Prologue

1 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) 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)

⁴ 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. ⁵ 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.