Old/New Testament
17 My spirit is broken.
The days of my life are almost gone.
The grave is waiting for me.
2 Those who laugh at me surround me.
I watch them insult me.
3 “God, make me a promise.
No one else will make a promise for me.
4 You have closed the minds of my friends so they do not understand.
So you will not let them win over me.
5 A man might speak against his friends for money.
But if he does, the eyes of his children go blind.
6 “God has caused people to use my name as a curse word.
People spit in my face.
7 My sight has grown weak because of my sadness.
My body is so thin it’s like a shadow.
8 Honest people are upset about this.
Innocent people are upset with people who do wrong.
9 But people who do right will continue to do right.
And those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger.
10 “But, all of you, come and try again!
I do not find a wise man among you!
11 My days are gone, and my plans have been destroyed.
The desires of my heart are also destroyed.
12 These men think night is day.
When it is dark, they say, ‘Light is near.’
13 It might be that the only home I hope for is where the dead are.
I might spread out my bed in darkness.
14 I might say to the grave, ‘You are my father.’
And I might say to the worm, ‘You are my mother’ or ‘You are my sister.’
15 If these things are true, I have no hope.
No one can see any hope for me.
16 Hope will go down to the gates of death.
We will go down together into the dust.”
Bildad Answers Job
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “When will you stop these speeches?
Be sensible, and then we can talk.
3 You think of us as only cattle.
You think we are stupid.
4 You tear yourself to pieces in your anger.
Does everyone have to leave the earth just for you?
Do the rocks have to be moved from their place for you?
5 “The lamp of the wicked person will be put out.
The flame in his lamp will stop burning.
6 The light in his tent will become dark.
The lamp by his side will go out.
7 His footsteps will become weak and lose their strength.
He will fall into his own evil trap.
8 His feet are caught in a net
when he walks into its web.
9 A trap will catch him by the heel.
And it will hold him tight.
10 A trap for him is hidden on the ground.
It lies in his path.
11 Terrible things startle him from every side.
They chase him at every step.
12 Hunger takes away his strength.
Disaster is at his side.
13 Disease eats away parts of his skin.
The signs of death begin to eat away at his arms and legs.
14 The evil person is torn from the safety of his tent.
He is dragged off to Death, the King of Terrors.
15 His tent is set on fire.
Burning sulfur is scattered over his home.
16 His roots dry up below ground,
and his branches above ground die.
17 People on earth will not remember him.
His name will be forgotten in the land.
18 He will be driven from the light into darkness.
He will be chased out of the world.
19 He has no children or descendants among his people.
No one will be left alive where he once lived.
20 People of the west are shocked at what has happened to him.
People of the east are very frightened.
21 This is surely what will happen to the home of an evil person.
This is the place of one who does not know God.”
Job Answers Bildad
19 Then Job answered:
2 “How long will you hurt me
and crush me with your words?
3 You have insulted me ten times now.
You attack me without shame.
4 If I have sinned,
it is my worry alone.
5 Maybe you want to make yourselves look better than I do
so you can blame me for my suffering.
6 Then know that God has wronged me.
He has pulled his net around me.
7 “I shout, ‘I have been wronged!’
But I get no answer.
I call loudly for help,
but I receive no justice.
8 God has blocked my way so I cannot pass.
He has covered my paths with darkness.
9 He has taken away my honor.
He has removed the crown from my head.
10 He beats me down on every side until I am gone.
He pulls up my hope as a tree is pulled up by its roots.
11 His anger burns against me.
And he treats me as one of his enemies.
12 His armies gather.
They prepare a way to attack me.
They camp around my tent.
13 “God has made my brothers my enemies.
My friends have become complete strangers.
14 My relatives have gone away.
My friends have forgotten me.
15 My guests and my women servants think of me as a stranger.
They look at me as if I were a foreigner.
16 I call for my servant, but he does not answer.
I even beg him with my own mouth.
17 My wife hates my breath.
My own family hates me.
18 Even the little boys hate me.
When I leave, they talk about me.
19 All my close friends hate me.
Even those I love have turned against me.
20 I am nothing but skin and bones.
I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.
21 Pity me, my friends. Pity me!
The hand of God has hit me.
22 Why do you chase me as God does?
Haven’t you had enough of hurting my body?
23 “How I wish my words were written down.
I wish they were written on a scroll.
24 I wish they were carved with an iron pen into lead,
or carved into stone forever!
25 I know that my Defender lives.
And in the end he will come to show that I am right.
26 Even after my skin has been destroyed,
in my flesh I will still see God.
27 I will see him myself.
I myself will see him with my own eyes.
How my heart wants that to happen!
28 “You may say, ‘We will continue to trouble Job.
The problem lies with him.’
29 But you should be afraid of the sword yourselves.
God’s anger will bring punishment by the sword.
Then you will know that there is judgment.”
Peter and Cornelius
10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius. He was an officer in the Italian group of the Roman army. 2 Cornelius was a religious man. He and all the other people who lived in his house worshiped the true God. He gave much of his money to the poor and prayed to God often. 3 One afternoon about three o’clock, Cornelius saw a vision clearly. In the vision an angel of God came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at the angel. He became afraid and said, “What do you want, Lord?”
The angel said, “God has heard your prayers. He has seen what you give to the poor. And God remembers you. 5 Send some men now to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon. Simon is also called Peter. 6 Simon is staying with a man, also named Simon, who is a leatherworker. He has a house beside the sea.” 7 Then the angel who spoke to Cornelius left. Cornelius called two of his servants and a soldier. The soldier was a religious man who worked for Cornelius. 8 Cornelius explained everything to these three men and sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day as they came near Joppa, Peter was going up to the roof[a] to pray. It was about noon. 10 Peter was hungry and wanted to eat. But while the food was being prepared, he had a vision. 11 He saw heaven opened and something coming down. It looked like a big sheet being lowered to earth by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. 13 Then a voice said to Peter, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “No, Lord! I have never eaten food that is unholy or unclean.”
15 But the voice said to him again, “God has made these things clean. Don’t call them ‘unholy’!” 16 This happened three times. Then the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering what this vision meant, the men Cornelius sent had found Simon’s house. They were standing at the gate. 18 They asked, “Is Simon Peter staying here?”
19 Peter was still thinking about the vision. But the Spirit said to him, “Listen! Three men are looking for you. 20 Get up and go downstairs. Go with them and don’t ask questions. I have sent them to you.”
21 So Peter went down to the men. He said, “I am the man you are looking for. Why did you come here?”
22 They said, “A holy angel spoke to Cornelius, an army officer. He is a good man; he worships God. All the Jewish people respect him. The angel told Cornelius to ask you to his house so that he can hear what you have to say.” 23 Peter asked the men to come in and spend the night.
The next day Peter got ready and went with them. Some of the brothers from Joppa joined him.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.