¹⁸ He keepeth back his soul from the pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.

²² He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword.

²² Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit, And his life to the destroyers.

²⁴ Then `God' is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.

²⁸ He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit, And my life shall behold the light.

³⁰ To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

²⁷ And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸ But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

²⁹ And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas,

³⁰ and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

³¹ And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.

³² And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house.

³³ And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately.

⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

¹⁵ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you;