Job 1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Job 1

Job and His Family

 ¹Many years ago, a man named Job lived in the land of Uz. ^[a] He was a truly good person, who respected God and refused to do evil. ²Job had seven sons and three daughters. ³He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred pair of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a large number of servants. He was the richest person in the East.

    ⁴Job's sons took turns having feasts in their homes, and they always invited their three sisters to join in the eating and drinking. ⁵After each feast, Job would send for his children and perform a ceremony, as a way of asking God to forgive them of any wrongs they may have done. He would get up early the next morning and offer a sacrifice for each of them, just in case they had sinned or silently cursed God.

   

Angels, the LORD, and Satan

 ⁶One day, when the angels ^[b] had gathered around the LORD, and Satan ^[c] was there with them, ⁷the LORD asked, "Satan, where have you been?" Satan replied, "I have been going all over the earth."

    ⁸Then the LORD asked, "What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him--he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil."

    ⁹"Why shouldn't he respect you?" Satan remarked. ¹⁰"You are like a wall protecting not only him, but his entire family and all his property. You make him successful in whatever he does, and his flocks and herds are everywhere. ¹¹Try taking away everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face."

    ¹²The LORD replied, "All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don't harm Job."

   Then Satan left.

   

Job Loses Everything

 ¹³Job's sons and daughters were having a feast in the home of his oldest son, ¹⁴when someone rushed up to Job and said, "While your servants were plowing with your oxen, and your donkeys were nearby eating grass, ¹⁵a gang of Sabeans ^[d] attacked and stole the oxen and donkeys! Your other servants were killed, and I was the only one who escaped to tell you." ¹⁶That servant was still speaking, when a second one came running up and saying, "God sent down a fire that killed your sheep and your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."

    ¹⁷Before that servant finished speaking, a third one raced up and said, "Three gangs of Chaldeans ^[e] attacked and stole your camels! All of your other servants were killed, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you." ¹⁸That servant was still speaking, when a fourth one dashed up and said, "Your children were having a feast and drinking wine at the home of your oldest son, ¹⁹when suddenly a windstorm from the desert blew the house down, crushing all of your children. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."

    ²⁰When Job heard this, he tore his clothes and shaved his head because of his great sorrow. He knelt on the ground, then worshiped God ²¹and said:

   "We bring nothing at birth;

   we take nothing

   with us at death.

   The LORD alone gives and takes.

   Praise the name of the LORD!"

    ²²In spite of everything, Job did not sin or accuse God of doing wrong.

   

Job 2

Job Loses His Health

 ¹When the angels ^[f] gathered around the LORD again, Satan ^[g] was there with them, ²and the LORD asked, "Satan, where have you been?" Satan replied, "I have been going all over the earth."

    ³Then the LORD asked, "What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him--he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil. And he hasn't changed, even though you persuaded me to destroy him for no reason."

    ⁴Satan answered, "There's no pain like your own. ^[h] People will do anything to stay alive. ⁵Try striking Job's own body with pain, and he will curse you to your face." ⁶"All right!" the LORD replied. "Make Job suffer as much as you want, but just don't kill him." ⁷Satan left and caused painful sores to break out all over Job's body--from head to toe.

    ⁸Then Job sat on the ash-heap to show his sorrow. And while he was scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery, ⁹his wife asked, "Why do you still trust God? Why don't you curse him and die?"

    ¹⁰Job replied, "Don't talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well." In all that happened, Job never once said anything against God.

   

Job's Three Friends

 ¹¹Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah ^[i] were three of Job's friends, and they heard about his troubles. So they agreed to visit Job and comfort him. ¹²When they came near enough to see Job, they could hardly recognize him. And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly. ¹³For seven days and nights, they sat silently on the ground beside him, because they realized what terrible pain he was in.

Job 3

Job's First Speech

Blot Out the Day of My Birth

 ¹Finally, Job cursed the day

   of his birth

    ²by saying to God:

    ³Blot out the day of my birth

   and the night when my parents

   created a son.

    ⁴Forget about that day,

   cover it with darkness,

    ⁵and send thick, gloomy shadows

   to fill it with dread.

    ⁶Erase that night from the calendar

   and conceal it with darkness.

    ⁷Don't let children be created

   or joyful shouts be heard

   ever again in that night.

    ⁸Let those with magic powers ^[j] place a curse on that day.

    ⁹Darken its morning stars

   and remove all hope of light,

    ¹⁰because it let me be born

   into a world of trouble.

   

Why Didn't I Die at Birth?

 ¹¹Why didn't I die at birth?

    ¹²Why was I accepted ^[k] and allowed to nurse

   at my mother's breast?

