Job 17:3-16

New International Version

³“Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.^(A)
    Who else will put up security^(B) for me?^(C)
⁴You have closed their minds to understanding;^(D)
    therefore you will not let them triumph.
⁵If anyone denounces their friends for reward,^(E)
    the eyes of their children will fail.^(F)

⁶“God has made me a byword^(G) to everyone,^(H)
    a man in whose face people spit.^(I)
⁷My eyes have grown dim with grief;^(J)
    my whole frame is but a shadow.^(K)
⁸The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused^(L) against the ungodly.
⁹Nevertheless, the righteous^(M) will hold to their ways,
    and those with clean hands^(N) will grow stronger.^(O)

¹⁰“But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.^(P)
¹¹My days have passed,^(Q) my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart^(R)
¹²turn night into day;^(S)
    in the face of the darkness light is near.^(T)
¹³If the only home I hope for is the grave,^(U)
    if I spread out my bed^(V) in the realm of darkness,^(W)
¹⁴if I say to corruption,^(X) ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worm,^(Y) ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
¹⁵where then is my hope—^(Z)
    who can see any hope for me?^(AA)
¹⁶Will it go down to the gates of death?^(AB)
    Will we descend together into the dust?”^(AC)

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1 Peter 2:11-3:7

New International Version

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹Dear friends,^(A) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(B) to abstain from sinful desires,^(C) which wage war against your soul.^(D) ¹²Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(E) and glorify God^(F) on the day he visits us.

¹³Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^(G) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^(H) and to commend those who do right.^(I) ¹⁵For it is God’s will^(J) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^(K) ¹⁶Live as free people,^(L) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(M) live as God’s slaves.^(N) ¹⁷Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^(O) fear God, honor the emperor.^(P)

¹⁸Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,^(Q) not only to those who are good and considerate,^(R) but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^(S) ²⁰But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^(T) ²¹To this^(U) you were called,^(V) because Christ suffered for you,^(W) leaving you an example,^(X) that you should follow in his steps.

²²“He committed no sin,^(Y)
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”^[a]^(Z)

²³When they hurled their insults at him,^(AA) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(AB) Instead, he entrusted himself^(AC) to him who judges justly.^(AD) ²⁴“He himself bore our sins”^(AE) in his body on the cross,^(AF) so that we might die to sins^(AG) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^(AH) ²⁵For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[b]^(AI) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(AJ) and Overseer of your souls.^(AK)

3 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves^(AL) to your own husbands^(AM) so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over^(AN) without words by the behavior of their wives, ²when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ³Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.^(AO) ⁴Rather, it should be that of your inner self,^(AP) the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.^(AQ) ⁵For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God^(AR) used to adorn themselves.^(AS) They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord.^(AT) You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

⁷Husbands,^(AU) in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Footnotes

1 Peter 2:22 Isaiah 53:9
1 Peter 2:25 Isaiah 53:4,5,6 (see Septuagint)

Job 18

New International Version

Bildad

18 Then Bildad the Shuhite^(A) replied:

²“When will you end these speeches?^(B)
    Be sensible, and then we can talk.
³Why are we regarded as cattle^(C)
    and considered stupid in your sight?^(D)
⁴You who tear yourself^(E) to pieces in your anger,^(F)
    is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
    Or must the rocks be moved from their place?^(G)

⁵“The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;^(H)
    the flame of his fire stops burning.^(I)
⁶The light in his tent^(J) becomes dark;^(K)
    the lamp beside him goes out.^(L)
⁷The vigor^(M) of his step is weakened;^(N)
    his own schemes^(O) throw him down.^(P)
⁸His feet thrust him into a net;^(Q)
    he wanders into its mesh.
⁹A trap seizes him by the heel;
    a snare^(R) holds him fast.^(S)
¹⁰A noose^(T) is hidden for him on the ground;
    a trap^(U) lies in his path.^(V)
¹¹Terrors^(W) startle him on every side^(X)
    and dog^(Y) his every step.
¹²Calamity^(Z) is hungry^(AA) for him;
    disaster^(AB) is ready for him when he falls.^(AC)
¹³It eats away parts of his skin;^(AD)
    death’s firstborn devours his limbs.^(AE)
¹⁴He is torn from the security of his tent^(AF)
    and marched off to the king^(AG) of terrors.^(AH)
¹⁵Fire resides^[a] in his tent;^(AI)
    burning sulfur^(AJ) is scattered over his dwelling.
¹⁶His roots dry up below^(AK)
    and his branches wither above.^(AL)
¹⁷The memory of him perishes from the earth;^(AM)
    he has no name^(AN) in the land.^(AO)
¹⁸He is driven from light into the realm of darkness^(AP)
    and is banished^(AQ) from the world.^(AR)
¹⁹He has no offspring^(AS) or descendants^(AT) among his people,
    no survivor^(AU) where once he lived.^(AV)
²⁰People of the west are appalled^(AW) at his fate;^(AX)
    those of the east are seized with horror.
²¹Surely such is the dwelling^(AY) of an evil man;^(AZ)
    such is the place^(BA) of one who does not know God.”^(BB)

Footnotes

Job 18:15 Or Nothing he had remains

Mark 6:1-29

New International Version

A Prophet Without Honor^(A)

6 Jesus left there and went to his hometown,^(B) accompanied by his disciples. ²When the Sabbath came,^(C) he began to teach in the synagogue,^(D) and many who heard him were amazed.^(E)

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? ³Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,^[a] Judas and Simon?^(F) Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.^(G)

⁴Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”^(H) ⁵He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on^(I) a few sick people and heal them. ⁶He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve^(J)

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.^(K) ⁷Calling the Twelve to him,^(L) he began to send them out two by two^(M) and gave them authority over impure spirits.^(N)

⁸These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. ⁹Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. ¹⁰Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. ¹¹And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet^(O) as a testimony against them.”

¹²They went out and preached that people should repent.^(P) ¹³They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil^(Q) and healed them.

John the Baptist Beheaded^(R)^(S)

¹⁴King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,^[b] “John the Baptist^(T) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.”^(U)

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,^(V) like one of the prophets of long ago.”^(W)

¹⁶But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

¹⁷For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.^(X) He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. ¹⁸For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”^(Y) ¹⁹So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, ²⁰because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.^(Z) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled^[c]; yet he liked to listen to him.

²¹Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet^(AA) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.^(AB) ²²When the daughter of^[d] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”^(AC)

²⁴She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

²⁵At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ²⁹On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

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