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 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. ² 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)

³ 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)

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has^(G) for his own life. ⁵ But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones,^(H) and he will surely curse you to your face.”^(I)

⁶ The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands;^(J) but you must spare his life.”^(K)

⁷ 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) 8} Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.^(M)

⁹ 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)