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)

Ezekiel, Israel’s Sentry

33 The word of the Lord came to me: ² O Mortal, speak to your people and say to them: If I bring the sword upon a land and the people of the land take one of their number as their sentinel,^{(A) 3} and if the sentinel sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people,^{(B) 4} then if any who hear the sound of the trumpet do not take warning and the sword comes and takes them away, their blood shall be upon their own heads.^{(C) 5} They heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; their blood shall be upon themselves. But if they had taken warning, they would have saved their lives.^{(D) 6} But if the sentinel sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any of them, they are taken away in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at the sentinel’s hand.^(E)

⁷ So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.^{(F) 8} If I say to the wicked, “O wicked ones, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.^(G)

God’s Justice and Mercy

¹⁰ Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel: Thus you have said: “Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?”^{(H) 11} Say to them: As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?^(I)

Good Stewards of God’s Grace

4 Since, therefore, Christ suffered in the flesh,^[a] arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin),^{(A) 2} so as to live for the rest of your time in the flesh no longer by human desires but by the will of God.^{(B) 3} You have already spent enough time in doing what the gentiles like to do, living in debauchery, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry.^{(C) 4} They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme.^{[b](D) 5} But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.^{(E) 6} For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.

⁷ The end of all things is near;^[c] therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.^{(F) 8} Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.^{(G) 9} Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.^{(H) 11} Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.^(I)

Suffering as a Christian

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.^{(J) 14} If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory,^[d] which is the Spirit of God,^[e] is resting on you.^{[f](K) 15} But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker.^{[g](L) 16} Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.^{[h] 17} For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God?^{(M) 18} And

¹⁹ Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust their lives to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

The Mission of the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two^[a] others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.^{(A) 2} He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.^{(B) 3} Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.^{(C) 4} Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.^{(D) 5} Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’^{(E) 6} And if a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on that person, but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.^{(F) 8} Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; ⁹ cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’^{[b](G) 10} But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’^{[c](H) 12} I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.^(I)

Woes to Unrepentant Cities

¹³ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.^{(J) 14} Indeed, at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum,

¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”^(L)

The Return of the Seventy-Two

¹⁷ The seventy-two^[d] returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!”^{(M) 18} He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.^{(N) 19} Indeed, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.^{(O) 20} Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”^(P)

Jesus Rejoices

²¹ At that very hour Jesus^[e] rejoiced in the Holy Spirit^[f] and said, “I thank^[g] you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.^{[h](Q) 22} All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”^(R)

²³ Then turning to the disciples, Jesus^[i] said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!^{(S) 24} For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”^(T)