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Job’s Character and Wealth
1 There was a man in the (A)land of Uz whose name was (B)Job; and that man was (C)blameless, upright, (D)fearing God and (E)turning away from evil. 2 (F)Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 (G)His possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was (H)the greatest of all the [a]men of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send word to them and consecrate them, getting up early in the morning and offering (I)burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “(J)Perhaps my sons have sinned and (K)cursed God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.
6 (L)Now there was a day when the [b](M)sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and [c]Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “(N)From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you [d]considered (O)My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, (P)a blameless and upright man, [e]fearing God and turning away from evil.” 9 Then (Q)Satan answered the [f]Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 (R)Have You not made a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? (S)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his (T)possessions have increased in the land. 11 (U)But reach out with Your hand now and (V)touch all that he has; he will certainly curse You to Your face.” 12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your [g]power; only do not reach out and put your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
Satan Allowed to Test Job
13 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the female donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and [h]the (W)Sabeans [i]attacked and took them. They also [j]killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and [k]I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “(X)The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The (Y)Chaldeans formed three units and made a raid on the camels and took them, and [l]killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20 Then Job got up, (Z)tore his robe, and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said,
“(AA)Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The (AB)Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 (AC)Despite all this, Job did not sin, nor did he [m]blame God.
Job Loses His Health
2 (AD)Again, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and [n]Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you [o]considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man [p]fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still (AE)holds firm to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to [q]ruin him without cause.” 4 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has, he will give for his life. 5 (AF)However, reach out with Your hand now, and (AG)touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face!” 6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your [r]power, only spare his life.”
7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with (AH)severe boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. 8 And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while (AI)he was sitting in the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold firm your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You are speaking as one of the foolish women speaks. (AJ)Shall we actually accept good from God but not accept adversity?” (AK)Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, they came, each one from his own place—Eliphaz the (AL)Temanite, Bildad the (AM)Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to (AN)sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they [s]looked from a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them (AO)tore his robe, and they (AP)threw dust over their heads toward the sky. 13 (AQ)Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
Job’s Lament
3 Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed [t]the day of his birth. 2 And Job [u]said,
3 “(AR)May the day on which I was to be born perish,
As well as the night which said, ‘A [v]boy is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness;
May God above not care for it,
Nor light shine on it.
5 May (AS)darkness and black gloom claim it;
May a cloud settle on it;
May the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, may darkness seize it;
May it not rejoice among the days of the year;
May it not come into the number of the months.
7 Behold, may that night be barren;
May no joyful shout enter it.
8 May those curse it who curse the day,
Who are [w]prepared to (AT)disturb Leviathan.
9 May the stars of its twilight be darkened;
May it wait for light but have none,
And may it not see the [x]breaking dawn;
10 Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “(AU)Why did I not die [y]at birth,
Come out of the womb and pass away?
12 Why were the knees there in front of me,
And why the breasts, that I would nurse?
13 For now I (AV)would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,
14 With (AW)kings and (AX)counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt (AY)ruins for themselves;
15 Or with (AZ)rulers (BA)who had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.
16 Or like a miscarriage which is [z]hidden, I would not exist,
As infants that never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the [aa]weary are at (BB)rest.
18 The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there,
And the slave is free from his master.
20 “Why is (BC)light given to one burdened with grief,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who [ab](BD)long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for (BE)hidden treasures;
22 Who are filled with jubilation,
And rejoice when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man (BF)whose way is hidden,
And whom (BG)God has shut off?
24 For (BH)my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And (BI)my cries pour out like water.
25 For [ac](BJ)what I fear comes upon me,
And what I dread [ad]encounters me.
26 I (BK)am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”
Prophecy a Superior Gift
14 (A)Pursue love, yet earnestly (B)desire (C)spiritual gifts, but especially that you may (D)prophesy. 2 For the one who (E)speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one [a]understands, but [b]in his spirit he speaks (F)mysteries. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for (G)edification, [c](H)exhortation, and consolation. 4 The one who (I)speaks in a tongue (J)edifies himself; but the one who (K)prophesies (L)edifies the church. 5 Now I wish that you all (M)spoke in tongues, but (N)rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who (O)speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive (P)edification.
6 But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of (Q)revelation, or of (R)knowledge, or of (S)prophecy, or of (T)teaching? 7 Yet even lifeless instruments, whether flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? 8 For if (U)the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? 9 So you too, unless you produce intelligible speech by the tongue, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will just be (V)talking to the air. 10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of [d]languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning. 11 So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be (W)unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible [e]to me. 12 So you too, since you are eager to possess [f]spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the (X)edification of the church.
13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue is to pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive. 15 (Y)What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will (Z)sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the mind also. 16 For otherwise, if you bless God [g]in the spirit only, how will the one who occupies the place of the [h]outsider know to say (AA)the “Amen” at your (AB)giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you are saying? 17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not (AC)edified.
12 The wicked (A)plots against the righteous,
And (B)gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord (C)laughs at him,
For He sees that (D)his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and (E)bent their bow
To take down the (F)afflicted and the needy,
To (G)kill off those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their (H)bows will be broken.
16 (I)Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the (J)arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord (K)sustains the righteous.
18 The Lord (L)knows the days of the [a]blameless,
And their (M)inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And (N)in the days of famine they will have plenty.
20 But the (O)wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [b]glory of the pastures,
They vanish—(P)like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous (Q)is gracious and gives.
22 For (R)those blessed by Him will (S)inherit the land,
But those (T)cursed by Him will be eliminated.
23 (U)The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He (V)delights in his way.
24 When (W)he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because (X)the Lord is the One [c]who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet (Y)I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or (Z)his [d]descendants begging for bread.
26 All day long (AA)he is gracious and lends,
And (AB)his [e]descendants are a blessing.
27 (AC)Turn from evil and do good,
So that you will dwell (AD)forever.
28 For the Lord (AE)loves [f]justice
And (AF)does not abandon His godly ones;
They are (AG)protected forever,
But the [g](AH)descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.
29 The righteous will (AI)inherit the land
And (AJ)dwell in it forever.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.