The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday August 21, 2019 (NIV)

Job and His Family

1 There was a man in the country of Uz^(A) named Job.^(B) He was a man of complete integrity,^(C) who feared God and turned away from evil.^{(D) 2} He had seven sons and three daughters.^{(E) 3} His estate included seven thousand sheep and goats, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys,^(F) and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.^(G)

⁴ His sons used to take turns having banquets at their homes. They would send an invitation to their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ Whenever a round of banqueting was over, Job would send for his children and purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for^[a] all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned, having cursed God in their hearts.”^(H) This was Job’s regular practice.

Satan’s First Test of Job

⁶ One day the sons of God^(I) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan^[b] also came with them. ⁷ The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”

“From roaming through the earth,”^(J) Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity,^(K) who fears God and turns away from evil.”^(L)

⁹ Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Haven’t you placed a hedge around^(M) him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and strike^(N) everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

¹² “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

¹³ One day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a messenger came to Job and reported: “While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing nearby, ¹⁵ the Sabeans^(O) swooped down and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁶ He was still speaking when another messenger came and reported: “God’s fire fell from heaven.^(P) It burned the sheep and the servants and devoured them, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷ That messenger was still speaking when yet another came and reported: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, made a raid on the camels, and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁸ He was still speaking when another messenger came and reported: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. ¹⁹ Suddenly a powerful wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people so that they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

²⁰ Then Job stood up, tore^(Q) his robe, and shaved^(R) his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, ²¹ saying:

²² Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.^[d](V)

Satan’s Second Test of Job

2 One day the sons of God^(W) came again to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before the Lord. ² The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”

“From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity,^(X) who fears God and turns away from evil.^(Y) He still retains his integrity, even though you incited me against him, to destroy him for no good reason.”

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan answered the Lord. “A man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life. ⁵ But stretch out your hand and strike^(Z) his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

⁶ “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “he is in your power; only spare his life.” ⁷ So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.^{(AA) 8} Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat among the ashes.^(AB)

⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

¹⁰ “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.^[e]

Job’s Three Friends

¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite,^(AC) Bildad the Shuhite,^(AD) and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort^(AE) him. ¹² When they looked from a distance, they could barely recognize him. They wept aloud,^(AF) and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air and on his head.^{(AG) 13} Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and nights,^(AH) but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering^(AI) was very intense.

Job’s Opening Speech

3 After this, Job began to speak and cursed the day he was born. ² He said:

Prophecy: A Superior Gift

14 Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. ² For the person who speaks in another tongue^[a](A) is not speaking to people but to God, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit.^{[b] 3} On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,^[c] encouragement, and consolation. ⁴ The person who speaks in another tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵ I wish all of you spoke in other tongues,^[d] but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

⁶ So now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in other tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation^(B) or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? ⁷ Even lifeless instruments that produce sounds—whether flute or harp^(C)—if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized? ⁸ In fact, if the bugle makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle?^{(D) 9} In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, none is without meaning. ¹¹ Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner^[e] to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. ¹² So also you—since you are zealous^(E) for spiritual gifts,^[f](F) seek to excel in building up the church.

¹³ Therefore the person who speaks in another tongue should pray that he can interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in another tongue, my spirit^(G) prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.^{(H) 15} What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will also sing praise with my understanding. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit,^[g] how will the outsider^[h] say “Amen”^(I) at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up.