Job 1; Job 2; Acts 7:22-43

1 There was a man who lived in the land of Uz. His name was Job. He was honest. He did what was right. He had respect for God and avoided evil.

2 Job had seven sons and three daughters.

3 He owned 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels. He owned 500 pairs of oxen and 500 donkeys. He also had a large number of servants. He was the most important man among all of the people in the east.

4 His sons used to take turns giving big dinners in their homes. They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

5 When the time for enjoying good food was over, Job would have his children made pure and clean. He would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them. He would do it early in the morning. He would think, "Perhaps my children have sinned. Maybe they have spoken evil things against God in their hearts." That's what Job always did for his children when he felt they had sinned.

6 One day angels came to the Lord. Satan also came with them.

7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered, "From traveling all around the earth. I've been going from one end of it to the other."

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you thought about my servant Job? There isn't anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He does what is right. He has respect for me and avoids evil."

9 "You always give Job everything he needs," Satan replied. "That's why he has respect for you.

10 Haven't you guarded him and his family? Haven't you taken care of everything he has? You have blessed everything he does. His flocks and herds are spread all through the land.

11 "But reach out your hand and strike down everything he has. Then I'm sure he will speak evil things against you. In fact, he'll do it right in front of you."

12 The LORD said to Satan, "All right. I am handing everything he has over to you. But do not touch the man himself." Then Satan left the LORD and went on his way.

13 One day Job's sons and daughters were at their oldest brother's house. They were enjoying good food and drinking wine.

14 During that time a messenger came to Job. He said, "The oxen were plowing. The donkeys were eating grass near them.

15 Then the Sabeans attacked us and carried the animals off. They killed some of the servants with their swords. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

16 While he was still speaking, a second messenger came. He said, "God sent lightning from the sky. It struck the sheep and killed them. It burned up some of the servants. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

17 While he was still speaking, a third messenger came. He said, "The Chaldeans separated themselves into three groups. They attacked your camels and carried them off. They killed the rest of the servants with their swords. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

18 While he was still speaking, a fourth messenger came. He said, "Your sons and daughters were at their oldest brother's house. They were enjoying good food and drinking wine.

19 Suddenly a strong wind blew in from the desert. It struck the four corners of the house. The house fell down on your children. Now all of them are dead. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

20 After Job heard all of those reports, he got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped the Lord.

21 He said, "I was born naked. And I'll leave here naked. You have given, and you have taken away. May your name be praised."

22 In spite of everything, Job didn't sin by blaming God for doing anything wrong.

1 On another day angels came to the Lord. Satan also came to him along with them.

2 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered, "From traveling all around the earth. I've been going from one end of it to the other."

3 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you thought about my servant Job? There isn't anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He does what is right. He has respect for me and avoids evil. You tried to turn me against him. You wanted me to destroy him without any reason. But he still continues to be faithful."

4 Satan replied, "A man will give everything he has to save himself. So Job is willing to give up the lives of his family to save his own life.

5 "But reach out your hand and strike his flesh and bones. Then I'm sure he will speak evil things against you. In fact, he'll do it right in front of you."

6 The LORD said to Satan, "All right. I am handing him over to you. But you must spare his life."

7 Then Satan left the LORD and went on his way. He sent painful sores on Job. They covered him from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head.

8 He got part of a broken pot. He used it to scrape his skin. He did it while he was sitting in ashes.

9 His wife said to him, "Are you still continuing to be faithful to the LORD? Speak evil things against him and die!"

10 Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. We accept good things from God. So we should also accept trouble when he sends it." In spite of everything, Job didn't say anything that was sinful.

11 Job had three friends named Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They heard about all of the troubles that had come to Job. So they started out from their homes. They had agreed to meet together. They wanted to go and show their concern for Job. They wanted to comfort him.

12 When they got closer to where he lived, they could see him. But they could hardly recognize him. They began to sob out loud. They tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads.

13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him. That's because they saw how much he was suffering.

22 Moses was taught all the knowledge of the people of Egypt. He became a powerful speaker and a man of action.

23 "When Moses was 40 years old, he decided to visit the people of Israel. They were his own people.

24 He saw one of them being treated badly by a man of Egypt. So he went to help him. He got even by killing the man.

25 Moses thought his own people would realize that God was using him to save them. But they didn't.

26 "The next day Moses saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to make peace between them. 'Men, you are both of Israel,' he said. 'Why do you want to hurt each other?'

27 "But the man who was treating the other one badly pushed Moses to one side. He said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us?

28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'(Exodus 2:14)

29 When Moses heard this, he escaped to Midian. He lived there as a stranger. He became the father of two sons there.

30 "Forty years passed. Then an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush. This happened in the desert near Mount Sinai.

31 When Moses saw the bush, he was amazed. He went over for a closer look. There he heard the Lord's voice.

32 'I am the God of your fathers,' the Lord said. 'I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.'(Exodus 3:6) Moses shook with fear. He didn't dare to look.

33 "Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground.

34 I have seen my people beaten down in Egypt. I have heard their groans. I have come down to set them free. Now come. I will send you back to Egypt.'(Exodus 3:5,7,8,10)

35 "This is the same Moses the two men of Israel would not accept. They had said, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' But God himself sent Moses to rule the people of Israel and set them free. He spoke to Moses through the angel who had appeared to him in the bush.

36 So Moses led them out of Egypt. He did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for 40 years in the desert.

37 "This is the same Moses who spoke to the people of Israel. 'God will send you a prophet,' he said. 'He will be like me. He will come from your own people.'(Deuteronomy 18:15)

38 Moses was with the Israelites in the desert. He was with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai. Moses was with our people of long ago. He received living words to pass on to us.

39 "But our people refused to obey Moses. They would not accept him. In their hearts, they wished they were back in Egypt.

40 They told Aaron, 'Make us a god who will lead us. This fellow Moses led us out of Egypt. But we don't know what has happened to him!'(Exodus 32:1)

41 That was the time they made a statue to be their god. It looked like a calf. They brought sacrifices to it. They were glad because of what they had made with their own hands.

42 But God turned away from them. He left them to worship the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets. There it says, " 'People of Israel, did you bring me sacrifices and offerings for 40 years in the desert?

43 You lifted up the place where Molech was worshiped. You lifted up the star of your god Rephan. You made statues of them to worship. So I will send you away from your country.' (Amos 5:25-27) God sent them to Babylon and even farther.