²² Then Moses went back to the Lord. “Lord,” he protested, “how can you mistreat your own people like this? Why did you ever send me if you were going to do this to them?

²³ Ever since I gave Pharaoh your message, he has only been more and more brutal to them, and you have not delivered them at all!”

^7-9 In the morning you will see more of his glory; for he has heard your complaints against him (for you aren’t really complaining against us—who are we?). The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning. Come now before Jehovah and hear his reply to your complaints.”

^11-12 And Jehovah said to Moses, “I have heard their complaints. Tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat and in the morning you will be stuffed with bread, and you shall know that I am Jehovah your God.’”

^26-27 Then the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, “How long will this wicked nation complain about me? For I have heard all that they have been saying. ²⁸ Tell them, ‘The Lord vows to do to you what you feared: ²⁹ You will all die here in this wilderness! Not a single one of you twenty years old and older, who has complained against me, ³⁰ shall enter the Promised Land. Only Caleb (son of Jephunneh) and Joshua (son of Nun) are permitted to enter it.

³¹ “‘You said your children would become slaves of the people of the land. Well, instead I will bring them safely into the land and they shall inherit what you have despised. ³² But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. ³³ You must wander in the desert like nomads for forty years. In this way you will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the desert.

^34-35 “‘Since the spies were in the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, bearing the burden of your sins. I will teach you what it means to reject me. I, Jehovah, have spoken. Every one of you who has conspired against me shall die here in this wilderness.’”

^36-38 Then the ten spies who had incited the rebellion against Jehovah by striking fear into the hearts of the people were struck dead before the Lord. Of all the spies, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.

¹⁰ The Lord told Moses to place Aaron’s rod permanently beside the Ark as a reminder of this rebellion. He was to bring it out and show it to the people again^[a] if there were any further complaints about Aaron’s authority; this would ward off further catastrophe to the people.

¹¹ So Moses did as the Lord commanded him.

1 There lived in the land of Uz a man named Job—a good^[a] man who feared God and stayed away from evil. ^2-3 He had a large family of seven sons and three daughters and was immensely wealthy,^[b] for he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest cattleman in that entire area.

⁴ Every year when Job’s sons had birthdays, they invited their brothers and sisters to their homes for a celebration. On these occasions they would eat and drink with great merriment. ⁵ When these birthday parties ended—and sometimes they lasted several days—Job would summon his children to him and sanctify them, getting up early in the morning and offering a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and turned away from God^[c] in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

⁶ One day as the angels^[d] came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan, the Accuser, came with them.

⁷ “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

And Satan replied, “From earth, where I’ve been watching everything that’s going on.”

⁸ Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth—a good man^[e] who fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.”

⁹ “Why shouldn’t he when you pay him so well?” Satan scoffed. ¹⁰ “You have always protected him and his home and his property from all harm. You have prospered everything he does—look how rich he is! No wonder he ‘worships’ you! ¹¹ But just take away his wealth, and you’ll see him curse you to your face!”

^12-13 And the Lord replied to Satan, “You may do anything you like with his wealth, but don’t harm him physically.”

So Satan went away; and sure enough, not long afterwards when Job’s sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother’s house, tragedy struck.

^14-15 A messenger rushed to Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us, drove away the animals, and killed all the farmhands except me. I am the only one left.”

¹⁶ While this messenger was still speaking, another arrived with more bad news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the herdsmen, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

¹⁷ Before this man finished, still another messenger rushed in: “Three bands of Chaldeans have driven off your camels and killed your servants, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

¹⁸ As he was still speaking, another arrived to say, “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home, ¹⁹ when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and engulfed the house so that the roof fell in on them and all are dead; and I alone escaped to tell you.”

²⁰ Then Job stood up and tore his robe in grief^[f] and fell down upon the ground before God. ²¹ “I came naked from my mother’s womb,” he said, “and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

²² In all of this Job did not sin or revile God.