Job 1–2

Job’s Character and Greatness

1There was a man in the land of Uz whose^a name was Job. That^b man was blameless and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil. ²And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³Then^c his livestock came to be seven thousand sheep and goats and three thousand camels and five hundred pairs^d of oxen and five hundred female donkeys, and he had very many slaves, and that man was greater than all the people of the east. ⁴And his sons used to go and hold a feast at each other’s house^e on his day, and they would send, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. ⁵Then when^f the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send,^g and he would sanctify them. Thus^h he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of all of them, because Job thought,ⁱ “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed^j God in their heart.” This is what Job used to do all the time.^k

⁶And it happened one day^l that^m the sons of Godⁿ came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan^o also came into their midst. ⁷So^p Yahweh said to Satan,^q “From where have you come?”

Then^r Satan^s answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming on the earth and from walking about in it.”

⁸So^t Yahweh said to Satan,^u “Have you considered^v my servant Job? Indeed,^w there is no one like him on the earth—a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil.”

⁹Then^x Satan^y answered Yahweh and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have you^z not put a fence around him and his household and around all that belongs to him^a on every side?^b You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock^c has increased in the land. ¹¹But,^d on the other hand, stretch out^e your hand and touch all that belongs to him^f and see whether^g he will curse^h you to your face.”

¹²Soⁱ Yahweh said to Satan,^j “Look, all that belongs to him^k is in your power.^l Only do not stretch out your hand against^m him.” Soⁿ Satan^o went out from Yahweh’s presence.^p

The Adversary’s Attack on Job’s Possessions

¹³And then there was one day when^q his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother’s house. ¹⁴And a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding beside them.^{r 15}Then^s the Sabeans attacked,^t and they took them, and they slew the servants by the edge of the sword.^u But^v I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”

¹⁶While this one was still speaking, another^w came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens, and it blazed up against the sheep and goats and against the servants, and it consumed them. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”

¹⁷While this one was still speaking, another^x came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three divisions, and they made a raid on the camels, and they carried them away, and they struck your servants by the edge of the sword,^y but I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”

¹⁸At the time^z this one was speaking, another^a came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother’s house. ¹⁹And behold,^b a great wind came from across the desert, and it struck the four corners of the house so that^c it fell upon the young people, and they died. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”

²⁰Then^d Job arose and tore his outer garment^e and shaved his head; then^f he fell upon the ground and he worshiped. ²¹Then^g he said, “Naked I came out from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. Yahweh gives, and Yahweh takes. Let Yahweh’s name be blessed.” ²²In all this, Job did not sin and did not charge God with wrongdoing.^h

The Adversary’s Attack on Job’s Person

2And then^a one day the sons of God^b came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan^c also came into their midst to present himself before Yahweh. ²So^d Yahweh asked^e Satan,^f “From where have you come?”

And Satan^g answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming on the earth and from walking about in it.”

³So^h Yahweh askedⁱ Satan,^j “Have you considered^k my servant Job? Indeed,^l there is no one like him on the earth—a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil. And still he persists in his blamelessness even though^m you incited me against him to destroy him for nothing.”

⁴Thenⁿ Satan^o answered him and said, “Skin for skin! All that that^p man has he will give for his life. ⁵But stretch out^q your hand and touch his bones and his flesh, and see whether^r he will curse^s you to your face.”^t

⁶So^u Yahweh said to Satan,^v “All right,^w he is in your power.^x Only spare his life.”

Job’s Blameless Behavior

⁷So^y Satan^z went out from Yahweh’s presence,^a and he inflicted Job with loathsome skin sores from the sole of his foot up to the crown of his head. ⁸So^b he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and he sat in the midst of the ashes.

⁹Then^c his wife said to him, “Are you still persisting in your blamelessness? Curse^d God and die.”

¹⁰So^e he said to her, “You speak like one of the foolish women speaks. Indeed, should we receive the good from God, but^f not receive the evil?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

¹¹Thus^g Job’s three friends heard of this calamity that had come upon him. So^h each set out from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite. And they metⁱ together to come to console him and to comfort him.

¹²Thus^j they lifted up their eyes^k from afar, but^l they did not recognize him, so^m they raised their voice, and they wept, and each man tore his outer garmentⁿ and threw dust on their heads toward the sky.^{o 13}Then^p they sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, but^q no one spoke^r a word to him because they saw that his^s suffering was very great.