Prologue

In 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) He had seven sons(G) and three daughters,(H) 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)

His 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. When 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.

One day the angels[a](R) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[b](S) also came with them.(T) 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)

Then 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)

“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?(AA) You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.(AB) 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has,(AC) and he will surely curse you to your face.”(AD)

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

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters(AG) were feasting(AH) and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing(AI) nearby, 15 and the Sabeans(AJ) 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!”

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

17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans(AM) 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!”

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

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe(AS) and shaved his head.(AT) Then he fell to the ground in worship(AU) 21 and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
    and naked I will depart.[c](AV)
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;(AW)
    may the name of the Lord be praised.”(AX)

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.(AY)

Footnotes

  1. Job 1:6 Hebrew the sons of God
  2. Job 1:6 Hebrew satan means adversary.
  3. Job 1:21 Or will return there

On another day the angels[a](A) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them(B) to present himself before him. And 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.”(C)

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.(D) And he still maintains his integrity,(E) though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”(F)

“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has(G) for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones,(H) and he will surely curse you to your face.”(I)

The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands;(J) but you must spare his life.”(K)

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.(L) Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.(M)

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity?(N) Curse God and die!”(O)

10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”(P)

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.(Q)

11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite,(R) Bildad the Shuhite(S) and Zophar the Naamathite,(T) heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.(U) 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him;(V) they began to weep aloud,(W) and they tore their robes(X) and sprinkled dust on their heads.(Y) 13 Then they sat on the ground(Z) with him for seven days and seven nights.(AA) No one said a word to him,(AB) because they saw how great his suffering was.

Footnotes

  1. Job 2:1 Hebrew the sons of God
  2. Job 2:10 The Hebrew word rendered foolish denotes moral deficiency.

25 I know that my redeemer[a](A) lives,(B)
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.[b]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet[c] in[d] my flesh I will see God;(C)
27 I myself will see him
    with my own eyes(D)—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns(E) within me!

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Footnotes

  1. Job 19:25 Or vindicator
  2. Job 19:25 Or on my grave
  3. Job 19:26 Or And after I awake, / though this body has been destroyed, / then
  4. Job 19:26 Or destroyed, / apart from

Elihu

32 So these three men stopped answering Job,(A) because he was righteous in his own eyes.(B) But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,(C) of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself(D) rather than God.(E) He was also angry with the three friends,(F) because they had found no way to refute Job,(G) and yet had condemned him.[a](H) Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.(I) But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God

“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
‘I am pure,(A) I have done no wrong;(B)
    I am clean and free from sin.(C)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.(D)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(E)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(F)

12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.(G)
13 Why do you complain to him(H)
    that he responds to no one’s words[a]?(I)
14 For God does speak(J)—now one way, now another(K)
    though no one perceives it.(L)
15 In a dream,(M) in a vision(N) of the night,(O)
    when deep sleep(P) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak(Q) in their ears
    and terrify them(R) with warnings,(S)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,(T)
18 to preserve them from the pit,(U)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.[b](V)

19 “Or someone may be chastened(W) on a bed of pain(X)
    with constant distress in their bones,(Y)
20 so that their body finds food(Z) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.(AA)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,(AB) once hidden, now stick out.(AC)
22 They draw near to the pit,(AD)
    and their life to the messengers of death.[c](AE)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,(AF) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,(AG)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;(AH)
    I have found a ransom for them(AI)
25 let their flesh be renewed(AJ) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’(AK)
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,(AL)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;(AM)
    he will restore them to full well-being.(AN)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,(AO) I have perverted what is right,(AP)
    but I did not get what I deserved.(AQ)
28 God has delivered(AR) me from going down to the pit,(AS)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’(AT)

29 “God does all these things to a person(AU)
    twice, even three times(AV)
30 to turn them back(AW) from the pit,(AX)
    that the light of life(AY) may shine on them.(AZ)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
  2. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
  3. Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead

22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;(A)
    God comes in awesome majesty.(B)
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;(C)
    in his justice(D) and great righteousness, he does not oppress.(E)
24 Therefore, people revere him,(F)
    for does he not have regard for all the wise(G) in heart?[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Job 37:24 Or for he does not have regard for any who think they are wise.

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job(A) out of the storm.(B) He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans(C)
    with words without knowledge?(D)
Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(E)

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.(G)
Who marked off its dimensions?(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line(I) across it?
On what were its footings set,(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone(K)
while the morning stars(L) sang together(M)
    and all the angels[a](N) shouted for joy?(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God

31 “Can you bind the chains[a] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(A)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(B) in their seasons[b]
    or lead out the Bear[c] with its cubs?(C)
33 Do you know the laws(D) of the heavens?(E)
    Can you set up God’s[d] dominion over the earth?

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Footnotes

  1. Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
  2. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  3. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  4. Job 38:33 Or their

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
    though they cannot compare
    with the wings and feathers of the stork.(A)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
    that some wild animal may trample them.(B)
16 She treats her young harshly,(C) as if they were not hers;
    she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
    or give her a share of good sense.(D)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs(E) at horse and rider.

19 “Do you give the horse its strength(F)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(G)
    striking terror(H) with its proud snorting?(I)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(J)
    and charges into the fray.(K)
22 It laughs(L) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(M) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear(N) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(O)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(P) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(Q)

26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?(R)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?(S)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag(T) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(U)
    its eyes detect it from afar.

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Job

42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things;(A)
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.(B)
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’(C)
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.(D)

“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’(E)
My ears had heard of you(F)
    but now my eyes have seen you.(G)
Therefore I despise myself(H)
    and repent(I) in dust and ashes.”(J)

Epilogue

After the Lord had said these things to Job(K), he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends,(L) because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.(M) So now take seven bulls and seven rams(N) and go to my servant Job(O) and sacrifice a burnt offering(P) for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer(Q) and not deal with you according to your folly.(R) You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”(S) So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite(T) did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.(U)

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes(V) and gave him twice as much as he had before.(W) 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before(X) came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him,(Y) and each one gave him a piece of silver[a] and a gold ring.

12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:11 Hebrew him a kesitah; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.

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