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Job Was Greatest of the Sons of the East

There was a man in the (A)land of Uz whose name was (B)Job; and that man was (C)blameless, upright, (D)fearing God, and (E)turning away from evil. (F)Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. (G)His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 pairs of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was (H)the greatest of all the sons of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. Now it happened when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and set them apart as holy. And he would rise up early in the morning and offer (I)burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “(J)Perhaps my sons have sinned and [a](K)cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

All Job Has Is in Satan’s Hand

(L)Now it was the day that the (M)sons of God came to stand before [b]Yahweh, and [c]Satan also came among them. And Yahweh said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, “(N)From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you set your heart upon (O)My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, (P)a blameless and upright man, [d]fearing God and turning away from evil.” And (Q)Satan answered Yahweh and said, “Does Job [e]fear God without cause? 10 (R)Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? (S)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his (T)possessions have increased in the land. 11 (U)But send forth Your hand now and (V)touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12 Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand, only do not send forth your hand toward him.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh.

Messengers Speak of the Fire of God

13 Now it happened that on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the [f]donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and [g]the (W)Sabeans fell upon them and took them. They also struck down the young men with the edge of the sword, and [h]I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While this one was still speaking, another also came and said, “(X)The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the young men and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While this one was still speaking, another also came and said, “The (Y)Chaldeans set up three companies and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the young men with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While this one was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn, 19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and touched 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 arose and (Z)tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said,

(AA)Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
(AB)Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away.
Blessed be the name of Yahweh.”

22 (AC)Through all this Job did not sin, nor did he give offense to God.

Footnotes

  1. Job 1:5 Heb blessed; used euphemistically for cursed, cf. 1:11; 2:5, 9; 1 Kin 21:10, 13
  2. Job 1:6 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  3. Job 1:6 Lit the adversary, so in chs 1 and 2
  4. Job 1:8 Or revering
  5. Job 1:9 Or reverence
  6. Job 1:14 Lit female donkeys
  7. Job 1:15 Lit Sheba
  8. Job 1:15 Lit only I alone, so in vv 16, 17, 19

In the land of Uz was a man that was called Job; and that man was simple, that is, without guile, and rightful, and dreading God, and going away from evil. (In the land of Uz there was a man who was called Job; and that man was without guile, and upright, and feared God/and revered God, and went away from evil.)

And there were seven sons and three daughters born to him;

and his possession was seven thousand of sheep, and three thousand of camels, and five hundred yokes of oxen, and five hundred of female asses (and five hundred female donkeys), and full much household; and this Job was a great man among all the men of the east.

And his sons went, and made feasts by their houses, each man in his day; and they sent, and called their three sisters, to eat, and to drink wine with them. (And his sons held feasts at their houses, each one in his turn; and they sent, and called their three sisters, to come and eat, and drink wine with them.)

And when the days of feast had passed into the world, that is, in(to) the end of the week, Job sent to them, and hallowed them, and he rose early, and offered burnt sacrifices by all (And when the days of feasting had ended, Job sent for them, and sanctified them, and he rose up early, and offered burnt sacrifices for all of them). For he said, Lest peradventure my sons do sin, and curse God in their hearts [Forsooth he said, Lest peradventure my sons sin, and bless[a] to God in their hearts]. Job did so in all (the) days.

And in a day, when the sons of God were come to be present before the Lord, also Satan came among them. (Now on a day, when the sons of God came and were present before the Lord, Satan also came among them.)

To whom the Lord said, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered, and said, I have compassed the earth, and I have walked through it. (To whom the Lord said, Where did you come from? And Satan answered, I have gone all around the earth, and I have walked throughout it.)

And the Lord said to him, Whether thou hast beheld my servant Job, that there is no man in [the] earth like him; he is a simple man, and rightful, and dreading God, and going away from evil? (And the Lord said to him, Hast thou seen my servant Job? There is no man on earth like him; yea, he is without guile, and upright, and feareth God/and revereth God, and goeth away from evil.)

To whom Satan answered, Whether Job dreadeth God vainly? (To whom Satan answered, Hast not Job good reason to fear God?/to revere God?)

10 Whether thou hast not (en)compassed him, and his house(hold), and all his chattel by compass? (Hast thou not surrounded him, and his family, and all his possessions, with protection?) Thou hast blessed the works of his hands, and his possession is increased on [the] earth.

11 But stretch forth thine hand a little, and touch thou all things that he hath in possession, taking them away, or extinguishing them; and if he curse not thee in the face, he is verily simple, and rightwise, and dreading thee (and then if he shall not curse thee to thy face, he is truly without guile, and righteous, and feareth thee/and revereth thee).

