Job 1
La Palabra (España)
I.— PRÓLOGO EN CINCO ACTOS Y UN ENTREACTO (1—2)
Job sometido a prueba
1 Érase una vez un hombre llamado Job, que vivía en el país de Hus. Era justo, honrado y respetuoso de Dios, y vivía apartado del mal. 2 Tenía siete hijos y tres hijas. 3 Poseía siete mil ovejas, tres mil camellos, quinientas yuntas de bueyes, quinientas burras y muchísimos siervos. Era el más rico de los hombres de Oriente. 4 Sus hijos solían juntarse para comer, cada día en casa de uno, e invitaban a sus tres hermanas. 5 Terminados esos días de fiesta, Job los hacía venir para purificarlos; y de mañana ofrecía un holocausto por cada uno, por si habían pecado maldiciendo a Dios en su interior. Cada vez hacía Job lo mismo. 6 Un día se presentaron ante el Señor los hijos de Dios; también Satán entró con ellos. 7 El Señor preguntó a Satán:
— ¿De dónde vienes?
Satán respondió al Señor:
— Vengo de dar vueltas por la tierra; de andar por ella.
8 El Señor añadió:
— ¿Te has fijado en mi siervo Job? En la tierra no hay otro como él: es un hombre justo, honrado y respetuoso de Dios, y vive apartado del mal.
9 Satán contestó al Señor:
— ¿Y crees que Job respeta a Dios sin motivo? 10 Tú mismo lo has rodeado de seguridad; lo has protegido, junto con su hogar y sus pertenencias: has bendecido sus trabajos, y sus rebaños llenan el país. 11 Pero te apuesto que si extiendes tu mano y dañas sus posesiones, te maldecirá a la cara.
12 El Señor respondió a Satán:
— Haz lo que quieras con sus cosas, pero no se te ocurra tocar su persona. Satán abandonó la presencia del Señor.
13 Un día que sus hijos e hijas banqueteaban en casa del hermano mayor, 14 llegó un mensajero a casa de Job con la siguiente noticia:
— Mientras los bueyes estaban arando y las burras pastando a su lado, 15 cayeron sobre ellos unos sabeos, acuchillaron a los mozos y se llevaron el ganado. Sólo yo he podido escapar para contártelo.
16 Aún no había acabado el mensajero de hablar, cuando llegó otro con la siguiente noticia:
— Ha caído un rayo del cielo que ha quemado y consumido a las ovejas y a los pastores. Sólo yo he podido escapar para contártelo.
17 Aún no había acabado este de hablar, cuando llegó otro con la siguiente noticia:
— Una banda de caldeos, divididos en tres grupos, ha caído sobre los camellos y se los ha llevado, después de acuchillar a los mozos. Sólo yo he podido escapar para contártelo.
18 Aún no había acabado este de hablar, cuando llegó otro con la siguiente noticia:
— Estaban tus hijos y tus hijas banqueteando en casa del hermano mayor, 19 cuando un huracán que cruzaba el desierto embistió la casa por los cuatro costados; la casa se derrumbó sobre los jóvenes y los mató. Sólo yo he podido escapar para contártelo.
20 Job se levantó, se rasgó la ropa, se afeitó la cabeza, se echó por tierra 21 y dijo: “Desnudo salí del vientre de mi madre y desnudo volveré a él. El Señor me lo dio, el Señor me lo quitó; bendito sea el nombre del Señor”.
22 A pesar de todo lo sucedido, Job no pecó ni maldijo a Dios.
Job 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. Prologue
Chapter 1
Job’s Piety. 1 In the land of Uz[a] there was a blameless and upright man named Job,(A) who feared God and avoided evil. 2 Seven sons and three daughters were born to him; 3 and he had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-donkeys, and a very large household, so that he was greater than anyone in the East.[b] 4 His sons used to take turns giving feasts, sending invitations to their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when each feast had run its course, Job would send for them and sanctify them, rising early and offering sacrifices for every one of them. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned and cursed[c] God in their hearts.” Job did this habitually.
The Interview Between the Lord and the Satan. 6 (B)One day, when the sons of God[d] came to present themselves before the Lord, the satan also came among them.(C) 7 The Lord said to the satan, “Where have you been?” Then the satan answered the Lord and said,(D) “Roaming the earth and patrolling it.” 8 The Lord said to the satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil.” 9 The satan answered the Lord and said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing? 10 Have you not surrounded him and his family and all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock are spread over the land. 11 (E)But now put forth your hand and touch all that he has, and surely he will curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to the satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on him.” So the satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
The First Trial. 13 One day, while his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing beside them, 15 and the Sabeans[e] carried them off in a raid. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 He was still speaking when another came and said, “God’s fire has fallen from heaven and struck the sheep and the servants and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 He was still speaking when another came and said, “The Chaldeans[f] formed three columns, seized the camels, carried them off, and put the servants to the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 He was still speaking when another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the desert and smashed the four corners of the house. It fell upon the young people and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Job’s Reaction. 20 Then Job arose and tore his cloak and cut off his hair. He fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said,
“Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb,(F)
and naked shall I go back there.[g]
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord!”
22 In all this Job did not sin,(G) nor did he charge God with wrong.
Footnotes
- 1:1 Uz: somewhere in Edom or Arabia; see Lam 4:21. Job: the name probably means “Where is the (divine) father?” In Hebrew it is almost a homonym with the word for “enemy” (see note on 13:24; cf. 33:10).
- 1:3 The East: that is, east of Palestine.
- 1:5 Cursed: lit., “blessed.” So also in v. 11; 2:5, 9.
- 1:6 Sons of God: members of the divine council; see Gn 6:1–4; Dt 32:8; Ps 82:1. The satan: lit., “adversary” (as in 1 Kgs 11:14). Here a member of the heavenly court, “the accuser” (Zec 3:1). In later biblical traditions this character will be developed as the devil (Gk. diabolos, “adversary”).
- 1:15 Sabeans: from southern Arabia.
- 1:17 Chaldeans: from southern Mesopotamia; in the mid-first millennium B.C., synonymous with “Babylonians.”
- 1:21 Go back there: to the earth; cf. Gn 2:7; see note on Sir 40:1.
La Palabra, (versión española) © 2010 Texto y Edición, Sociedad Bíblica de España
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