Key Players and Main Narratives

10. Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11. Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of Yahweh which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12. Yahweh will cut off, to the man who does this, him who wakes and him who answers, out of the tents of Jacob, and him who offers an offering to Yahweh of Armies. 13. This again you do: you cover Yahweh’s altar with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, because he doesn’t regard the offering any more, neither receives it with good will at your hand. 14. Yet you say, ‘Why?’ Because Yahweh has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion, and the wife of your covenant. 15. Did he not make you one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? Why one? He sought godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16. One who hates and divorces”, says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “covers his garment with violence!” says Yahweh of Armies. “Therefore pay attention to your spirit, that you don’t be unfaithful. 17. You have wearied Yahweh with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ In that you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in Yahweh’s sight, and he delights in them;’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’

3

1. “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of Armies. 2. “But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap; 3. and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness. 4. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Yahweh, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. 5. I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says Yahweh of Armies. 6. “For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. 7. From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of Armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8. Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. 9. You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. 10. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for. 11. I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says Yahweh of Armies. 12. “All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says Yahweh of Armies. 13. “Your words have been stout against me,” says Yahweh. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’ 14. You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God;’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies? 15. Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.’ 16. Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name. 17. They shall be mine,” says Yahweh of Armies, “my own possession in the day that I make, and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. 18. Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.

4

1. “For, behold, the day comes, it burns as a furnace; and all the proud, and all who work wickedness, will be stubble; and the day that comes will burn them up,” says Yahweh of Armies, “that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2. But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out, and leap like calves of the stall. 3. You shall tread down the wicked; for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make,” says Yahweh of Armies. 4. “Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances. 5. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes. 6. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

1. When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta. 2. The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire and received us all, because of the present rain and because of the cold. 3. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.” 5. However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed. 6. But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. 7. Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days. 8. The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. 9. Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came and were cured. 10. They also honored us with many honors, and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed. 11. After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was “The Twin Brothers.” 12. Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. 13. From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli, 14. where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome. 15. From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. 16. When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him. 17. After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18. who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me. 19. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation. 20. For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” 21. They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you. 22. But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” 23. When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. 24. Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25. When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26. saying, ‘Go to this people and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive. 27. For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, then I would heal them.’ 28. “Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.” 29. When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. 30. Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him, 31. preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

23. For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing. 24. “If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’ 25. If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much; 26. if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor, 27. and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, 28. this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have denied the God who is above. 29. “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him 30. (yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse); 31. if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’ 32. (the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler); 33. if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart, 34. because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door— 35. oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment! 36. Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; and I would bind it to me as a crown. 37. I would declare to him the number of my steps. as a prince would I go near to him. 38. If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together; 39. if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life, 40. let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.