Chapter 1

Job’s Character and Wealth

1 There 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.

2 aSeven sons and three daughters were born to him.

3 aHis 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.

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 When 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.

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

7 The 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.”

8 The 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.”

9 Then 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.”

12 Then 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

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

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

15 and 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.”

16 While 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.”

17 While 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.”

18 While 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,

19 and 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.”

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

21 He 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.”

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

Chapter 2

Job Loses His Health

1 aAgain 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.

2 The 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.”

3 The 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.”

4 Satan 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.”

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

7 Then 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.

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

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

10 But 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.

11 Now 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.

12 When 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.

13 aThen 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.

Chapter 3

Job’s Lament

1 Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed 1the day of his birth.

2 And Job 1said,

3 “aLet the day perish on which I was to be born,

And the night which said, ‘A 1boy is conceived.’

4 “May that day be darkness;

Let not God above care for it,

Nor light shine on it.

5 “Let adarkness and black gloom claim it;

Let a cloud settle on it;

Let the blackness of the day terrify it.

6 “As for that night, let 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 shout enter it.

8 “Let those curse it who curse the day,

Who are 1prepared to arouse Leviathan.

9 “Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;

Let it wait for light but have none,

And let it not see the 1breaking dawn;

10 Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,

Or hide trouble from my eyes.

11 “aWhy did I not die 1at birth,

Come forth from the womb and expire?

12 “Why did the knees receive me,

And why the breasts, that I should suck?

13 “For now I awould have lain down and been quiet;

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

14 With akings and with bcounselors of the earth,

Who rebuilt cruins for themselves;

15 Or with aprinces bwho had gold,

Who were filling their houses with silver.

16 “Or like a miscarriage which is 1discarded, I would not be,

As infants that never saw light.

17 “There the wicked cease from raging,

And there the 1weary are at arest.

18 “The prisoners are at ease together;

They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.

19 “The small and the great are there,

And the slave is free from his master.

20 “Why is alight given to him who suffers,

And life to the bitter of soul,

21 Who 1along for death, but there is none,

And dig for it more than for bhidden treasures,

22 Who rejoice greatly,

And exult when they find the grave?

23 “Why is light given to a man awhose way is hidden,

And whom bGod has hedged in?

24 “For amy groaning comes at the sight of my food,

And bmy cries pour out like water.

25 “For 1awhat I fear comes upon me,

And what I dread befalls me.

26 “I aam not at ease, nor am I quiet,

And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”