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)

Salutation

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the dispersion:

Greetings.

Faith and Wisdom

² My brothers and sisters, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy,^{(A) 3} because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.

⁵ If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.^{(B) 6} But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.^{(C) 7,8} For the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Poverty and Riches

⁹ Let the brother or sister of humble means boast in having a high position ¹⁰ and the rich in having been humbled, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field.^{(D) 11} For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.

Trial and Temptation

¹² Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord^[a] has promised to those who love him.^{(E) 13} No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; ¹⁵ then, when desire has conceived, it engenders sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.^(F)

¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.^{[b](G) 18} In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave birth to us by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.^(H)

Hearing and Doing the Word

¹⁹ You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger,^{(I) 20} for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness.^{[c] 21} Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.^(J)

²² But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.^{(K) 23} For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves^[d] in a mirror;^{(L) 24} for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵ But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.^(M)

²⁶ If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.^{(N) 27} Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.^(O)

Attack on Job’s Health

2 One day the heavenly beings^[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser^[b] also came among them to present himself before the Lord.^{(A) 2} 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.”^{(B) 3} 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. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.”^{(C) 4} Then the accuser^[f] answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that the man has he will give for his life. ⁵ But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”^{(D) 6} The Lord said to the accuser,^[g] “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.”^(E)

⁷ So the accuser^[h] went out from the presence of the Lord and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.^{(F) 8} Job^[i] took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes.^(G)

⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse^[j] God and die.” ¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.^(H)

Job’s Three Friends

¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him.^{(I) 12} When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads.^{(J) 13} They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.^(K)

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

¹⁴ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news^[a] of^[b] God^{(A) 15} and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;^[c] repent, and believe in the good news.”^[d](B)

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

¹⁶ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him.^{(C) 19} As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰ Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

²¹ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.^{(D) 22} They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.^{(E) 23} Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴ and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”^{(F) 25} But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!”^{(G) 26} And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He^[e] commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”^{(H) 28} At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House

²⁹ As soon as they^[f] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.^{(I) 30} Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. ³¹ He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.