(A)Now there was a day when the [a](B)sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and [b]Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “(C)From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you [c]considered (D)My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, (E)a blameless and upright man, [d]fearing God and turning away from evil.” Then (F)Satan answered the [e]Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 (G)Have You not made a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? (H)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his (I)possessions have increased in the land. 11 (J)But reach out with Your hand now and (K)touch all that he has; he will certainly curse You to Your face.” 12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your [f]power; only do not reach out and put your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 1:6 I.e., prob. angels
  2. Job 1:6 Heb ha-satan; i.e., the adversary, and so throughout the ch
  3. Job 1:8 Lit set your heart on
  4. Job 1:8 Or revering
  5. Job 1:9 Lit Lord and said
  6. Job 1:12 Lit hand

The First Test: Family and Fortune

6-7 One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. God singled out Satan and said, “What have you been up to?”

Satan answered God, “Going here and there, checking things out on earth.”

God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.”

9-10 Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose!

11 “But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his? He’d curse you right to your face, that’s what.”

12 God replied, “We’ll see. Go ahead—do what you want with all that is his. Just don’t hurt him.” Then Satan left the presence of God.

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Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

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