Job 20–21; Acts 10:24–48

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Job 20–21

Zophar Speaks: The Wicked Will Suffer

Then cZophar the Naamathite answered and said:

Therefore my dthoughts answer me,

because of my haste within me.

I hear censure that insults me,

and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.

Do you not know this from of old,

esince man was placed on earth,

fthat the exulting of the wicked is short,

and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

gThough his height mount up to the heavens,

and his head reach to the clouds,

he will perish forever like his own hdung;

those who have seen him will say, iWhere is he?

He will fly away like ja dream and not be found;

he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

kThe eye that saw him will see him no more,

nor will his place any more behold him.

10  His children will seek the favor of the poor,

and his hands will lgive back his wealth.

11  His bones are full of his myouthful vigor,

but it will lie ndown with him in the dust.

12  Though evil is sweet in his mouth,

though he hides it ounder his tongue,

13  though he is loath to let it go

and holds it in his mouth,

14  yet his food is turned in his stomach;

it is the venom of pcobras within him.

15  He swallows down riches and vomits them up again;

God casts them out of his belly.

16  He will suck the poison of cobras;

qthe tongue of a viper will kill him.

17  He will not look upon rthe rivers,

the streams flowing with shoney and tcurds.

18  He will ugive back the fruit of his toil

and will not vswallow it down;

from the profit of his trading

he will get no enjoyment.

19  For he has crushed and abandoned the poor;

he has seized a house that he did not build.

20  Because he wknew no xcontentment in his belly,

yhe will not let anything in which he delights escape him.

21  There was nothing left after he had eaten;

therefore his prosperity will not endure.

22  In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress;

the hand of everyone in misery will come against him.

23  To fill his belly to the full,

God1 will send his burning anger against him

and rain it upon him zinto his body.

24  aHe will flee from an iron weapon;

ba bronze arrow will strike chim through.

25  It dis drawn forth and comes out of his body;

ethe glittering point comes out of his fgallbladder;

gterrors come upon him.

26  Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures;

ha fire not fanned will devour him;

what is left in his tent will be consumed.

27  iThe heavens will reveal his iniquity,

and the earth will rise up against him.

28  The possessions of his house will be carried away,

dragged off in the day of God’s2 wrath.

29  jThis is the wicked man’s portion from God,

jthe heritage decreed for him by God.

Job Replies: The Wicked Do Prosper

Then Job answered and said:

kKeep listening to my words,

and let this be your comfort.

Bear with me, and I will speak,

and after I have spoken, lmock on.

As for me, is my mcomplaint against man?

Why should I not be impatient?

Look at me and be appalled,

and nlay your hand over your mouth.

When I remember, I am dismayed,

and shuddering seizes my flesh.

oWhy do the wicked live,

reach old age, and grow mighty in power?

Their poffspring are established in their presence,

and their descendants before their eyes.

Their houses are qsafe from fear,

and rno rod of God is upon them.

10  Their bull breeds without fail;

their cow calves and sdoes not miscarry.

11  They send out their tlittle boys like a flock,

and their children dance.

12  They sing to uthe tambourine and vthe lyre

and rejoice to the sound of vthe pipe.

13  They wspend their days in prosperity,

and in xpeace they go down to ySheol.

14  They say to God, zDepart from us!

We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.

15  aWhat is the Almighty, that we should serve him?

And what bprofit do we get if we pray to him?

16  Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?

cThe counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17  How often is it that dthe lamp of the wicked is put out?

That their calamity comes upon them?

That God3 distributes pains in his anger?

18  That they are like estraw before the wind,

and like fchaff that the storm carries away?

19  You say, God gstores up their iniquity for their hchildren.

Let him pay it out to them, that they may iknow it.

20  Let their own eyes see their destruction,

and let them jdrink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21  For what do they care for their houses after them,

when kthe number of their months is cut off?

22  lWill any teach God knowledge,

seeing that he mjudges those who are on high?

23  One dies in his full vigor,

being wholly at ease and secure,

24  his pails4 full of milk

and nthe marrow of his bones moist.

25  Another dies in obitterness of soul,

never having tasted of prosperity.

26  They plie down alike in the dust,

and qthe worms cover them.

27  Behold, I know your thoughts

and your schemes to wrong me.

28  For you say, rWhere is the house of the prince?

Where is sthe tent in which the wicked lived?

29  Have you not asked those who travel the roads,

and do you not accept their testimony

30  that tthe evil man is spared in the day of calamity,

that he is rescued in the day of wrath?

31  Who declares his way uto his face,

and who vrepays him for what he has done?

32  When he is wcarried to the grave,

watch is kept over his tomb.

33  xThe clods of the valley are sweet to him;

yall mankind follows after him,

and those who go before him are innumerable.

34  How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?

There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.


Acts 10:24–48

24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and wfell down at his feet and xworshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, yStand up; I too am a man. 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew zto associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but aGod has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.

30 And Cornelius said, bFour days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at cthe ninth hour,1 and behold, da man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, Cornelius, eyour prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.

Gentiles Hear the Good News

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: Truly I understand that fGod gshows no partiality, 35 but fin every nation anyone who fears him and hdoes what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for ithe word that he sent to Israel, jpreaching good news of kpeace through Jesus Christ (lhe is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, mbeginning nfrom Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how oGod anointed Jesus of Nazareth pwith the Holy Spirit and with qpower. He went about doing good and healing all rwho were oppressed by the devil, sfor God was with him. 39 And twe are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. uThey put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but vGod raised him on wthe third day and made him to xappear, 41 ynot to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as zwitnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And ahe commanded us to preach to the people and to testify bthat he is the one appointed by God to be judge cof the living and the dead. 43 dTo him eall the prophets bear witness that feveryone who believes in him receives gforgiveness of sins hthrough his name.

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

44 While Peter was still saying these things, ithe Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among jthe circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because kthe gift of the Holy Spirit lwas poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them mspeaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 nCan anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit ojust as we have? 48 And he pcommanded them qto be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.