Job 3, Acts 24 - ESV Online

JOB 3

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Job Laments His Birth

3:1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job said:
3

“Let the day perish on which I was born,

and the night that said,

‘A man is conceived.’ 4

Let that day be darkness!

May God above not seek it,

nor light shine upon it. 5

Let gloom and deep darkness claim it.

Let clouds dwell upon it;

let the blackness of the day terrify it. 6

That night—let thick darkness seize it!

Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;

let it not come into the number of the months. 7

Behold, let that night be barren;

let no joyful cry enter it. 8

Let those curse it who curse the day,

who are ready to rouse up Leviathan. 9

Let the stars of its dawn be dark;

let it hope for light, but have none,

nor see the eyelids of the morning, 10

because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,

nor hide trouble from my eyes.
11

“Why did I not die at birth,

come out from the womb and expire? 12

Why did the knees receive me?

Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? 13

For then I would have lain down and been quiet;

I would have slept; then I would have been at rest, 14

with kings and counselors of the earth

who rebuilt ruins for themselves, 15

or with princes who had gold,

who filled their houses with silver. 16

Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child,

as infants who never see the light? 17

There the wicked cease from troubling,

and there the weary are at rest. 18

There the prisoners are at ease together;

they hear not the voice of the taskmaster. 19

The small and the great are there,

and the slave is free from his master.
20

“Why is light given to him who is in misery,

and life to the bitter in soul, 21

who long for death, but it comes not,

and dig for it more than for hidden treasures, 22

who rejoice exceedingly

and are glad when they find the grave? 23

Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,

whom God has hedged in? 24

For my sighing comes instead of my bread,

and my groanings are poured out like water. 25

For the thing that I fear comes upon me,

and what I dread befalls me. 26

I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;

I have no rest, but trouble comes.”

ACTS 24

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Paul Before Felix at Caesarea

  24:1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:
    “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”
    9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.
    10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:
    “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’” Paul Kept in Custody

22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.
24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.