Job 25; Job 26; Job 27; Acts 12

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied,

2 "God is King. He should be feared. He establishes peace in the highest parts of heaven.

3 Can anyone count his troops? Is there anyone his light doesn't shine on?

4 How can human beings be right with God? How can mere people really be pure?

5 Even the moon isn't bright and the stars aren't pure in God's eyes.

6 So how about human beings? They are like maggots. How about mere people? They are like worms."

1 Job replied,

2 "Bildad, you haven't helped people who aren't strong! You haven't saved people who are weak!

3 You haven't offered advice to those who aren't wise! In fact, you haven't understood anything at all!

4 Who helped you say those things? Whose spirit was speaking through you?

5 "The spirits of the dead are suffering greatly. So are those that are under the waters. And so are all those that live in them.

6 Death is naked in the sight of God. The Grave lies open in front of him.

7 He spreads out the northern skies over empty space. He hangs the earth over nothing.

8 He wraps up water in his clouds. They are heavy, but they don't burst.

9 He covers the face of the full moon. He spreads his clouds over it.

10 He marks out the place where the sky meets the sea. He marks out the boundary between light and darkness.

11 The pillars of the heavens shake. They are terrified when his anger blazes out.

12 With his power he stirred up the oceans. In his wisdom he cut the sea monster Rahab to pieces.

13 His breath made the skies bright and clear. His hand wounded the serpent that glides through the sea.

14 Those are only on the edges of what he does. They are only the soft whispers that we hear from him. So who can understand how very powerful he is?"

1 Job continued to speak. He said,

2 "God hasn't treated me fairly. The Mighty One has made my spirit bitter. You can be sure that God lives. And here's something else you can be sure of.

3 As long as I have life and God gives me breath,

4 my mouth won't say evil things. My lips won't tell lies.

5 I'll never admit you people are right. Until I die, I'll say I'm telling the truth.

6 I'll continue to say I'm right. I'll never let go of that. I won't blame myself as long as I live.

7 "May my enemies suffer like sinful people! May my attackers be punished like those who aren't fair!

8 What hope do ungodly people have when their lives are cut off? What hope do they have when God takes away their lives?

9 God won't listen to their cry when trouble comes on them.

10 They won't take delight in the Mighty One. They'll never call out to God.

11 "I'll teach all of you about God's power. I won't hide the things the Mighty One does.

12 You have seen those things yourselves. So why do you continue your useless talk?

13 "Here's what God does to sinful people. Here's what those who are mean receive from the Mighty One.

14 All of their children will be killed with swords. They'll never have enough to eat.

15 A plague will kill those who are left alive. The widows of sinful men won't even sob over their own children.

16 Sinners might store up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay.

17 But people who do what is right will wear those clothes. People who haven't done anything wrong will divide up that silver.

18 The house an evil person builds is like a moth's cocoon. It's like a hut that's made by someone on guard duty.

19 Sinful people lie down wealthy, but their wealth is taken away. When they open their eyes, everything is gone.

20 Terrors sweep over them like a flood. A storm takes them away during the night.

21 The east wind carries them off, and they are gone. It sweeps them out of their houses.

22 It blows against them without mercy. They try to escape from its power.

23 It claps its hands and makes fun of them. It hisses them out of their houses.

1 About this time, King Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church. He planned to make them suffer greatly.

2 He had James killed with a sword. James was John's brother.

3 Herod saw that the death of James pleased the Jews. So he arrested Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

4 After Herod arrested Peter, he put him in prison. Peter was placed under guard. He was watched by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put Peter on public trial. It would take place after the Passover Feast.

5 So Peter was kept in prison. But the church prayed hard to God for him.

6 It was the night before Herod was going to bring him to trial. Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. Two chains held him there. Lookouts stood guard at the entrance.

7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared. A light shone in the prison cell. The angel struck Peter on his side. Peter woke up. "Quick!" the angel said. "Get up!" The chains fell off Peter's wrists.

8 Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." Peter did so. "Put on your coat," the angel told him. "Follow me."

9 Peter followed him out of the prison. But he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision.

10 They passed the first and second guards. Then they came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself. They went through it. They walked the length of one street. Suddenly the angel left Peter.

11 Then Peter realized what had happened. He said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel. He set me free from Herod's power. He saved me from everything the Jewish people were hoping for."

12 When Peter understood what had happened, he went to Mary's house. Mary was the mother of John Mark. Many people had gathered in her home. They were praying there.

13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance. A servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.

14 She recognized Peter's voice. She was so excited that she ran back without opening the door. "Peter is at the door!" she exclaimed.

15 "You're out of your mind," they said to her. But she kept telling them it was true. So they said, "It must be his angel."

16 Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.

17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet. He explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the others about this," he said. Then he went to another place.

18 In the morning the soldiers were bewildered. They couldn't figure out what had happened to Peter.

19 So Herod had them look everywhere for Peter. But they didn't find him. Then Herod questioned the guards closely. He ordered that they be put to death. Herod went from Judea to Caesarea. He stayed there awhile.

20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they got together and asked for a meeting with him. This was because they depended on the king's country to supply them with food. They gained the support of Blastus and asked for peace. Blastus was a trusted personal servant of the king.

21 The appointed day came. Herod was seated on his throne. He was wearing his royal robes. He made a speech to the people.

22 Then they shouted, "This is the voice of a god. It's not the voice of a man."

23 Right away an angel of the Lord struck Herod down. Herod had not given praise to God. So he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But God's word continued to increase and spread.

25 Barnabas and Saul finished their task. Then they returned from Jerusalem. They took John Mark with them.