Job 1-2
New King James Version
Job and His Family in Uz
1 There was a man (A)in the land of Uz, whose name was (B)Job; and that man was (C)blameless and upright, and one who (D)feared God and [a]shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the [b]people of the East.
4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and [c]sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning (E)and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and (F)cursed[d] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
Satan Attacks Job’s Character
6 Now (G)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and [e]Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to [f]Satan, “From where do you come?”
So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From (H)going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you [g]considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and [h]shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 (I)Have You not [i]made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? (J)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 (K)But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely (L)curse[j] You to Your face!”
12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your [k]power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Job Loses His Property and Children
13 Now there was a day (M)when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the [l]Sabeans [m]raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and [n]consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and 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, (N)“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from [o]across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
20 Then Job arose, (O)tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he (P)fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:
(Q)“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord (R)gave, and the Lord has (S)taken away;
(T)Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 (U)In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Satan Attacks Job’s Health
2 Again (V)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
(W)Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, (X)a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he (Y)holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, (Z)to [p]destroy him without cause.”
4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 (AA)But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his (AB)bone and his flesh, and he will surely [q]curse You to Your face!”
6 (AC)And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils (AD)from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself (AE)while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? [r]Curse God and die!”
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. (AF)Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (AG)In all this Job did not (AH)sin with his lips.
Job’s Three Friends
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the (AI)Temanite, Bildad the (AJ)Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come (AK)and mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and (AL)sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground (AM)seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.
Footnotes
- Job 1:1 Lit. turned away from
- Job 1:3 Lit. sons
- Job 1:5 consecrate
- Job 1:5 Lit. blessed, but in an evil sense; cf. Job 1:11; 2:5, 9
- Job 1:6 Lit. the Adversary
- Job 1:7 Lit. the Adversary
- Job 1:8 Lit. set your heart on
- Job 1:8 Lit. turns away from
- Job 1:10 Protected him
- Job 1:11 Lit. bless, but in an evil sense; cf. Job 1:5
- Job 1:12 Lit. hand
- Job 1:15 Lit. Sheba; cf. Job 6:19
- Job 1:15 Lit. fell upon
- Job 1:16 destroyed
- Job 1:19 LXX omits across
- Job 2:3 Lit. consume
- Job 2:5 Lit. bless, but in an evil sense; cf. Job 1:5
- Job 2:9 Lit. Bless, but in an evil sense; cf. Job 1:5
Ecclesiastes 1-2
New King James Version
The Vanity of Life
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, (A)king in Jerusalem.
3 (D)What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he [b]toils under the sun?
4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
(E)But the earth abides forever.
5 (F)The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And [c]hastens to the place where it arose.
6 (G)The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.
7 (H)All the rivers run into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.
8 All things are [d]full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
(I)The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 (J)That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
11 There is (K)no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.
The Grief of Wisdom
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my heart to seek and (L)search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; (M)this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be [e]exercised. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
15 (N)What is crooked cannot be made straight,
And what is lacking cannot be numbered.
16 I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained (O)more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has [f]understood great wisdom and knowledge.” 17 (P)And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
18 For (Q)in much wisdom is much grief,
And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
The Vanity of Pleasure(R)
2 I said (S)in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with (T)mirth; [g]therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, (U)this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 (V)I searched in my heart how [h]to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was (W)good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 I made my works great, I built myself (X)houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made myself water pools from which to [i]water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had [j]servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 (Y)I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and [k]musical instruments of all kinds.
9 (Z)So I became great and [l]excelled (AA)more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And (AB)this was my [m]reward from all my labor.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was (AC)vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.
The End of the Wise and the Fool
12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom (AD)and madness and folly;
For what can the man do who succeeds the king?—
Only what he has already (AE)done.
13 Then I saw that wisdom (AF)excels folly
As light excels darkness.
14 (AG)The wise man’s eyes are in his head,
But the fool walks in darkness.
Yet I myself perceived
That (AH)the same event happens to them all.
15 So I said in my heart,
“As it happens to the fool,
It also happens to me,
And why was I then more wise?”
Then I said in my heart,
“This also is vanity.”
16 For there is (AI)no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,
Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.
And how does a wise man die?
As the fool!
17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because (AJ)I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his [n]heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 (AK)For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are (AL)sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
24 (AM)Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, [o]more than I? 26 For God gives (AN)wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that (AO)he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or Absurdity, Frustration, Futility, Nonsense; and so throughout the book
- Ecclesiastes 1:3 labors
- Ecclesiastes 1:5 Is eager for, lit. panting
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 wearisome
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 Or afflicted
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit. seen
- Ecclesiastes 2:1 gladness
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit. to draw my flesh
- Ecclesiastes 2:6 irrigate
- Ecclesiastes 2:7 Lit. sons of my house
- Ecclesiastes 2:8 Exact meaning unknown
- Ecclesiastes 2:9 Lit. increased
- Ecclesiastes 2:10 Lit. portion
- Ecclesiastes 2:21 Lit. portion
- Ecclesiastes 2:25 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr. without Him
Matthew 3
New King James Version
John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)
3 In those days (B)John the Baptist came preaching (C)in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for (D)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
(E)“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
(F)‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 Now (G)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was (H)locusts and (I)wild honey. 5 (J)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 (K)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, (L)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from (M)the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, (N)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. (O)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 (P)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. (Q)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit [a]and fire. 12 (R)His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will (S)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John Baptizes Jesus(T)
13 (U)Then Jesus came (V)from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16 (W)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [b]He saw (X)the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 (Y)And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, (Z)“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 3:11 M omits and fire
- Matthew 3:16 Or he
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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