Paul and Silas Imprisoned

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl ^(A)possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters ^(B)much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she did for many days.

But Paul, ^(C)greatly ^[a]annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” ^(D)And he came out that very hour. ¹⁹ But ^(E)when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and ^(F)dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

²⁰ And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, ^(G)exceedingly trouble our city; ²¹ and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” ²² Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes ^(H)and commanded them to be beaten with rods. ²³ And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Saved

²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ^26 (I)Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately ^(J)all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. ²⁷ And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, ^(K)“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ So they said, ^(L)“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, ^(M)he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Paul Refuses to Depart Secretly

³⁵ And when it was day, the magistrates sent the ^[b]officers, saying, “Let those men go.”

³⁶ So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned ^(N)Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”

³⁸ And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. ³⁹ Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and ^(O)asked them to depart from the city. ⁴⁰ So they went out of the prison ^(P)and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

Job and His Family in Uz

1 There was a man ^(A)in the land of Uz, whose name was ^(B)Job; and that man was ^(C)blameless and upright, and one who ^(D)feared God and ^[a]shunned evil. ² And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³ Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the ^[b]people of the East.

⁴ And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and ^[c]sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning ^(E)and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and ^(F)cursed^[d] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Satan Attacks Job’s Character

⁶ Now ^(G)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and ^[e]Satan also came among them. ⁷ And the Lord said to ^[f]Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From ^(H)going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you ^[g]considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and ^[h]shuns evil?”

⁹ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ^10 (I)Have You not ^[i]made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? ^(J)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ^11 (K)But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely ^(L)curse^[j] You to Your face!”

¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your ^[k]power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job Loses His Property and Children

¹³ Now there was a day ^(M)when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; ¹⁴ and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ when the ^[l]Sabeans ^[m]raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and ^[n]consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, ^(N)“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ and suddenly a great wind came from ^[o]across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

²⁰ Then Job arose, ^(O)tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he ^(P)fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said:

^22 (U)In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Satan Attacks Job’s Health

2 Again ^(V)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

^(W)Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, ^(X)a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he ^(Y)holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, ^(Z)to ^[p]destroy him without cause.”

⁴ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ^5 (AA)But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his ^(AB)bone and his flesh, and he will surely ^[q]curse You to Your face!”

^6 (AC)And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils ^(AD)from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸ And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself ^(AE)while he sat in the midst of the ashes.

⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? ^[r]Curse God and die!”

¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. ^(AF)Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” ^(AG)In all this Job did not ^(AH)sin with his lips.

Job’s Three Friends

¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the ^(AI)Temanite, Bildad the ^(AJ)Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come ^(AK)and mourn with him, and to comfort him. ¹² And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and ^(AL)sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. ¹³ So they sat down with him on the ground ^(AM)seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.