    ¹³Now I would be at peace

   in the silent world below

    ¹⁴with kings and their advisors

   whose palaces lie in ruins,

    ¹⁵and with rulers once rich

   with silver and gold.

    ¹⁶I wish I had been born dead

   and then buried,

   never to see

   the light of day.

    ¹⁷In the world of the dead,

   the wicked and the weary rest

   without a worry.

    ¹⁸Everyone is there--

    ¹⁹where captives and slaves

   are free at last.

   

Why Does God Let Me Live?

 ²⁰Why does God let me live

   when life is miserable

   and so bitter?

    ²¹I keep longing for death

   more than I would seek

   a valuable treasure.

    ²²Nothing could make me happier

   than to be in the grave.

    ²³Why do I go on living

   when God has me surrounded,

   and I can't see the road?

    ²⁴Moaning and groaning

   are my food and drink,

    ²⁵and my worst fears

   have all come true.

    ²⁶I have no peace or rest--

   only troubles and worries.

   

Job 4

Eliphaz's First Speech

Please Be Patient and Listen

 ¹Eliphaz from Teman ^[l] said: ²Please be patient and listen

   to what I have to say.

    ³Remember how your words

    ⁴have guided and encouraged

   many in need.

    ⁵But now you feel discouraged

   when struck by trouble.

    ⁶You respect God and live right,

   so don't lose hope!

    ⁷No truly innocent person

   has ever died young.

    ⁸In my experience, only those

   who plant seeds of evil

   harvest trouble,

    ⁹and then they are swept away

   by the angry breath of God.

    ¹⁰They may roar and growl

   like powerful lions.

   But when God breaks their teeth,

    ¹¹they starve,

   and their children

   are scattered.

   

A Secret Was Told to Me

 ¹²A secret was told to me

   in a faint whisper--

    ¹³I was overcome by sleep,

   but disturbed by dreams;

    ¹⁴I trembled with fear,

    ¹⁵and my hair stood on end,

   as a wind blew past my face.

    ¹⁶It stopped and stood still.

   Then a form appeared--

   a shapeless form.

   And from the silence,

   I heard a voice say,

    ¹⁷"No humans are innocent

   in the eyes of God

   their Creator.

    ¹⁸He finds fault with his servants

   and even with his angels.

    ¹⁹Humans are formed from clay

   and are fragile as moths,

   so what chance do you have?

    ²⁰Born after daybreak,

   you die before nightfall

   and disappear forever.

    ²¹Your tent pegs are pulled up,

   and you leave this life,

   having gained no wisdom."

   

Job 5

Eliphaz Continues

Call Out for Help

 ¹Job, call out for help

   and see if an angel comes!

    ²Envy and jealousy

   will kill a stupid fool.

    ³I have seen fools take root.

   But God sends a curse,

   suddenly uprooting them

    ⁴and leaving their children

   helpless in court.

    ⁵Then hungry and greedy people

   gobble down their crops

   and grab up their wealth. ^{[m] 6}Our suffering isn't caused

   by the failure of crops;

    ⁷it's all part of life,

   like sparks shooting skyward.

    ⁸Job, if I were you,

   I would ask God for help.

    ⁹His miracles are marvelous,

   more than we can count.

    ¹⁰God sends showers on earth

   and waters the fields.

    ¹¹He protects the sorrowful

   and lifts up those

   who have been disgraced.

    ¹²God swiftly traps the wicked

    ¹³in their own evil schemes,

   and their wisdom fails.

    ¹⁴Darkness is their only companion,

   hiding their path at noon.

    ¹⁵God rescues the needy

   from the words of the wicked

   and the fist of the mighty.

    ¹⁶The poor are filled with hope,

   and injustice is silenced.

   

Consider Yourself Fortunate

 ¹⁷Consider yourself fortunate

   if God All-Powerful

   chooses to correct you.

    ¹⁸He may cause injury and pain,

   but he will bandage and heal

   your cuts and bruises.

    ¹⁹God will protect you from harm,

   no matter how often

   trouble may strike.

    ²⁰In times of war and famine,

   God will keep you safe.

    ²¹You will be sheltered,

   without fear of hurtful words

   or any other weapon.

    ²²You will laugh at the threat

   of destruction and famine.

   And you won't be afraid

   of wild animals--

    ²³they will no longer be fierce,

   and your rocky fields

   will become friendly.

    ²⁴Your home will be secure,

   and your sheep will be safe.

    ²⁵You will have more descendants

   than there are blades of grass

   on the face of the earth.

    ²⁶You will live a long life,

   and your body will be strong

   until the day you die.

    ²⁷Our experience has proven

   these things to be true,

   so listen and learn.