Job 1–2

Chapter 1

Job’s Character and Wealth

¹There was a man in the ^aland of Uz whose name was ^bJob; and that man was ^cblameless, upright, ^dfearing God and ^eturning away from evil.

^2aSeven sons and three daughters were born to him.

^3aHis possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was ^bthe greatest of all the ¹men of the east.

⁴His 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.

⁵When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering ^aburnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “^bPerhaps my sons have sinned and ^ccursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

^6aNow there was a day when the ^bsons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and ¹Satan also came among them.

⁷The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “^aFrom roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

⁸The Lord said to Satan, “Have you ¹considered ^aMy servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, ^ba blameless and upright man, ²fearing God and turning away from evil.”

⁹Then ^aSatan answered the ¹Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

¹⁰“^aHave You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? ^bYou have blessed the work of his hands, and his ^cpossessions have increased in the land.

¹¹“^aBut put forth Your hand now and ^btouch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

¹²Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your ¹power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

¹³Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

¹⁴a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the ¹donkeys feeding beside them,

¹⁵and ¹the ^aSabeans ²attacked and took them. They also ³slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and ⁴I alone have escaped to tell you.”

¹⁶While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “^aThe 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.”

¹⁷While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The ^aChaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and ¹slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

¹⁸While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

¹⁹and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

²⁰Then Job arose and ^atore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.

²¹He said,

“^aNaked I came from my mother’s womb,

And naked I shall return there.

The ^bLord gave and the Lord has taken away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

^22aThrough all this Job did not sin nor did he ¹blame God.

Chapter 2

Job Loses His Health

^1aAgain there 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.

²The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

³The Lord said to Satan, “Have you ¹considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man ²fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still ^aholds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ³ruin him without cause.”

⁴Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.

⁵“^aHowever, put forth Your hand now, and ^btouch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.”

⁶So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your ¹power, only spare his life.”

⁷Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with ^asore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

⁸And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while ^ahe was sitting among the ashes.

⁹Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”

¹⁰But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. ^aShall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” ^bIn all this Job did not sin with his lips.

¹¹Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the ^aTemanite, Bildad the ^bShuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to ^csympathize with him and comfort him.

¹²When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them ^atore his robe and they ^bthrew dust over their heads toward the sky.

^13aThen they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.