Satan Tests Job

1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was without blame. He was right and good, he feared God, and turned away from sin. ² Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³ He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants. He was the greatest of all the men of the east. ⁴ His sons used to go and make a special supper in each one’s house on a special day. And they would send for their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ When the days of their special supper were over, Job would get up early in the morning and send for them. Then he would give burnt gifts for each of them so that they would be pure. For Job said, “It might be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job always did this.

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to show themselves before the Lord. Satan came with them also. ⁷ And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From traveling around on the earth and walking around on it.” ⁸ The Lord said to Satan, “Have you thought about My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth. He is without blame, a man who is right and good. He honors God with fear and turns away from sin.” ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not made a wall around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have brought good to the work of his hands, and he has received more and more in the land. ¹¹ But put out Your hand now and touch all that he has. And for sure he will curse You to Your face.” ¹² Then the Lord said to Satan, “See, all that he has is in your power. Only do not put your hand on him.” So Satan went out from the Lord.

Job’s Children and Riches Are Destroyed

¹³ On a day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a man came to Job with news, saying, “The oxen were pulling the plow and the donkeys were eating beside them. ¹⁵ And the Sabeans came and took them. They also killed the servants with the sword. I alone have run away from them to tell you.” ¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another man came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and destroyed them. I alone have gotten away to tell you.” ¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The Babylonians divided into three groups and came to fight. They took the camels and killed the servants with the sword. I alone have gotten away to tell you.” ¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. ¹⁹ And see, a strong wind came from the desert and hit the four corners of the house. It fell on the young people and they are dead. I alone have gotten away to tell you.”

²⁰ Then Job stood up and tore his clothing and cut the hair from his head. And he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ He said, “Without clothing I was born from my mother, and without clothing I will return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Praise the name of the Lord.” ²² In all this Job did not sin or blame God.

Satan Tests Job the Second Time

2 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to show themselves before the Lord. And Satan came with them also to show himself before the Lord. ² The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From traveling around the earth and walking around on it.” ³ The Lord said to Satan, “Have you thought about My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth. He is without blame, a man who is right and good. He fears God and turns away from sin. He still holds to his good ways, even when I allowed you to go against him, and to destroy him for no reason.” ⁴ Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ Put out Your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face.” ⁶ So the Lord said to Satan, “See, he is in your power. Only do not kill him.”

⁷ Then Satan went out from the Lord. And he made very bad sores come on Job from the bottom of his foot to the top of his head. ⁸ Job took a piece of a broken pot to try to cut off the sores while he sat among the ashes. ⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold on to your faith? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Should we receive good from God and not receive trouble?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job’s Friends Come to Him

¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this trouble that had come upon him, they came each from his own place. They were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They agreed to meet together to come to share Job’s sorrow and comfort him. ¹² And when they looked up from far away and saw how different he looked, they cried in loud voices. They tore their clothing and threw dust over their heads toward the sky. ¹³ Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very bad.

Job Speaks Angry Words to God

3 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born. ² He said, ³ “Let the day be lost on which I was born, and the night which said, ‘A boy is born.’ ⁴ May that day be darkness. May God above not care for it. May light not shine on it. ⁵ Let darkness and a heavy shadow take it for their own. Let a cloud come upon it. Let the darkness of the day bring fear upon it. ⁶ As for that night, let darkness take hold of it. Let it not have joy among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of months. ⁷ Yes, let that night be alone and empty. Let no sound of joy come into it. ⁸ Let those curse it who curse the day, who are able to wake up the Leviathan. ⁹ Let the early morning stars be made dark. Let it wait for light but have none. Do not let it see the light of day. ¹⁰ Because it did not keep my mother from giving birth to me, or hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹ “Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not come from my mother and die? ¹² Why did the knees receive me, or why the breasts, that I should have milk? ¹³ For now I would have lain down and been quiet. I would have slept then. I would have been at rest, ¹⁴ with kings and wise men of the earth who built cities for themselves that are now destroyed. ¹⁵ I would have been at rest with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. ¹⁶ Why did I not die before I was born, hidden and put away, as babies that never see the light? ¹⁷ There the troubles of the sinful stop. There the tired are at rest. ¹⁸ Those in prison are at rest together. They do not hear the voice of the one who rules over their work. ¹⁹ The small and the great are there. And the servant is free from his owner.

²⁰ “Why is light given to him who suffers? Why is life given to those who feel sad in their soul? ²¹ They wait for death, but there is none. They dig for it more than for hidden riches. ²² They are filled with much joy and are glad, when they find the grave. ²³ Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and around whom God has built a wall? ²⁴ For I cry inside myself in front of my food. My cries pour out like water. ²⁵ What I was afraid of has come upon me. What filled me with fear has happened. ²⁶ I am not at rest, and I am not quiet. I have no rest, but only trouble.”