The Daily Audio Bible
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Job and His Family
1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.(A) 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.(B) 3 He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.(C) 4 His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another’s houses in turn, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all, for Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This is what Job always did.(D)
Attack on Job’s Character
6 One day the heavenly beings[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser[b] also came among them.(E) 7 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.”(F) 8 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.”(G) 9 Then the accuser[f] answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing?(H) 10 Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.(I) 11 But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”(J) 12 The Lord said to the accuser,[g] “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So the accuser[h] went out from the presence of the Lord.
Job Loses Property and Children
13 One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.”(K) 16 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you.”(L) 17 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.”(M) 18 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,(N) 19 and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”(O)
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped.(P) 21 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”(Q)
22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.(R)
Attack on Job’s Health
2 One day the heavenly beings[i] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser[j] also came among them to present himself before the Lord.(S) 2 The Lord said to the accuser,[k] “Where have you come from?” The accuser[l] answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.”(T) 3 The Lord said to the accuser,[m] “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.”(U) 4 Then the accuser[n] 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.”(V) 6 The Lord said to the accuser,[o] “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.”(W)
7 So the accuser[p] 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.(X) 8 Job[q] took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes.(Y)
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse[r] 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.(Z)
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.(AA) 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.(AB) 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.(AC)
Job Curses the Day He Was Born
3 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 Job said:
3 “Let the day perish in which I was born,
and the night that said,
‘A male is conceived.’(AD)
4 Let that day be darkness!
May God above not seek it
or light shine on it.
5 Let gloom and deep darkness claim it.
Let clouds settle upon it;
let the blackness of the day terrify it.(AE)
6 That night—let thick darkness seize it!
let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
let it not come into the number of the months.(AF)
7 Yes, let that night be barren;
let no joyful cry be heard[s] in it.
8 Let those curse it who curse the Sea,[t]
those who are skilled to rouse up Leviathan.(AG)
9 Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light but have none;
may it not see the eyelids of the morning—(AH)
10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb
and hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why did I not die at birth,
come forth from the womb and expire?(AI)
12 Why were there knees to receive me
or breasts for me to suck?(AJ)
13 Now I would be lying down and quiet;
I would be asleep; then I would be at rest
14 with kings and counselors of the earth
who rebuild ruins for themselves,(AK)
15 or with princes who have gold,
who fill their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not buried like a stillborn child,
like an infant that never sees the light?(AL)
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary are at rest.(AM)
18 There 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 slaves are free from their masters.
20 “Why is light given to one in misery
and life to the bitter in soul,(AN)
21 who long for death, but it does not come,
and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;(AO)
22 who rejoice exceedingly
and are glad when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to one who cannot see the way,
whom God has fenced in?(AP)
24 For my sighing comes like[u] my bread,
and my groanings are poured out like water.(AQ)
25 Truly the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, but trouble comes.”
Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues
14 Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts and especially that you may prophesy.(A) 2 For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God, for no one understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit.(B) 3 But those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.(C) 4 Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church. 5 Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.(D)
6 Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?(E) 7 It is the same way with lifeless instruments that produce sound, such as the flute or the harp. If they do not give distinct notes, how will what is being played on the flute or harp be recognized? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?(F) 9 So with yourselves: If in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air.(G) 10 There are doubtless many different kinds of sounds in the world, and nothing is without sound. 11 If then I do not know the meaning of a sound, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.(H) 12 So with yourselves: since you are striving after spiritual gifts, seek to excel in them for building up the church.
13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unproductive. 15 What should I do then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also.(I) 16 Otherwise, if you say a blessing with the spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say the “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since the outsider does not know what you are saying?(J) 17 For you may give thanks well enough, but the other person is not built up.(K)
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them,(A)
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that their day is coming.(B)
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to kill those who walk uprightly;(C)
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.(D)
16 Better is a little that the righteous person has
than the abundance of many wicked.(E)
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.(F)
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will abide forever;(G)
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.(H)
20 But the wicked perish,
and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.(I)
21 The wicked borrow and do not pay back,
but the righteous are generous and keep giving;(J)
22 surely those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.(K)
23 Our steps[a] are made firm by the Lord
when he delights in our[b] way;(L)
24 though we stumble, we[c] shall not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds us[d] by the hand.(M)
25 I have been young and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.(N)
26 They are ever giving liberally and lending,
and their children become a blessing.(O)
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
so you shall abide forever.(P)
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his faithful ones.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.