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Job Maintains His Integrity

27 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

“As God lives, who has taken away my right,
    and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter;
as long as my breath is in me,
    and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
my lips will not speak falsehood,
    and my tongue will not utter deceit.
Far be it from me to say that you are right;
    till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
I hold fast my righteousness, and will not let it go;
    my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

“Let my enemy be as the wicked,
    and let him that rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,
    when God takes away his life?
Will God hear his cry,
    when trouble comes upon him?
10 Will he take delight in the Almighty?
    Will he call upon God at all times?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
    what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;
    why then have you become altogether vain?
13 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
    and the heritage which oppressors receive from the Almighty:
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
    and his offspring have not enough to eat.
15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
    and their widows make no lamentation.
16 Though he heap up silver like dust,
    and pile up clothing like clay;
17 he may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
    and the innocent will divide the silver.
18 The house which he builds is like a spider’s web,[a]
    like a booth which a watchman makes.
19 He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;[b]
    he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
    in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
21 The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
    it sweeps him out of his place.
22 It[c] hurls at him without pity;
    he flees from its[d] power in headlong flight.
23 It[e] claps its[f] hands at him,
    and hisses at him from its[g] place.

Footnotes

  1. Job 27:18 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb He builds his house like the moth
  2. Job 27:19 Gk Compare Syr: Heb shall not be gathered
  3. Job 27:22 Or he (that is God)
  4. Job 27:22 Or his
  5. Job 27:23 Or he (that is God)
  6. Job 27:23 Or his
  7. Job 27:23 Or his

Salutation

Simeon[a] Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:[b]

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

The Christian’s Call and Election

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[c] his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; 11 so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body,[d] to arouse you by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body[e] will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15 And I will see to it that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son,[f] with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.[g]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:1 Other authorities read Simon
  2. 2 Peter 1:1 Or of our God and the Savior Jesus Christ
  3. 2 Peter 1:3 Or by
  4. 2 Peter 1:13 Greek tent
  5. 2 Peter 1:14 Greek tent
  6. 2 Peter 1:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
  7. 2 Peter 1:21 Other authorities read moved by the Holy Spirit holy men of God spoke

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
and a place for gold which they refine.
Iron is taken out of the earth,
    and copper is smelted from the ore.
Men put an end to darkness,
    and search out to the farthest bound
    the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
They open shafts in a valley away from where men live;
    they are forgotten by travelers,
    they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread;
    but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
Its stones are the place of sapphires,[a]
    and it has dust of gold.

“That path no bird of prey knows,
    and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.
The proud beasts have not trodden it;
    the lion has not passed over it.

“Man puts his hand to the flinty rock,
    and overturns mountains by the roots.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
    and his eye sees every precious thing.
11 He binds up the streams so that they do not trickle,
    and the thing that is hid he brings forth to light.

12 “But where shall wisdom be found?
    And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know the way to it,[b]
    and it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
    and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be gotten for gold,
    and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
    in precious onyx or sapphire.[c]
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
    nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
    the price of wisdom is above pearls.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it,
    nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20 “Whence then comes wisdom?
    And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hid from the eyes of all living,
    and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Abaddon and Death say,
    ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

23 “God understands the way to it,
    and he knows its place.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth,
    and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he gave to the wind its weight,
    and meted out the waters by measure;
26 when he made a decree for the rain,
    and a way for the lightning of the thunder;
27 then he saw it and declared it;
    he established it, and searched it out.
28 And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
    and to depart from evil is understanding.’”

Footnotes

  1. Job 28:6 Or lapis lazuli
  2. Job 28:13 Gk: Heb its price
  3. Job 28:16 Or lapis lazuli

The Demand for a Sign

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”[a] 16 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “We have no bread.” 17 And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Jesus Cures a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 And they came to Beth-sa′ida. And some people brought to him a blind man, and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men; but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesare′a Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Eli′jah; and others one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he charged them to tell no one about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

31 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.”

34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 For what can a man give in return for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 8:15 Other ancient authorities read the Herodians

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