Job and His Family

1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.^{(A) 2} There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.^{(B) 3} He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.^{(C) 4} His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another’s houses in turn, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all, for Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This is what Job always did.^(D)

Attack on Job’s Character

⁶ One day the heavenly beings^[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser^[b] also came among them.^{(E) 7} The Lord said to the accuser,^[c] “Where have you come from?” The accuser^[d] answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.”^{(F) 8} The Lord said to the accuser,^[e] “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.”^{(G) 9} Then the accuser^[f] answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing?^{(H) 10} Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.^{(I) 11} But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”^{(J) 12} The Lord said to the accuser,^[g] “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So the accuser^[h] went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job Loses Property and Children

¹³ One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, ¹⁵ and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.”^{(K) 16} While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you.”^{(L) 17} While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.”^{(M) 18} While he was still speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,^{(N) 19} and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”^(O)

²⁰ Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped.^{(P) 21} He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”^(Q)

²² In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.^(R)

Individual Retribution

18 The word of the Lord came to me: ² What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”?^{(A) 3} As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. ⁴ Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins who shall die.^(B)

Individual Retribution

18 The word of the Lord came to me: ² What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”?^{(A) 3} As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. ⁴ Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins who shall die.^(B)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

2 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.^{(A) 2} Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation^(B)— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.^[a](C)

⁴ Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and ⁵ like living stones let yourselves be built^[b] into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(D) 6} For it stands in scripture:

⁷ This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,^[c]

⁸ and

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.^(G)

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,^[d] in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.^(H)

Live as Servants of God

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.^{[e](J) 12} Conduct yourselves honorably among the gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.^[f](K)

¹³ For the Lord’s sake be subject to every human authority,^[g] whether to the emperor as supreme^{(L) 14} or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. ¹⁶ As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.^{(M) 17} Honor everyone. Love the family of believers.^[h] Fear God. Honor the emperor.^(N)

True Greatness

⁴⁶ An argument arose among them concerning which one of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷ But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side ⁴⁸ and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, for the least among all of you is the greatest.”^(A)

Another Exorcist

⁴⁹ John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow with us.”^{(B) 50} But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”^(C)

A Samaritan Village Refuses to Receive Jesus

⁵¹ When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.^{(D) 52} And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to prepare for his arrival,^{(E) 53} but they did not receive him because his face was set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”^{[a](F) 55} But he turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ Then^[b] they went on to another village.

Would-Be Followers of Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “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 has nowhere to lay his head.” ⁵⁹ To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”^{(G) 60} And Jesus^[c] said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” ⁶² And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”