Job’s Character and Wealth

1 ^[a]There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God]. ² Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³ He also possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (pairs) of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great number of servants, so that this man was the greatest [and wealthiest and most respected] of all the men of the east (northern Arabia). ⁴ His sons used to go [in turn] and feast in the house of each one on his ^[b]day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.^{(A) 5} When the days of their feasting were over, Job would send [for them] and consecrate them, rising early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and ^[c]cursed God in their hearts.” Job did this at all [such] times.

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the ^[d]Lord, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them.^{(B) 7} The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it.” ⁸ The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God].” ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not put a hedge [of protection] around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands [and conferred prosperity and happiness upon him], and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But put forth Your hand now and touch (destroy) all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” ¹² Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

¹³ Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, ¹⁵ and the ^[e]Sabeans attacked and swooped down on them and took away the animals. They also killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The ^[f]Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and have taken them away and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ and suddenly, a great wind came from across the desert, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

²⁰ Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God]. ²¹ He said,

²² Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Job Loses His Health

2 Again there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them to present himself before the Lord. ² The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it.” ³ The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]. And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.” ⁴ Satan answered the Lord, “^[a]Skin for skin! Yes, a man will give all he has for his life. ⁵ But put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh [and severely afflict him]; and he will curse You to Your face.” ⁶ So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life.”

⁷ So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome boils and agonizingly painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸ And Job took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself, and he sat [down] among the ashes (rubbish heaps).

⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still cling to your integrity [and your faith and trust in God, without blaming Him]? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.

¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. ¹² When they looked from a distance and did not recognize him [because of his disfigurement], they raised their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe [in grief] and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky [in sorrow]. ¹³ So they sat down on the ground with Job for seven days and seven nights and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Joshua, the High Priest

3 Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the ^[a]Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua’s right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Even the Lord, who [now and ever] has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is this not a ^[b]log snatched and rescued from the fire?”^{(A) 3} Now Joshua was clothed with ^[c]filthy (nauseatingly vile) garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord]. ⁴ He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And He said to Joshua, “See, I have caused your wickedness to be taken away from you, and I will clothe and beautify you with rich robes [of forgiveness].” ⁵ And I (Zechariah) said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

⁶ And the Angel of the Lord [solemnly and earnestly] admonished Joshua, saying, ⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways [that is, remain faithful] and perform My service, then you will also govern My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you free access [to My presence] among these who are standing here.

The Branch

⁸ Now listen, Joshua, the high priest, you and your colleagues who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol [of what is to come]—for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the ^[d]Branch [in Messianic glory].^{(B) 9} For behold, the ^[e]stone which I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes (symbolizing infinite intelligence, omniscience). Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the wickedness and guilt of this land in a single day.^{(C) 10} In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and his fig tree [enjoying peace and prosperity in the kingdom].’”^(D)