Prophecy and Tongues

14 ^(A)Pursue love, and ^(B)earnestly desire the ^(C)spiritual gifts, especially that you may ^(D)prophesy. ² For ^(E)one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. ³ On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. ⁴ The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵ Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but ^(F)even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

⁶ Now, brothers,^[a] if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some ^(G)revelation or knowledge or prophecy or ^(H)teaching? ⁷ If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? ⁸ And ^(I)if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? ⁹ So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be ^(J)speaking into the air. ¹⁰ There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, ¹¹ but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be ^(K)a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. ¹² So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

¹³ Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵ What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; ^(L)I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will ^(M)sing with my mind also. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider^[b] say ^(N)“Amen” to ^(O)your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.

Job's Character and Wealth

1 There was a man in the land of ^(A)Uz whose name was ^(B)Job, and that man was ^(C)blameless and upright, one who ^(D)feared God and ^(E)turned away from evil. ² There were born to him ^(F)seven sons and three daughters. ³ He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all ^(G)the people of the east. ⁴ His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and ^(H)consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and ^(I)offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and ^(J)cursed^[a] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

⁶ Now there was a day when ^(K)the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and ^(L)Satan^[b] also came among them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From ^(M)going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ⁸ And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you ^(N)considered my ^(O)servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, ^(P)a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? ¹⁰ Have you not put ^(Q)a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have ^(R)blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But ^(S)stretch out your hand and ^(T)touch all that he has, and he will ^(U)curse you ^(V)to your face.” ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Satan Takes Job's Property and Children

¹³ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, ¹⁴ and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ and ^(W)the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants^[c] with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁶ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ^(X)“The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁷ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ^(Y)“The Chaldeans formed ^(Z)three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁸ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ^(AA)“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, ¹⁹ and behold, a great wind came across ^(AB)the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

²⁰ Then Job arose and ^(AC)tore his ^(AD)robe and ^(AE)shaved his head ^(AF)and fell on the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said, ^(AG)“Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I ^(AH)return. The Lord ^(AI)gave, and the Lord has taken away; ^(AJ)blessed be the name of the Lord.”

^22 (AK)In all this Job did not sin or charge God with ^(AL)wrong.

Satan Attacks Job's Health

2 Again ^(AM)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ³ And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still ^(AN)holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him ^(AO)without reason.” ⁴ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ But ^(AP)stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will ^(AQ)curse you to your face.” ⁶ And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome ^(AR)sores from ^(AS)the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸ And he took ^(AT)a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in ^(AU)the ashes.

⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still ^(AV)hold fast your integrity? ^(AW)Curse God and die.” ¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the ^(AX)foolish women would speak. ^(AY)Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”^{[d] (AZ)}In all this Job did not ^(BA)sin with his lips.

Job's Three Friends

¹¹ Now when Job's three ^(BB)friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz ^(BC)the Temanite, Bildad ^(BD)the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to ^(BE)show him sympathy and comfort him. ¹² And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they ^(BF)tore their robes and sprinkled ^(BG)dust on their heads toward heaven. ¹³ And they sat with him on the ground ^(BH)seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

Job Laments His Birth

3 After this Job ^(BI)opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. ² And Job said: