Psalm 26

Of David.

Prologue

1 In the land of Uz^(A) there lived a man whose name was Job.^(B) This man was blameless^(C) and upright;^(D) he feared God^(E) and shunned evil.^(F)

2 On another day the angels^[a](A) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them^(B) to present himself before him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”^(C)

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.^(D) And he still maintains his integrity,^(E) though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”^(F)

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has^(G) for his own life. ⁵ But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones,^(H) and he will surely curse you to your face.”^(I)

⁶ The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands;^(J) but you must spare his life.”^(K)

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.^{(L) 8} Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.^(M)

⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity?^(N) Curse God and die!”^(O)

¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish^[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”^(P)

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.^(Q)

God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke^(A) to our ancestors through the prophets^(B) at many times and in various ways,^{(C) 2} but in these last days^(D) he has spoken to us by his Son,^(E) whom he appointed heir^(F) of all things, and through whom^(G) also he made the universe.^{(H) 3} The Son is the radiance of God’s glory^(I) and the exact representation of his being,^(J) sustaining all things^(K) by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins,^(L) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.^{(M) 4} So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.^(N)

Jesus Made Fully Human

⁵ It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶ But there is a place where someone^(A) has testified:

In putting everything under them,^[d] God left nothing that is not subject to them.^[e] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.^{[f] 9} But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor^(D) because he suffered death,^(E) so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.^(F)

¹⁰ In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists,^(G) should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.^{(H) 11} Both the one who makes people holy^(I) and those who are made holy^(J) are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.^{[g](K) 12} He says,

² Some Pharisees^(A) came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

³ “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”^(B)

⁵ “It was because your hearts were hard^(C) that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶ “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’^{[a](D) 7} ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,^{[b] 8} and the two will become one flesh.’^[c](E) So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹ He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.^{(F) 12} And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”^(G)

The Little Children and Jesus^(H)

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.^{(I) 15} Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”^{(J) 16} And he took the children in his arms,^(K) placed his hands on them and blessed them.