Job and His Family in Uz

1 There was a man ^(A)in the land of Uz, whose name was ^(B)Job; and that man was ^(C)blameless and upright, and one who ^(D)feared God and ^[a]shunned evil. ² And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³ Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the ^[b]people of the East.

⁴ And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and ^[c]sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning ^(E)and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and ^(F)cursed^[d] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Satan Attacks Job’s Character

⁶ Now ^(G)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and ^[e]Satan also came among them. ⁷ And the Lord said to ^[f]Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From ^(H)going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you ^[g]considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and ^[h]shuns evil?”

⁹ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ^10 (I)Have You not ^[i]made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? ^(J)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ^11 (K)But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely ^(L)curse^[j] You to Your face!”

¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your ^[k]power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job Loses His Property and Children

¹³ Now there was a day ^(M)when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; ¹⁴ and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ when the ^[l]Sabeans ^[m]raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and ^[n]consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, ^(N)“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ and suddenly a great wind came from ^[o]across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

²⁰ Then Job arose, ^(O)tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he ^(P)fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said:

^22 (U)In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

A False Proverb Refuted

18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ² “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:

³ “As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

A False Proverb Refuted

18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ² “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:

³ “As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood

2 Therefore, ^(A)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ^2 (B)as newborn babes, desire the pure ^(C)milk of the word, that you may grow ^[a]thereby, ³ if indeed you have ^(D)tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People^(E)

⁴ Coming to Him as to a living stone, ^(F)rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who ^[b]are disobedient,

⁸ and

^(J)They stumble, being disobedient to the word, ^(K)to which they also were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of ^(L)darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (M)who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living Before the World

¹¹ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts ^(N)which war against the soul, ^12 (O)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(P)they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government^(Q)

^13 (R)Therefore submit yourselves to every ^[c]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ^16 (S)as free, yet not ^(T)using liberty as a cloak for ^[d]vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear ^(U)God. Honor the king.

Who Is the Greatest?^(A)

^46 (B)Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. ⁴⁷ And Jesus, ^(C)perceiving the thought of their heart, took a ^(D)little child and set him by Him, ⁴⁸ and said to them, ^(E)“Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and ^(F)whoever receives Me ^(G)receives Him who sent Me. ^(H)For he who is least among you all will be great.”

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism^(I)

^49 (J)Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”

⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for ^(K)he who is not against ^[a]us is on ^[b]our side.”

A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior

⁵¹ Now it came to pass, when the time had come for ^(L)Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, ⁵² and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. ⁵³ But ^(M)they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ And when His disciples ^(N)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, ^[c]just as ^(O)Elijah did?”

⁵⁵ But He turned and rebuked them, ^[d]and said, “You do not know what manner of ^(P)spirit you are of. ^56 [e]For ^(Q)the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

The Cost of Discipleship^(R)

^57 (S)Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man ^(T)has nowhere to lay His head.”

^59 (U)Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ And another also said, “Lord, ^(V)I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”

⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is ^(W)fit for the kingdom of God.”