Greeting

Paul, (A)an apostle of Christ Jesus (B)by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and (C)are faithful[a] in Christ Jesus:

(D)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

(E)Blessed be (F)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (G)in the heavenly places, (H)even as he (I)chose us in him (J)before the foundation of the world, that we should be (K)holy and blameless before him. In love (L)he predestined us[b] for (M)adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, (N)according to the purpose of his will, (O)to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in (P)the Beloved. (Q)In him we have (R)redemption (S)through his blood, (T)the forgiveness of our trespasses, (U)according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight (V)making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, (W)according to his purpose, which he (X)set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for (Y)the fullness of time, (Z)to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we have obtained (AA)an inheritance, (AB)having been predestined (AC)according to the purpose of him who works all things according to (AD)the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be (AE)to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard (AF)the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, (AG)were sealed with the (AH)promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is (AI)the guarantee[d] of our (AJ)inheritance until (AK)we acquire (AL)possession of it,[e] (AM)to the praise of his glory.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, (AN)because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love[f] toward all the saints, 16 I (AO)do not cease to give thanks for you, (AP)remembering you in my prayers, 17 that (AQ)the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, (AR)may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 (AS)having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is (AT)the hope to which he has called you, what are (AU)the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, (AV)according to the working of (AW)his great might 20 that he worked in Christ (AX)when he raised him from the dead and (AY)seated him at his right hand (AZ)in the heavenly places, 21 (BA)far above (BB)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above (BC)every name that is named, not only in (BD)this age but also in the one to come. 22 And (BE)he put all things under his feet and gave him as (BF)head over all things to the church, 23 (BG)which is his body, (BH)the fullness of him (BI)who fills (BJ)all in all.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:1 Some manuscripts saints who are also faithful (omitting in Ephesus)
  2. Ephesians 1:5 Or before him in love, 5having predestined us
  3. Ephesians 1:9 Or he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known…
  4. Ephesians 1:14 Or down payment
  5. Ephesians 1:14 Or until God redeems his possession
  6. Ephesians 1:15 Some manuscripts omit your love

Praise the Name of the Lord

148 (A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord (B)from the heavens;
    praise him (C)in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his (D)hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you (E)highest heavens,
    and you (F)waters above the heavens!

(G)Let them praise the name of the Lord!
    For (H)he commanded and they were created.
And he (I)established them forever and ever;
    he gave (J)a decree, and it shall not (K)pass away.[a]

Praise the Lord (L)from the earth,
    you (M)great sea creatures and all deeps,
(N)fire and hail, (O)snow and mist,
    (P)stormy wind (Q)fulfilling his word!

(R)Mountains and all hills,
    (S)fruit trees and all (T)cedars!
10 (U)Beasts and all livestock,
    creeping things and (V)flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and (W)all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
    old men and children!

13 (X)Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for (Y)his name alone is exalted;
    (Z)his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has (AA)raised up a horn for his people,
    (AB)praise for all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are (AC)near to him.
(AD)Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:6 Or it shall not be transgressed

Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity

27 And Job again (A)took up his discourse, and said:

“As God lives, who has (B)taken away my right,
    and the Almighty, who has (C)made my soul bitter,
as long as my breath is in me,
    and (D)the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
my lips will not speak (E)falsehood,
    and my tongue will not utter (F)deceit.
Far be it from me to say that you are right;
    till I die I will not put away my (G)integrity from me.
I (H)hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
    my heart does not (I)reproach me for any of my days.

“Let my enemy be as the wicked,
    and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
(J)For what is the hope of the godless (K)when God cuts him off,
    when God takes away his life?
(L)Will God hear his cry
    when distress comes upon him?
10 Will he (M)take delight in the Almighty?
    Will he call upon God at all times?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
    (N)what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;
    why then have you become altogether vain?

13 (O)“This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
    and the heritage that (P)oppressors receive from the Almighty:
14 If his (Q)children are multiplied, it is for (R)the sword,
    and his descendants have not enough bread.
15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
    and his (S)widows do not weep.
16 Though he (T)heap up silver like dust,
    and pile up clothing like clay,
17 he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
    and (U)the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his (V)house like a moth's,
    like (W)a booth that (X)a watchman makes.
19 He goes to bed rich, but will (Y)do so no more;
    he opens his eyes, and (Z)his wealth is gone.
20 (AA)Terrors overtake him like (AB)a flood;
    in the night a whirlwind (AC)carries him off.
21 (AD)The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
    it (AE)sweeps him out of his place.
22 It[a] hurls at him (AF)without pity;
    he flees from its[b] power in headlong flight.
23 It (AG)claps its hands at him
    and (AH)hisses at him from its place.

Job Continues: Where Is Wisdom?

28 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
    and a place for gold that they (AI)refine.
Iron is taken out of the earth,
    and copper is smelted from the ore.
Man puts an end to darkness
    and searches out to the farthest limit
    the ore in (AJ)gloom and (AK)deep darkness.
He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;
    they are forgotten by travelers;
    they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.
As for the earth, (AL)out of it comes bread,
    but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
Its stones are the place of (AM)sapphires,[c]
    and it has dust of gold.

“That path no bird of prey knows,
    and the falcon's eye has not seen it.
(AN)The proud beasts have not trodden it;
    (AO)the lion has not passed over it.

“Man puts his hand to (AP)the flinty rock
    and overturns mountains by the roots.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
    and his eye sees every precious thing.
11 He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,
    and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

12 (AQ)“But where shall wisdom be found?
    And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know its worth,
    and it is not found in (AR)the land of the living.
14 (AS)The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
    and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It (AT)cannot be bought for gold,
    and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in (AU)the gold of (AV)Ophir,
    in precious (AW)onyx or (AX)sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
    nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of (AY)coral or of crystal;
    the price of wisdom is above (AZ)(BA)pearls.
19 (BB)The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
    nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20 “From where, then, does wisdom come?
    And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of (BC)all living
    and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 (BD)Abaddon and Death say,
    ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

23 (BE)“God understands the way to it,
    and he knows its place.
24 For he (BF)looks to the ends of the earth
    and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he (BG)gave to the wind its weight
    and apportioned the waters by measure,
26 when he made a decree for the rain
    and (BH)a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 then he saw it and declared it;
    he established it, and searched it out.
28 And he said to man,
‘Behold, (BI)the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
    and to (BJ)turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:22 Or He (that is, God); also verse 23
  2. Job 27:22 Or his; also verse 23
  3. Job 28:6 Or lapis lazuli; also verse 16

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