Dinah Defiled

34 Leah’s daughter^(A) Dinah, whom Leah bore to Jacob, went out to see some of the young women of the area. ² When Shechem—son of Hamor the Hivite, who was the region’s chieftain—saw her, he took her and raped her. ³ He became infatuated with Jacob’s daughter Dinah. He loved the young girl and spoke tenderly to her.^{[a] 4} “Get me this girl as a wife,”^(B) he told his father.

⁵ Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent until they returned. ⁶ Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob. ⁷ Jacob’s sons returned from the field when they heard about the incident. They were deeply grieved and very angry, for Shechem had committed an outrage against Israel by raping Jacob’s daughter,^(C) and such a thing should not be done.

⁸ Hamor said to Jacob’s sons, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your^[b] daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. ⁹ Intermarry with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. ¹⁰ Live with us. The land is before you. Settle here, move about, and acquire property in it.”

¹¹ Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor,^[c] and I’ll give you whatever you say. ¹² Demand of me a high compensation^[d] and gift; I’ll give you whatever you ask me. Just give the girl to be my wife!”

¹³ But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully because he had defiled their sister Dinah. ¹⁴ “We cannot do this thing,” they said to them. “Giving our sister to an uncircumcised man is a disgrace to us. ¹⁵ We will agree with you only on this condition: if all your males are circumcised as we are.^{(D) 16} Then we will give you our daughters, take your daughters for ourselves, live with you, and become one people. ¹⁷ But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

¹⁸ Their words seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. ¹⁹ The young man did not delay doing this, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most important in all his father’s family. ²⁰ So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city^(E) and spoke to the men of their city.

²¹ “These men are peaceful toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and move about in it, for indeed, the region is large enough for them. Let’s take their daughters as our wives and give our daughters to them. ²² But the men will agree to live with us and be one people only on this condition: if all our men are circumcised as they are. ²³ Won’t their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let’s agree with them, and they will live with us.”

²⁴ All the men^(F) who had come to the city gates listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and all those men were circumcised. ²⁵ On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi,^(G) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and killed every male. ²⁶ They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went away. ²⁷ Jacob’s sons came to the slaughter and plundered the city because their sister had been defiled. ²⁸ They took their flocks, herds, donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. ²⁹ They captured all their possessions, dependents, and wives and plundered everything in the houses.

³⁰ Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me,^(H) making me odious to the inhabitants of the land,^(I) the Canaanites and the Perizzites.^(J) We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”^(K)

³¹ But they answered, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

Demons Driven Out by Jesus

5 They^(A) came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.^{[a] 2} As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean^(B) spirit^(C) came out of the tombs^(D) and met him. ³ He lived in the tombs,^(E) and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain^(F)— ⁴ because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had torn the chains apart and smashed^(G) the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue^(H) him. ⁵ Night^(I) and day among the tombs^(J) and on the mountains,^(K) he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. ⁷ And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son^(L) of the Most High God?^(M) I beg you before God, don’t torment^(N) me!” ⁸ For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean^(O) spirit!”^(P)

⁹ “What is your name?” he asked him.

“My name is Legion,”^(Q) he answered him, “because we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs^(R) was there, feeding^(S) on the hillside. ¹² The demons^[b] begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” ¹³ So he gave them permission, and the unclean^(T) spirits^(U) came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.

¹⁴ The men who tended them ran off^(V) and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. ¹⁵ They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed,^(W)(X) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;^(Y) and they were afraid.^{(Z) 16} Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed^(AA) man and told about the pigs. ¹⁷ Then they began to beg him to leave their region.

¹⁸ As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord^(AB) has done^(AC) for you and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So he went out and began to proclaim^(AD) in the Decapolis^(AE) how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.^(AF)

A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed

²¹ When^(AG) Jesus had crossed over again by boat^[c] to the other side, a large crowd^(AH) gathered around him while he was by the sea. ²² One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus,^(AI) came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet^{(AJ) 23} and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on^(AK) her so that she can get well^[d](AL) and live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.

