Job 38; Job 39; Job 40; Acts 16:1-21

Job 38

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:

2 Who is this that wrappeth up sentences in unskilful words?

3 Gird up thy loins like a man: I will ask thee, and answer thou me.

4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? tell me if thou hast understanding.

5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6 Upon what are its bases grounded? or who laid the corner stone thereof,

7 When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody?

8 Who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as issuing out of the womb:

9 When I made a cloud the garment thereof, and wrapped it in a mist as in swaddling bands?

10 I set my bounds around it, and made it bars and doors:

11 And I said: Hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt go no further, and here thou shalt break thy swelling waves.

12 Didst thou since thy birth command the morning, and shew the dawning of the day its place?

13 And didst thou hold the extremities of the earth shaking them, and hast thou shaken the ungodly out of it?

14 The seal shall be restored as clay, and shall stand as a garment.

15 From the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the high arm shall be broken.

16 Hast thou entered into the depths of the sea, and walked in the lowest parts of the deep?

17 Have the gates of death been opened to thee, and hast thou seen the darksome doors?

18 Hast thou considered the breadth of the earth? tell me, if thou knowest all things?

19 Where is the way where light dwelleth, and where is the place of darkness?

20 That thou mayst bring every thing to its own bounds, and understand the paths of the house thereof.

21 Didst thou know then that thou shouldst be born? and didst thou know the number of thy days?

22 Hast thou entered into the storehouses of the snow, or hast thou beheld the treasures of the hail:

23 Which I have prepared for the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war?

24 By what way is the light spread, and heat divided upon the earth?

25 Who gave a course to violent showers, or a way for noisy thunder:

26 That it should rain on the earth without man in the wilderness, where no mortal dwelleth:

27 That it should fill the desert and desolate land, and should bring forth green grass?

28 Who is the father of rain? or who begot the drops of dew?

29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the frost from heaven who hath gendered it?

30 The waters are hardened like a stone, and the surface of the deep is congealed.

31 Shalt thou be able to join together the shining stars the Pleiades, or canst thou stop the turning about of Arcturus?

32 Canst thou bring forth the day star in its time, and make the evening star to rise upon the children of the earth?

33 Dost thou know the order of heaven, and canst thou set down the reason thereof on the earth?

34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that an abundance of waters may cover thee?

35 Canst thou send lightnings, and will they go, and will they return and say to thee: Here we are?

36 Who hath put wisdom in the heart of man? or who gave the cock understanding?

37 Who can declare the order of the heavens, or who can make the harmony of heaven to sleep?

38 When was the dust poured on the earth, and the clods fastened together?

39 Wilt thou take the prey for the lioness, and satisfy the appetite of her whelps,

40 When they couch in the dens and lie in wait in holes?

41 Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat?

Job 39

1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?

2 Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

3 They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.

4 Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.

5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?

6 To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.

7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.

8 He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing,

9 Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?

10 Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?

11 Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?

12 Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?

13 The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.

14 When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.

15 She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.

17 For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.

18 When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.

19 Wilt thou give strength to the horse or clothe his neck with neighing?

20 Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.

21 He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.

22 He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword.

23 Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.

24 Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.

25 When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.

26 Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?

27 Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?

28 She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.

29 From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

30 Her young ones shall suck up blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.

Job 40

1 (39-31) And the Lord went on, and said to Job:

2 (39-32) Shall he that contendeth with God be so easily silenced? surely he that reproveth God, ought to answer him.

3 (39-33) Then Job answered the Lord, and said:

4 (39-34) What can I answer, who hath spoken inconsiderately? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.

5 (39-35) One thing I have spoken, which I wish I had not said: and another, to which I will add no more.

6 (40-1) And the Lord answering Job out of the whirlwind, said:

7 (40-2) Gird up thy loins like a man: I will ask thee, and do thou tell me.

8 (40-3) Wilt thou make void my judgment: and condemn me, that thou mayst be justified?

9 (40-4) And hast thou an arm like God, and canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

10 (40-5) Clothe thyself with beauty, and set thyself up on high, and be glorious, and put on goodly garments.

11 (40-6) Scatter the proud in thy indignation, and behold every arrogant man, and humble him.

12 (40-7) Look on all that are proud, and confound them, and crush the wicked in their place,

13 (40-8) Hide them in the dust together, and plunge their faces into the pit.

14 (40-9) Then I will confess that thy right hand is able to save thee.

15 (40-10) Behold behemoth whom I made with thee, he eateth grass like an ox.

16 (40-11) His strength is in his loins, and his force in the navel of his belly.

17 (40-12) He setteth up his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his testicles are wrapped together.

18 (40-13) His bones are like pipes of brass, his gristle like plates of iron.

19 (40-14) He is the beginning of the ways of God, who made him, he will apply his sword.

20 (40-15) To him the mountains bring forth grass: there all the beasts of the field shall play.

21 (40-16) He sleepeth under the shadow, in the covert of the reed, and in moist places.

22 (40-17) The shades cover his shadow, the willows of the brook shall compass him about.

23 (40-18) Behold, he will drink up a river, and not wonder: and he trusteth that the Jordan may run into his mouth.

24 (40-19) In his eyes as with a hook he shall take him, and bore through his nostrils with stakes.

Acts 16:1-21

1 And he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, there was a certain disciple there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman that believed: but his father was a Gentile.

2 To this man the brethren that were in Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony.

3 Him Paul would have to go along with him: and taking him, he circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those places. For they all knew that his father was a Gentile.

4 And as they passed through the cities, they delivered unto them the decrees for to keep, that were decreed by the apostles and ancients who were at Jerusalem.

5 And the churches were confirmed in faith and increased in number daily.

6 And when they had passed through Phrygia and the country of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.

7 And when they were come into Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia: and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not.

8 And when they had passed through Mysia, they went down to Troas.

9 And a vision was shewed to Paul in the night, which was a man of Macedonia standing and beseeching him and saying: Pass over into Macedonia and help us.

10 And as soon as he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia: being assured that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

11 And sailing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the day following to Neapolis.

12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were in this city some days conferring together.

13 And upon the Sabbath day, we went forth without the gate by a river side, where it seemed that there was prayer: and sitting down, we spoke to the women that were assembled.

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.

15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us.

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl having a pythonical spirit met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining.

17 This same following Paul and us, cried out, saying: These men are the servants of the Most High God, who preach unto you the way of salvation.

18 And this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned and said to the spirit: I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go from her. And he went out the same hour.

19 But her masters, seeing that the hope of their gain was gone, apprehending Paul and Silas, brought them into the market place to the rulers.

20 And presenting them to the magistrates, they said: These men disturb our city, being Jews:

21 And preach a fashion which it is not lawful for us to receive nor observe, being Romans.