Job

Introduction

Considered both a theological and a literary masterpiece, the book of Job is an honest portrayal of God allowing a good man to suffer. The test of Job’s faith, allowed by God in response to a challenge from Satan, revealed God’s loving sovereignty and the supremacy of divine wisdom over human wisdom (personified by Job’s friends). Believing that God is good despite the apparent evidence to the contrary, Job rested in faith alone. In the depths of agony he could still proclaim, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (19:25). In the end God silenced all discussion with the truth that he alone is wise (chs. 38–41). Yet he vindicated Job’s trust in him (ch. 42), proving that genuine faith cannot be destroyed. The unknown author was probably an Israelite writing sometime between 1500 and 500 b.c.

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.

Satan Attacks Job’s Health

2 Again mthere was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still nholds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him owithout reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But pstretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will qcurse you to your face.” 6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome rsores from sthe sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took ta piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in uthe ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still vhold fast your integrity? qCurse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the wfoolish women would speak. xShall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”1 yIn all this Job did not zsin with his lips.

Job’s Three Friends

11 Now when Job’s three afriends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz bthe Temanite, Bildad cthe Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to dshow him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they etore their robes and sprinkled fdust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground gseven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

Job Laments His Birth

3 After this Job hopened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job said:

3  i“Let the day perish on which I was born,

and the night that said,

‘A man is conceived.’

4  Let that day be darkness!

May God above not seek it,

nor light shine upon it.

5  Let gloom and jdeep darkness claim it.

Let clouds dwell upon it;

let the blackness of the day terrify it.

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.

7  Behold, let that night be barren;

let no joyful cry enter it.

8  Let those curse it who curse the day,

who are ready to rouse up kLeviathan.

9  Let the stars of its dawn be dark;

let it hope for light, but have none,

nor see lthe eyelids of the morning,

10  because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,

nor hide trouble from my eyes.

11  “Why mdid I not die at birth,

come out from the womb and expire?

12  Why did nthe knees receive me?

Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?

13  For then I would have lain down and been quiet;

I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,

14  with kings and counselors of the earth

who orebuilt ruins for themselves,

15  or with princes who had gold,

who filled their houses with silver.

16  Or why was I not as a hidden pstillborn child,

as infants who never see the light?

17  There the wicked cease from troubling,

and there the weary are at qrest.

18  There the prisoners are at ease together;

they hear not the voice of rthe taskmaster.

19  The small and the great are there,

and the slave is free from his master.

20  “Why is light given to him who is in misery,

and life to sthe bitter in soul,

21  who tlong for death, but it comes not,

and dig for it more than for uhidden treasures,

22  who rejoice exceedingly

and are glad when they find the grave?

23  Why is light given to a man whose vway is hidden,

whom God has whedged in?

24  For my sighing comes xinstead of1 my bread,

and my ygroanings are poured out like water.

25  zFor 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.”

Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper

4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

2  “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?

Yet who can keep from speaking?

3  Behold, you have instructed many,

and you have astrengthened the weak hands.

4  Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,

and you have amade firm the feeble knees.

5  But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;

it touches you, and you are dismayed.

6  bIs not your fear of God1 your cconfidence,

and the integrity of your ways your hope?

7  “Remember: dwho that was innocent ever perished?

Or where were the upright cut off?

8  As I have seen, those who eplow iniquity

and sow trouble reap the same.

9  By fthe breath of God they perish,

and by gthe blast of his anger they are consumed.

10  The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,

hthe teeth of the young lions are broken.

11  The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,

and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

12  “Now a word was brought to me stealthily;

my ear received ithe whisper of it.

13  Amid jthoughts from kvisions of the night,

when kdeep sleep falls on men,

14  dread came upon me, and trembling,

which made all my bones shake.

15  A spirit glided past my face;

the hair of my flesh stood up.

16  It stood still,

but I could not discern its appearance.

lA form was before my eyes;

there was silence, then I heard ma voice:

17  n‘Can mortal man be in the right before2 God?

Can a man be pure before his Maker?

18  Even in his servants ohe puts no trust,

and his angels he charges with error;

19  how much more those who dwell in houses of pclay,

whose foundation is in qthe