²⁵ Now a woman suffering from bleeding^(AM) for twelve years ²⁶ had endured^(AN) much under many doctors.^(AO) She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. ²⁷ Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched^(AP) his clothing.^{(AQ) 28} For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.”^{(AR) 29} Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed^(AS) of her affliction.

³⁰ Immediately Jesus realized that power^(AT) had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd^(AU) and said, “Who touched my clothes?”^(AV)

³¹ His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”

³² But he was looking around to see who had done this. ³³ The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down^(AW) before him, and told him the whole truth.^{(AX) 34} “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith^(AY) has saved you.^(AZ) Go in peace and be healed^(BA) from your affliction.”^(BB)

³⁵ While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher^(BC) anymore?”

³⁶ When Jesus overheard^[e] what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid.^(BD) Only believe.” ³⁷ He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter,^(BE) James,^(BF) and John,^(BG) James’s brother. ³⁸ They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?^(BH) The child^(BI) is not dead but asleep.”^{(BJ) 40} They laughed at him, but he put them all outside. He took the child’s father,^(BK) mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was. ⁴¹ Then he took the child^(BL) by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum”^[f] (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up”^(BM)). ⁴² Immediately the girl got up^(BN) and began to walk.^(BO) (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.^{(BP) 43} Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this^(BQ) and told them to give her something to eat.

Job and His Family

1 There was a man in the country of Uz^(A) named Job.^(B) He was a man of complete integrity,^(C) who feared God and turned away from evil.^{(D) 2} He had seven sons and three daughters.^{(E) 3} His estate included seven thousand sheep and goats, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys,^(F) and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.^(G)

⁴ His sons used to take turns having banquets at their homes. They would send an invitation to their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ Whenever a round of banqueting was over, Job would send for his children and purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for^[a] all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned, having cursed God in their hearts.”^(H) This was Job’s regular practice.

Satan’s First Test of Job

⁶ One day the sons of God^(I) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan^[b] also came with them. ⁷ The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”

“From roaming through the earth,”^(J) Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity,^(K) who fears God and turns away from evil.”^(L)

⁹ Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Haven’t you placed a hedge around^(M) him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and strike^(N) everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

¹² “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

¹³ One day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a messenger came to Job and reported, “While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing nearby, ¹⁵ the Sabeans^(O) swooped down and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁶ He was still speaking when another messenger came and reported, “God’s fire fell from heaven.^(P) It burned the sheep and the servants and devoured them, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷ That messenger was still speaking when yet another came and reported, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, made a raid on the camels, and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁸ He was still speaking when another messenger came and reported, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. ¹⁹ Suddenly a powerful wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people so that they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

²⁰ Then Job stood up, tore^(Q) his robe, and shaved^(R) his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, ²¹ saying:

²² Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.^[d](V)

Faith Triumphs

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,^(A) we have peace^[a] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(B) 2} We have also obtained access through him^(C) by faith^[b] into this grace in which we stand,^(D) and we boast^[c] in the hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that,^(E) but we also boast in our afflictions,^(F) because we know that affliction produces endurance,^{(G) 4} endurance produces proven character,^(H) and proven character produces hope. ⁵ This hope will not disappoint us,^(I) because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts^(J) through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The Justified Are Reconciled

⁶ For while we were still helpless, at the right time,^(K) Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. ⁸ But God proves^(L) his own love for us^(M) in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood,^(N) will we be saved through him from wrath.^{(O) 10} For if, while we were enemies,^(P) we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.^{(Q) 11} And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.^(R)

Death through Adam and Life through Christ

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,^(S) and death through sin,^(T) in this way death spread to all people,^(U) because all sinned.^{[d] 13} In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law.^{(V) 14} Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression.^(W) He is a type of the Coming One.^(X)

¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man^(Y) Jesus Christ overflowed to the many. ¹⁶ And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment,^(Z) resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification.^{[e] 17} If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life^(AA) through the one man, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life^(AB) for everyone. ¹⁹ For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners,^(AC) so also through the one man’s obedience^(AD) the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ The law came along to multiply the trespass.^(AE) But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more^{(AF) 21} so that, just as sin reigned in death,^(AG) so also grace will reign^(AH) through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.