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.

Greeting to the Twelve Tribes

1 James, ^(A)a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

Greetings.

Profiting from Trials

² My brethren, ^(B)count it all joy ^(C)when you fall into various trials, ^3 (D)knowing that the testing of your faith produces ^[a]patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be ^[b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ^5 (E)If any of you lacks wisdom, ^(F)let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and ^(G)it will be given to him. ^6 (H)But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is ^(I)a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

The Perspective of Rich and Poor

⁹ Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, ¹⁰ but the rich in his humiliation, because ^(J)as a flower of the field he will pass away. ¹¹ For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

Loving God Under Trials

^12 (K)Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive ^(L)the crown of life ^(M)which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, ^(N)when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, ^(O)brings forth death.

¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ^17 (P)Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, ^(Q)with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. ^18 (R)Of His own will He brought us forth by the ^(S)word of truth, ^(T)that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Qualities Needed in Trials

^19 [c]So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, ^(U)slow to speak, ^(V)slow to wrath; ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Doers—Not Hearers Only

²¹ Therefore ^(W)lay aside all filthiness and ^[d]overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, ^(X)which is able to save your souls.

²² But ^(Y)be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For ^(Z)if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But ^(AA)he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, ^(AB)this one will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶ If anyone ^[e]among you thinks he is religious, and ^(AC)does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ^27 (AD)Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: ^(AE)to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, ^(AF)and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Satan Attacks Job’s Health

2 Again ^(A)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

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

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, ^(C)a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he ^(D)holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, ^(E)to ^[a]destroy him without cause.”

⁴ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ^5 (F)But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his ^(G)bone and his flesh, and he will surely ^[b]curse You to Your face!”

^6 (H)And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils ^(I)from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸ And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself ^(J)while he sat in the midst of the ashes.

⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? ^[c]Curse God and die!”

¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. ^(K)Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” ^(L)In all this Job did not ^(M)sin with his lips.

Job’s Three Friends

¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the ^(N)Temanite, Bildad the ^(O)Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come ^(P)and mourn with him, and to comfort him. ¹² And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and ^(Q)sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. ¹³ So they sat down with him on the ground ^(R)seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry^(A)

^14 (B)Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, ^(C)preaching the gospel ^[a]of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵ and saying, ^(D)“The time is fulfilled, and ^(E)the kingdom of God ^[b]is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples^(F)

^16 (G)And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become ^(H)fishers of men.” ^18 (I)They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

¹⁹ When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. ²⁰ And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit^(J)

^21 (K)Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the ^(L)synagogue and taught. ^22 (M)And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

²³ Now there was a man in their synagogue with an ^(N)unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴ saying, “Let us alone! ^(O)What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I ^(P)know who You are—the ^(Q)Holy One of God!”

²⁵ But Jesus ^(R)rebuked him, saying, ^[c]“Be quiet, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And when the unclean spirit ^(S)had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. ²⁷ Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ^[d]“What is this? What new ^[e]doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” ²⁸ And immediately His ^(T)fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed^(U)

^29 (V)Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰ But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. ³¹ So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.