Job 1

Prologue

1In the land of Uz^a there lived a man whose name was Job.^b This man was blameless^c and upright;^d he feared God^e and shunned evil.^{f 2}He had seven sons^g and three daughters,^{h 3}and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys,ⁱ and had a large number of servants.^j He was the greatest man^k among all the people of the East.^l

⁴His sons used to hold feasts^m in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified.ⁿ Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering^o for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned^p and cursed God^q in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

⁶One day the angels^ar came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan^bs also came with them.^{t 7}The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”^u

⁸Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?^v There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God^w and shuns evil.”^x

⁹“Does Job fear God for nothing?”^y Satan replied. ¹⁰“Have you not put a hedge^z around him and his household and everything he has?^a You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.^{b 11}But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has,^c and he will surely curse you to your face.”^d

¹²The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has^e is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”^f

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

¹³One day when Job’s sons and daughters^g were feasting^h and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazingⁱ nearby, ¹⁵and the Sabeans^j attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁶While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens^k and burned up the sheep and the servants,^l and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans^m formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁸While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughtersⁿ were feasting^o and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹when suddenly a mighty wind^p swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead,^q and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!^r”

²⁰At this, Job got up and tore his robe^s and shaved his head.^t Then he fell to the ground in worship^{u 21}and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

and naked I will depart.^cv

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;^w

may the name of the Lord be praised.”^x

²²In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.^y