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 Conversion of Saul

9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest^{(A) 2} and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.^{(B) 4} He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”^{(C) 5} He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” ⁷ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.^{(D) 8} Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing;^[a] so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

²⁷ Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”^{(A) 28} Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” ²⁹ Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”^{(B) 30} So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us, then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?^{(C) 31} Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”^{(D) 32} Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is that which^[a] comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”^{(E) 34} They said to him, “Sir,^[b] give us this bread always.”^(F)

³⁵ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.^{(G) 36} But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.^{(H) 37} Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away,^{(I) 38} for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.^{(J) 39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day.^{(K) 40} This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”^(L)