Jericho, but they closed the gate again as soon as the soldiers went through. Then the soldiers headed toward the Jordan River to look for the spies at the place where people cross the river.
8 Rahab went back up to her roof. The spies were still awake, so she told them:
9 I know that the Lord has given Israel this land. Everyone shakes with fear because of you. 10 (F) We heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea[g] so you could leave Egypt. And we heard how you destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River. 11 We know that the Lord your God rules heaven and earth, and we've lost our courage and our will to fight.
12 Please promise me in the Lord's name that you will be as kind to my family as I have been to you. Do something to show 13 that you won't let your people kill my father and mother and my brothers and sisters and their families.
14 “Rahab,” the spies answered, “if you keep quiet about what we're doing, we promise to be kind to you when the Lord gives us this land. We pray that the Lord will kill us if we don't keep our promise!”[h]
15 Rahab's house was built into the town wall,[i] and one of the windows in her house faced outside the wall. She gave the spies a rope, showed them the window, and said, “Use this rope to let yourselves down to the ground outside the wall. 16 Then hide in the hills. The men who are looking for you won't be able to find you there. They'll give up and come back after a few days, and you can be on your way.”
17-20 The spies said:
You made us promise to let you and your family live. We will keep our promise, but you can't tell anyone why we were here. You must tie this red rope on your window when we attack, and your father and mother, your brothers, and everyone else in your family must be here with you. We'll take the blame if anyone who stays in this house gets hurt. But anyone who leaves your house will be killed, and it won't be our fault.
21 “I'll do exactly what you said,” Rahab promised. Then she sent them on their way and tied the red rope to the window.
22 The spies hid in the hills for three days while the king's soldiers looked for them along the roads. As soon as the soldiers gave up and returned to Jericho, 23 the two spies went down into the Jordan valley and crossed the river. They reported to Joshua and told him everything that had happened. 24 “We're sure the Lord has given us the whole country,” they said. “The people there shake with fear every time they think of us.”
Notas al pie
- 1.4 the land … Hittites: This refers to the northern part of Syria, which had been the southernmost part of the Hittite Empire.
- 1.6-8 the Law: Or “Teachings.”
- 1.12 East Manasseh: The half of Manasseh that settled east of the Jordan River.
- 2.1 prostitute: Rahab was possibly an innkeeper.
- 2.3-7 flax plants: The stalks of flax plants were harvested, soaked in water, and dried, then their fibers were separated and spun into thread, which was woven into linen cloth.
- 2.3-7 gate: Many towns and cities had walls with heavy gates that were closed at night for protection.
- 2.10 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, “Sea of Reeds,” one of the marshes or fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta. This identification is based on Exodus 13.17—14.9, which lists the towns on the route of the Israelites before crossing the sea. In the Greek translation of the Scriptures made about 200 b.c., the “Sea of Reeds” was named “Red Sea.”
- 2.14 We pray … promise: Or “If you save our lives, we will save yours!”
- 2.15 wall: In ancient times, cities and larger towns had high walls around them to protect them against attack. Sometimes houses were built against the wall so that the city wall formed one wall of the house. This added strength to the city wall.
Job 21
Contemporary English Version
Job's Reply to Zophar
If You Want To Offer Comfort
21 Job said:
2 If you want to offer comfort,
then listen to me.
3 And when I have finished,
you can start your insults
all over again.
4 My complaint is against God;
that's why I am impatient.
5 Just looking at me is enough
to make you sick,
6 and the very thought of myself
fills me with disgust.
7 Why do evil people live so long
and gain such power?
8 Why are they allowed to see
their children grow up?[a]
9 They have no worries at home,
and God never punishes them.
10 Their cattle have lots of calves
without ever losing one;
11 their children play and dance
safely by themselves.
12 These people sing and celebrate
to the sound of tambourines,
small harps, and flutes,
13 and they are successful,
without a worry,
until the day they die.
Leave Us Alone!
14 Those who are evil say
to God All-Powerful,
“Leave us alone! Don't bother us
with your teachings.
15 What do we gain from praying
and worshiping you?
16 We succeeded all on our own.”
And so, I keep away from them
and their evil schemes.
17 How often does God become angry
and send disaster and darkness
to punish sinners?
18 How often does he strike them
like a windstorm
that scatters straw?
19 You say, “God will punish
those sinners' children
in place of those sinners.”
But I say, “Let him punish
those sinners themselves
until they really feel it.
20 Let God All-Powerful force them
to drink their own destruction
from the cup of his anger.
21 Because after they are dead,
they won't care what happens
to their children.”
Who Can Tell God What To Do?
22 Who can tell God what to do?
He judges powerful rulers.
* 23 Some of us die prosperous,
24 enjoying good health,
25 while others die in poverty,
having known only pain.
26 But we all end up dead,
beneath a blanket of worms.
27 My friends, I know that you
are plotting against me.
28 You ask, “Where is the home
of that important person
who does so much evil?”
29 Everyone, near and far, agrees
30 that those who do wrong
never suffer disaster,
when God becomes angry.
31 No one points out their sin
or punishes them.
32 Then at their funerals,
they are highly praised;
33 the earth welcomes them home,
while crowds mourn.
34 But empty, meaningless words
are the comfort you offer me.
Notas al pie
- 21.8 up: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.
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