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.

The Watchman and His Message

33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, speak to ^(A)the children of your people, and say to them: ^(B)‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their ^(C)watchman, ³ when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does ^(D)not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, ^(E)his blood shall be on his own head. ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will ^[a]save his life. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, ^(F)he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

^7 (G)“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have ^[b]delivered your soul.

¹⁰ “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we ^(H)pine^[c] away in them, ^(I)how can we then live?” ’ ¹¹ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ^(J)‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked ^(K)turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For ^(L)why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Christ’s Example to Be Followed

4 Therefore, since Christ suffered ^[a]for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, ^(A)but for the will of God. ³ For we have spent enough of our past ^[b]lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴ In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ⁵ They will give an account to Him who is ready ^(B)to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this reason ^(C)the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but ^(D)live according to God in the spirit.

Serving for God’s Glory

⁷ But ^(E)the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. ⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ^(F)“love will cover a multitude of sins.” ^9 (G)Be hospitable to one another ^(H)without grumbling. ^10 (I)As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, ^(J)as good stewards of ^(K)the manifold grace of God. ^11 (L)If anyone speaks, let him speak as the ^[c]oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that ^(M)in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the ^[d]dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering for God’s Glory

¹² Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice ^(N)to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that ^(O)when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ¹⁴ If you are ^[e]reproached for the name of Christ, ^(P)blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ^[f]On their part He is blasphemed, ^(Q)but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a ^[g]busybody in other people’s matters. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this ^[h]matter.

¹⁷ For the time has come ^(R)for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, ^(S)what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ Now

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God ^(U)commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

The Seventy Sent Out

10 After these things the Lord appointed ^[a]seventy others also, and ^(A)sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. ² Then He said to them, ^(B)“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore ^(C)pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. ³ Go your way; ^(D)behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. ^4 (E)Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and ^(F)greet no one along the road. ^5 (G)But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. ^7 (H)And remain in the same house, ^(I)eating and drinking such things as they give, for ^(J)the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. ⁸ Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. ^9 (K)And heal the sick there, and say to them, ^(L)‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ^11 (M)‘The very dust of your city which clings to ^[b]us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ ^12 [c]But I say to you that ^(N)it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

Woe to the Impenitent Cities^(O)

^13 (P)“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! ^(Q)For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ^15 (R)And you, Capernaum, ^[d]who are ^(S)exalted to heaven, ^(T)will be brought down to Hades. ^16 (U)He who hears you hears Me, ^(V)he who rejects you rejects Me, and ^(W)he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

The Seventy Return with Joy

¹⁷ Then ^(X)the ^[e]seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

¹⁸ And He said to them, ^(Y)“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, ^(Z)I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but ^[f]rather rejoice because ^(AA)your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit^(AB)

^21 (AC)In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ^22 (AD)All^[g] things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and ^(AE)no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

²³ Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, ^(AF)“Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; ²⁴ for I tell you ^(AG)that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”