Job’s Character and Wealth

1 There was a man in the land of ^aUz whose name was ^bJob, and that man was ^cblameless and upright, one who ^dfeared God and ^eturned away from evil. 2 There were born to him ^fseven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all ^gthe people 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 and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and ^hconsecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and ⁱoffer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and ^jcursed¹ God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

6 Now there was a day when ^kthe sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and ^lSatan² also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From ^mgoing to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you ⁿconsidered my ^oservant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, ^pa blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put ^qa hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have ^rblessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But ^sstretch out your hand and ^ttouch all that he has, and he will ^ucurse you ^vto your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Satan Takes Job’s Property and Children

13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and ^wthe Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants³ with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another 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 yet speaking, there came another and said, ^y“The Chaldeans formed ^zthree groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ^a“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across ^bthe wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

20 Then Job arose and ^ctore his ^drobe and ^eshaved his head ^fand fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, ^g“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I ^hreturn. The Lord ⁱgave, and the Lord has taken away; ^jblessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 ^kIn all this Job did not sin or charge God with ^lwrong.

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

1 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, ^bhe entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a servant¹ who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion² heard about Jesus, ^che sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ^d“He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us ^eour synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, ^fdo not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But ^gsay the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, ^hhe marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such ⁱfaith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

11 Soon afterward³ he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, ^jthe only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, ^khe had compassion on her and ^lsaid to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched ^mthe bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, ⁿarise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus^{4 o}gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and ^pthey glorified God, saying, ^q“A great prophet has arisen among us!” and ^r“God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Messengers from John the Baptist

18 ^stThe disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, 19 calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one ^uwho is to come, or ^vshall we look for another?” 20 And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one ^uwho is to come, or ^vshall we look for another?’” 21 In that hour ^whe healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and ^xon many who were blind he bestowed sight. 22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: ^ythe blind receive their sight, the lame walk, ^zlepers⁵ are cleansed, and ^athe deaf hear, ^bthe dead are raised up, ^cthe poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is ^dnot offended by me.”

24 When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus⁶ began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ^einto the wilderness to see? ^fA reed shaken by the wind? 25 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 What then did you go out to see? ^gA prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written,

28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 (ⁱWhen all the people heard this, and ^jthe tax collectors too, they declared God just,^{7 j}having been baptized with ^kthe baptism of John, 30 ^lbut the Pharisees and ^mthe lawyers ⁿrejected ^othe purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

31 “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

33 For John the Baptist has come ^peating no bread and ^qdrinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come ^reating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, ^sa friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Yet ^twisdom is justified by all her children.”

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

36 ^uOne of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 ^vAnd behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and ^wwiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If ^xthis man were ^ya prophet, he ^zwould have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred ^adenarii, and the other fifty. 42 ^bWhen they could not pay, he ^ccancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; ^dyou gave me no water for my feet, but ^eshe has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 ^fYou gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to ^gkiss my feet. 46 ^hYou did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, ⁱwhich are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, ^j“Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among⁸ themselves, ^k“Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, ^l“Your faith has saved you; ^mgo in peace.”