Job 3; Job 4; Acts 7:44-60

1 After a while, Job opened his mouth to speak. He called down a curse on the day he had been born.

2 He said,

3 "May the day I was born be wiped out. May the night be wiped away when people said, 'A boy is born!'

4 May that day turn into darkness. May God in heaven not care about it. May no light shine on it.

5 May darkness and deep shadow take it back. May a cloud settle over it. May blackness cover up its light.

6 May deep darkness take over the night I was born. May it not be included among the days of the year. May it never appear in any of the months.

7 May no children ever have been born on that night. May no shout of joy be heard in it.

8 May people call down a curse on that day. May those who are ready to wake up the sea monster Leviathan curse that day.

9 May its morning stars become dark. May it lose all hope of ever seeing daylight. May it not see the first light of the morning sun.

10 It didn't keep my mother from letting me be born. It didn't keep my eyes from seeing trouble.

11 "Why didn't I die when I was born? Why didn't I die as I came out of my mother's body?

12 Why was I placed on her knees? Why did her breasts give me milk?

13 If all of that hadn't happened, I would be lying down in peace. I'd be asleep and at rest in the grave.

14 I'd be with the earth's kings and advisers. They had built for themselves places that are now destroyed.

15 I'd be with rulers who used to have gold. They had filled their houses with silver.

16 Why wasn't I buried like a baby who was born dead? Why wasn't I buried like a child who never saw the light of day?

17 In the grave, sinful people don't cause trouble anymore. And there those who are tired find rest.

18 Prisoners also enjoy peace there. They don't hear a slave driver shouting at them anymore.

19 The least important and most important people are there. And there the slaves are set free from their owners.

20 "Why is the light that leads to life given to those who suffer? Why is it given to those whose spirits are bitter?

21 Why is life given to those who long for death that doesn't come? Why is it given to those who would rather search for death than for hidden treasure?

22 Why is life given to those who are actually happy and glad when they reach the grave?

23 Why is life given to a man like me? God hasn't told me what will happen to me. He has surrounded me with nothing but trouble.

24 I sigh instead of eating food. Groans pour out of me like water.

25 What I was afraid of has come on me. What I worried about has happened to me.

26 I don't have any peace and quiet. I can't find any rest. All I have is trouble."

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied,

2 "Job, suppose someone tries to talk to you. Will that make you uneasy? I can't keep from speaking up.

3 Look, you taught many people. You made weak hands strong.

4 Your words helped those who had fallen down. You made shaky knees strong.

5 Now trouble comes to you. And you are unhappy about it. It strikes you down. And you are afraid.

6 Shouldn't you worship God and trust in him? Shouldn't your honest life give you hope?

7 "Here's something to think about. Have blameless people ever been wiped out? Have honest people ever been completely destroyed?

8 Here's what I've observed. People gather a crop from what they plant. If they plant evil and trouble, that's what they will harvest.

9 The breath of God destroys them. The blast of his anger wipes them out.

10 Powerful lions might roar and growl. But their teeth are broken.

11 Lions die because they don't have any food. Then their cubs are scattered.

12 "A message came to me in secret. It was as quiet as a whisper.

13 I had a scary dream one night. I was sound asleep.

14 Fear and trembling grabbed hold of me. That made every bone in my body shake.

15 A spirit glided past my face. The hair on my body stood on end.

16 Then the spirit stopped. But I couldn't tell what it was. Something stood there in front of me. I heard a soft voice.

17 It said, 'Can a human being be more right than God? Can a mere man be more pure than the One who made him?

18 God doesn't trust those who serve him. He even brings charges against his angels.

19 So he'll certainly find fault with human beings. After all, they are made out of dust. They can be crushed more easily than a moth.

20 Between sunrise and sunset they are broken to pieces. Nobody even notices. They disappear forever.

21 Like a tent that falls down, they get weak. They die because they didn't follow God's wisdom.' "

44 "Long ago our people had with them in the desert the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. Moses had made the holy tent as God had commanded him. It was made like the pattern he had seen.

45 Our people received the tent from God. They brought it with them when they took the land of Canaan. God drove out the nations that were in their way. At that time Joshua was Israel's leader. "The tent remained in the land until David's time.

46 David was blessed by God. So David asked if he could build a house for the God of Jacob.

47 Instead, it was Solomon who built it for him.

48 "But the Most High God does not live in houses made by human hands. As God says through the prophet,

49 " 'Heaven is my throne. The earth is under my control. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Where will my resting place be?

50 Didn't my hand make all these things?' (Isaiah 66:1,2)

51 "You people! You won't obey! You are stubborn! You won't listen! You are just like your people of long ago! You always oppose the Holy Spirit!

52 Was there ever a prophet your people didn't try to hurt? They even killed those who told about the coming of the Blameless One. And now you have handed him over to his enemies. You have murdered him.

53 The law you received was brought by angels. But you haven't obeyed it."

54 When the Sanhedrin heard this, they became very angry. They ground their teeth at Stephen.

55 But he was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up to heaven and saw God's glory. He saw Jesus standing at God's right hand.

56 "Look!" he said. "I see heaven open. The Son of Man is standing at God's right hand."

57 When the Sanhedrin heard this, they covered their ears. They yelled at the top of their voices. They all rushed at him.

58 They dragged him out of the city. They began to throw stones at him to kill him. The witnesses took off their coats. They placed them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While the members of the Sanhedrin were throwing stones at Stephen, he prayed. "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," he said.

60 Then he fell on his knees. He cried out, "Lord! Don't hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he died.