Job 41; Job 42; Acts 16:22-40

1 "Job, can you pull the leviathan out of the sea with a fish hook? Can you tie down its tongue with a rope?

2 Can you put a rope through its nose? Can you stick a hook through its jaw?

3 Will it keep begging you for mercy? Will it speak gently to you?

4 Will it make an agreement with you? Can you make it your slave for life?

5 Can you make a pet out of it like a bird? Can you put it on a leash for your young women?

6 Will traders offer you something for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants?

7 Can you fill its body with harpoons? Can you throw fishing spears into its head?

8 If you touch it, it will fight you. Then you will remember never to touch it again!

9 No one can possibly control the leviathan. Just looking at it will terrify you.

10 No one dares to wake it up. So who can possibly stand up to me?

11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything on earth belongs to me.

12 "Now I will speak about the leviathan's legs. I will talk about its strength and its graceful body.

13 Who can strip off its outer coat? Who would try to put a bridle on it?

14 Who dares to open its jaws? Its mouth is filled with terrifying teeth.

15 Its back has rows of shields that are close together.

16 Each one is so close to the next one that not even air can pass between them.

17 They are joined tightly to one another. They stick together and can't be forced apart.

18 The leviathan's snorting throws out flashes of light. Its eyes shine like the first light of day.

19 Fire seems to spray out of its mouth. Sparks of fire shoot out.

20 Smoke pours out of its nose. It is like smoke from a boiling pot over burning grass.

21 Its breath sets coals on fire. Flames fly out of its mouth.

22 Its neck is very strong. People run to get out of its way.

23 Its rolls of fat are close together. They are firm and can't be moved.

24 Its chest is as hard as rock. It is as hard as a lower millstone.

25 When the leviathan rises up, even mighty people are terrified. They run away when it moves around wildly.

26 A sword that strikes it has no effect. Neither does a spear or dart or javelin.

27 It treats iron as if it were straw. It crushes bronze as if it were rotten wood.

28 Arrows do not make it run away. Stones that are thrown from slings are like straw hitting it.

29 A club seems like a piece of straw to it. It laughs when it hears a javelin rattling.

30 Its undersides are like broken pieces of pottery. It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing sled.

31 It makes the ocean churn like a boiling pot. It stirs up the sea like perfume someone is making.

32 It leaves a shiny trail behind it. You would think the ocean had white hair.

33 Nothing on earth is equal to the leviathan. That creature is not afraid of anything.

34 It looks down on proud people. It rules over all those who are proud."

1 Job replied to the Lord,

2 "I know that you can do anything. No one can keep you from doing what you plan to do.

3 You asked me, 'Who do you think you are to disagree with my plans? You do not know what you are talking about.' I spoke about things I didn't completely understand. I talked about things that were too wonderful for me to know.

4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak. I will ask you some questions. Then I want you to answer me.'

5 My ears had heard about you. But now my own eyes have seen you.

6 So I hate myself. I'm really sorry for what I said about you. That's why I'm sitting in dust and ashes."

7 After the LORD finished speaking to Job, he spoke to Eliphaz the Temanite. He said, "I am angry with you and your two friends. You have not said what is true about me, as my servant Job has.

8 "So now get seven bulls and seven rams. Go to my servant Job. Then sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you. And I will accept his prayer. I will not punish you for saying the foolish things you said. You have not said what is true about me, as my servant Job has."

9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them to do. And the LORD accepted Job's prayer.

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him successful again. He gave him twice as much as he had before.

11 All of his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came to see him. They ate with him in his house. They showed their concern for him. They comforted him because of all of the troubles the LORD had brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.

12 The LORD blessed the last part of Job's life even more than the first part. He gave Job 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels. He gave him 1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 donkeys.

13 Job also had seven sons and three daughters.

14 He named the first daughter Jemimah. He named the second Keziah. And he named the third Keren-Happuch.

15 Job's daughters were more beautiful than any other women in the whole land. Their father gave them a share of property along with their brothers.

16 After all of that happened, Job lived for 140 years. He saw his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren.

17 And so he died. He had lived for a very long time.

22 The crowd joined the attack against Paul and Silas. The judges ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and beaten.

23 They were whipped without mercy. Then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.

24 When he received his orders, he put Paul and Silas deep inside the prison. He fastened their feet so they couldn't get away.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing hymns to God. The other prisoners were listening to them.

26 Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake. It shook the prison from top to bottom. All at once the prison doors flew open. Everybody's chains came loose.

27 The jailer woke up. He saw that the prison doors were open. He pulled out his sword and was going to kill himself. He thought the prisoners had escaped.

28 "Don't harm yourself!" Paul shouted. "We are all here!"

29 The jailer called out for some lights. He rushed in, shaking with fear. He fell down in front of Paul and Silas.

30 Then he brought them out. He asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus. Then you and your family will be saved."

32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him. They also spoke to all the others in his house.

33 At that hour of the night, the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Right away he and his whole family were baptized.

34 The jailer brought them into his house. He set a meal in front of them. He and his whole family were filled with joy. They had become believers in God.

35 Early in the morning the judges sent their officers to the jailer. They ordered him, "Let those men go."

36 The jailer told Paul, "The judges have ordered me to set you and Silas free. You can leave now. Go in peace."

37 But Paul replied to the officers. "They beat us in public," he said. "We weren't given a trial. And we are Roman citizens! They threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and personally lead us out."

38 The officers reported this to the judges. When the judges heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they became afraid.

39 So they came and said they were sorry. They led them out of the prison. Then they asked them to leave the city.

40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house. There they met with the believers. They told them to be brave. Then they left.