12 Therefore the Lord said to Satan, Lo! all things, which he hath, be in thine hand; only stretch thou not forth thine hand into him. And Satan went out from the face of the Lord. (And so the Lord said to Satan, Lo! everything which he hath, is in thy power; only stretch not forth thy hand onto him. And Satan went out from before the Lord.)

13 And when in a day the sons of Job and his daughters ate, and drank wine in the house of their first begotten brother, (And so one day, when Job’s sons and daughters ate, and drank wine in the house of their first-born brother,)

14 a messenger came to Job, and said to him, Thine oxen eared, and thy female asses [were] pastured beside them; (a messenger came to Job, and said to him, Thy oxen plowed, and thy female donkeys were pastured beside them;)

15 and (the) Sabeans felled in, and took away all (thy) things, and smited the servants with sword (and struck down thy servants with their swords); and I alone escaped to tell this to thee.

16 And when he spake yet, another came, and said, [The] Fire of God came down from heaven, and wasted [the] sheep, and [the] servants touched; and I alone escaped for to tell to thee. (And while he still spoke, another messenger came, and said, The fire of God came down from the heavens, and destroyed the sheep, and torched the servants; and I alone escaped to tell this to thee.)

17 But yet the while he spake, also another came, and said, Chaldees made three companies, and assailed the camels, and took those away, and they smited also the servants with sword; and I alone escaped to tell to thee. (And while he still spoke, also another came, and said, The Chaldeans made three companies, and assailed the camels, and took them away, and they also struck down thy servants with their swords; and I alone escaped to tell this to thee.)

18 And yet while he spake, lo! another entered, and said, While thy sons and daughters ate, and drank wine in the house of their first begotten brother, (And while he still spoke, lo! another entered, and said, While thy sons and daughters ate, and drank wine in the house of their first-born brother,)

19 a great wind felled in suddenly from the coast of (the) desert, and shook [the] four corners of the house, which felled down, and (it) oppressed thy children, and they be dead (and they all died); and I alone fled to tell (this) to thee.

20 Then Job rose up, and he rent his clothes, and when his head was polled, he felled down upon the earth, and he worshipped God, (Then Job rose up, and he tore his clothes, and when his head was shaved, he fell down on the ground, and he worshipped God,)

21 and said, I went naked out of the womb of my mother, and naked I shall turn again thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so be it done; the name of the Lord be blessed (blessed be the name of the Lord).

22 In all these things Job sinned not in his lips, neither spake any folly thing against God. (And in all these things Job did not sin with his lips, nor spoke any foolish thing against God.)

Footnotes

  1. Job 1:5 That is, ‘Lest peradventure my sons do sin, and curse God in their hearts’; for the horror of cursing, (the) Jews signified it by the contrary name.

Job and His Family in Uz

There was a man (A)in the land of Uz, whose name was (B)Job; and that man was (C)blameless and upright, and one who (D)feared God and [a]shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the [b]people of the East.

And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and [c]sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning (E)and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and (F)cursed[d] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Satan Attacks Job’s Character

Now (G)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and [e]Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to [f]Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From (H)going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you [g]considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and [h]shuns evil?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 (I)Have You not [i]made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? (J)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 (K)But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely (L)curse[j] You to Your face!”

12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your [k]power; only do not lay a hand on his person.

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job Loses His Property and Children

13 Now there was a day (M)when his 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 feeding beside them, 15 when the [l]Sabeans [m]raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and [n]consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, (N)“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from [o]across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

20 Then Job arose, (O)tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he (P)fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:

(Q)“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord (R)gave, and the Lord has (S)taken away;
(T)Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 (U)In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Footnotes

  1. Job 1:1 Lit. turned away from
  2. Job 1:3 Lit. sons
  3. Job 1:5 consecrate
  4. Job 1:5 Lit. blessed, but in an evil sense; cf. Job 1:11; 2:5, 9
  5. Job 1:6 Lit. the Adversary
  6. Job 1:7 Lit. the Adversary
  7. Job 1:8 Lit. set your heart on
  8. Job 1:8 Lit. turns away from
  9. Job 1:10 Protected him
  10. Job 1:11 Lit. bless, but in an evil sense; cf. Job 1:5
  11. Job 1:12 Lit. hand
  12. Job 1:15 Lit. Sheba; cf. Job 6:19
  13. Job 1:15 Lit. fell upon
  14. Job 1:16 destroyed
  15. Job 1:19 LXX omits across