John 8:1-11

New International Version

8 ¹but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.^(A)

²At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.^(B) ³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.^(C) Now what do you say?” ⁶They were using this question as a trap,^(D) in order to have a basis for accusing him.^(E)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone^(F) at her.”^(G) ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”^(H) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”^(I)

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Job 3

New International Version

Job Speaks

3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.^(A) ²He said:

³“May the day of my birth perish,
    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’^(B)
⁴That day—may it turn to darkness;
    may God above not care about it;
    may no light shine on it.
⁵May gloom and utter darkness^(C) claim it once more;
    may a cloud settle over it;
    may blackness overwhelm it.
⁶That night—may thick darkness^(D) seize it;
    may it not be included among the days of the year
    nor be entered in any of the months.
⁷May that night be barren;
    may no shout of joy^(E) be heard in it.
⁸May those who curse days^[a] curse that day,^(F)
    those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.^(G)
⁹May its morning stars become dark;
    may it wait for daylight in vain
    and not see the first rays of dawn,^(H)
¹⁰for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
    to hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹“Why did I not perish at birth,
    and die as I came from the womb?^(I)
¹²Why were there knees to receive me^(J)
    and breasts that I might be nursed?
¹³For now I would be lying down^(K) in peace;
    I would be asleep and at rest^(L)
¹⁴with kings and rulers of the earth,^(M)
    who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,^(N)
¹⁵with princes^(O) who had gold,
    who filled their houses with silver.^(P)
¹⁶Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,^(Q)
    like an infant who never saw the light of day?^(R)
¹⁷There the wicked cease from turmoil,^(S)
    and there the weary are at rest.^(T)
¹⁸Captives^(U) also enjoy their ease;
    they no longer hear the slave driver’s^(V) shout.^(W)
¹⁹The small and the great are there,^(X)
    and the slaves are freed from their owners.

²⁰“Why is light given to those in misery,
    and life to the bitter of soul,^(Y)
²¹to those who long for death that does not come,^(Z)
    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,^(AA)
²²who are filled with gladness
    and rejoice when they reach the grave?^(AB)
²³Why is life given to a man
    whose way is hidden,^(AC)
    whom God has hedged in?^(AD)
²⁴For sighing^(AE) has become my daily food;^(AF)
    my groans^(AG) pour out like water.^(AH)
²⁵What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded^(AI) has happened to me.^(AJ)
²⁶I have no peace,^(AK) no quietness;
    I have no rest,^(AL) but only turmoil.”^(AM)