Job 1
International Children’s Bible
Job, the Good Man
1 A man named Job lived in the land of Uz. He was an honest man and innocent of any wrong. He honored God and stayed away from evil. 2 Job had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 pairs of oxen and 500 female donkeys. And he had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 Job’s sons took turns holding feasts in their homes. And they invited their sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 After a feast was over, Job would send and have them made clean. Early in the morning Job would offer a burnt offering for each of them. He thought, “My children may have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job did this every time.
Satan Appears Before God
6 One day the angels came to show themselves before the Lord. Satan[a] also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “I have been wandering around the earth. I have been going back and forth in it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him. He is an honest man and innocent of any wrong. He honors God and stays away from evil.”
9 But Satan answered God, “Job honors God for a good reason. 10 You have put a wall around him, his family and everything he owns. You have blessed the things he has done. So his flocks of sheep and herds of cattle are large. They almost cover the land. 11 But reach out your hand and destroy everything he has. Then he will curse you to your face.”
12 The Lord said to Satan, “All right, then. Everything Job has is in your power. But you must not touch Job himself.” Then Satan left the Lord’s presence.
13 One day Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine together. They were at the oldest brother’s house. 14 A messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing. And the donkeys were eating grass nearby. 15 And the Sabeans attacked and carried them away. They killed the servants with swords. And I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
16 The messenger was still speaking when another messenger came in. He said, “Lightning from God fell from the sky. It burned up the sheep and the servants. And I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
17 The second messenger was still speaking when another messenger came in. He said, “The Babylonians sent three groups of attackers. They swept down and stole your camels. They killed the servants. And I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
18 The third messenger was still speaking when another messenger came in. He said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine together. They were at the oldest brother’s house. 19 Suddenly a great wind came in from the desert. It struck all four corners of the house at once. The house fell in on your sons and daughters. And they are all dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
20 When Job heard this, he got up. To show how sad he was he tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he bowed down to the ground to worship God. 21 He said:
“I was naked when I was born.
And I will be naked when I die.
The Lord gave these things to me. And he has taken them away.
Praise the name of the Lord.”
22 In all this Job did not sin. He did not blame God.
Footnotes
- 1:6 Satan Or “the accuser.”
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.
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