Job 23-24
English Standard Version
Job Replies: Where Is God?
23 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Today also my (A)complaint is bitter;[a]
my (B)hand is heavy on account of my groaning.
3 Oh, (C)that I knew where I might find him,
that I might come even to his (D)seat!
4 I would (E)lay my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know what he would answer me
and understand what he would say to me.
6 Would he (F)contend with me in the greatness of his power?
No; he would pay attention to me.
7 There an upright man could argue with him,
and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.
8 “Behold, (G)I go forward, but he is not there,
and backward, but I do not perceive him;
9 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
10 But he (H)knows (I)the way that I (J)take;
when he has (K)tried me, I shall come out as gold.
11 My foot (L)has held fast to his steps;
I have kept his way and have (M)not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have (N)treasured the words of his mouth more than my (O)portion of food.
13 But he is unchangeable,[b] and (P)who can turn him back?
What he (Q)desires, that he does.
14 For he will complete what he (R)appoints for me,
and many such things are (S)in his mind.
15 Therefore I am terrified at his presence;
when I consider, I am in dread of him.
16 God has made my (T)heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me;
17 yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
nor because thick darkness covers my face.
24 “Why are (U)not times of judgment (V)kept by the Almighty,
and why do those who know him never see his (W)days?
2 Some move (X)landmarks;
they seize flocks and pasture them.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
they (Y)take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They (Z)thrust the poor off the road;
the poor of the earth (AA)all hide themselves.
5 Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert
the poor[c] (AB)go out to their toil, (AC)seeking game;
the wasteland yields food for their children.
6 They gather their[d] fodder in the field,
and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.
7 They (AD)lie all night naked, without clothing,
and have no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the rain of the mountains
and (AE)cling to the rock for lack of shelter.
9 (There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast,
and they take a pledge against the poor.)
10 They go about naked, without clothing;
hungry, they (AF)carry the sheaves;
11 among the olive rows of the wicked[e] they make oil;
they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst.
12 From out of the city the dying[f] groan,
and the soul of (AG)the wounded cries for help;
yet God charges no one with (AH)wrong.
13 “There are those who rebel (AI)against the light,
who are not acquainted with its ways,
and do not stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises before it is light,
that he (AJ)may kill the poor and needy,
and in the night he is like a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer also waits for (AK)the twilight,
saying, ‘No (AL)eye will see me’;
and he veils his face.
16 In the dark they (AM)dig through houses;
by day they shut themselves up;
they do not know the light.
17 For (AN)deep darkness is morning to all of them;
for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.
18 “You say, (AO)‘Swift are they on the face of the waters;
their portion is cursed in the land;
no treader turns toward their vineyards.
19 Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters;
so does (AP)Sheol those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them;
the worm finds them sweet;
they are (AQ)no longer remembered,
so wickedness is broken like (AR)a tree.’
21 “They wrong the barren, childless woman,
and do no good to the widow.
22 Yet God[g] prolongs the life of the mighty by his power;
they rise up when they despair of life.
23 He gives them security, and they are supported,
and his (AS)eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted (AT)a little while, and then (AU)are gone;
they are brought low and gathered up like all others;
they are (AV)cut off like the heads of grain.
25 If it is (AW)not so, who will prove me a liar
and show that there is nothing in what I say?”
Acts 27:13-44
English Standard Version
The Storm at Sea
13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, (A)struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,[a] we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would (B)run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,[b] and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day (C)to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, (D)you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this (E)injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to (F)take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night (G)there (H)stood before me (I)an angel of the God (J)to whom I belong and (K)whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; (L)you must stand before Caesar. And behold, (M)God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But (N)we must (O)run aground on some island.”
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.[c] A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.[d] 29 And fearing that we might (P)run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered (Q)the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength,[e] for (R)not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and (S)giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all (T)were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276[f] (U)persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, (V)throwing out the wheat into the sea.
The Shipwreck
39 Now when it was day, (W)they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef,[g] (X)they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 (Y)The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, (Z)wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that (AA)all were brought safely to land.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 27:16 Some manuscripts Clauda
- Acts 27:17 That is, the sea-anchor (or possibly the mainsail)
- Acts 27:28 About 120 feet; a fathom (Greek orguia) was about 6 feet or 2 meters
- Acts 27:28 About 90 feet (see previous note)
- Acts 27:34 Or For it is for your deliverance
- Acts 27:37 Some manuscripts seventy-six, or about seventy-six
- Acts 27:41 Or sandbank, or crosscurrent; Greek place between two seas
Psalm 90:10-17
English Standard Version
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span[a] is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 (A)So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 (B)Return, O Lord! (C)How long?
Have (D)pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the (E)morning with your steadfast love,
that we may (F)rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have (G)afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your (H)work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the (I)favor[b] of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish (J)the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
Footnotes
- Psalm 90:10 Or pride
- Psalm 90:17 Or beauty
Proverbs 19:20-21
English Standard Version
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in (A)the future.
21 (B)Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but (C)it is the purpose of the Lord (D)that will stand.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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