⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael^(A) and his angels fought against the dragon,^(B) and the dragon and his angels^(C) fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent^(D) called the devil,^(E) or Satan,^(F) who leads the whole world astray.^(G) He was hurled to the earth,^(H) and his angels with him.

The Fall

3 Now the serpent^(A) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?^(B)”

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,^{(C) 3} but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”^(D)

⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.^{(E) 5} “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,^(F) knowing good and evil.”

⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable^(G) for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,^(H) who was with her, and he ate it.^{(I) 7} Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;^(J) so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.^(K)

⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking^(L) in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid^(M) from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”^(N)

¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid^(O) because I was naked;^(P) so I hid.”

¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked?^(Q) Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?^(R)”

¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me^(S)—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me,^(T) and I ate.”

¹⁴ So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

¹⁶ To the woman he said,

¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’^(AB)

²⁰ Adam^[c] named his wife Eve,^[d](AL) because she would become the mother of all the living.

²¹ The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.^{(AM) 22} And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us,^(AN) knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life^(AO) and eat, and live forever.” ²³ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden^(AP) to work the ground^(AQ) from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side^[e] of the Garden of Eden^(AR) cherubim^(AS) and a flaming sword^(AT) flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.^(AU)

Prologue

1 In the land of Uz^(A) there lived a man whose name was Job.^(B) This man was blameless^(C) and upright;^(D) he feared God^(E) and shunned evil.^{(F) 2} He had seven sons^(G) and three daughters,^{(H) 3} and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys,^(I) and had a large number of servants.^(J) He was the greatest man^(K) among all the people of the East.^(L)

⁴ His sons used to hold feasts^(M) in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified.^(N) Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering^(O) for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned^(P) and cursed God^(Q) in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

⁶ One day the angels^[a](R) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan^[b](S) also came with them.^{(T) 7} The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”^(U)

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?^(V) There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God^(W) and shuns evil.”^(X)

⁹ “Does Job fear God for nothing?”^(Y) Satan replied. ¹⁰ “Have you not put a hedge^(Z) around him and his household and everything he has?^(AA) You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.^{(AB) 11} But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has,^(AC) and he will surely curse you to your face.”^(AD)

¹² The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has^(AE) is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”^(AF)

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

¹³ One day when Job’s sons and daughters^(AG) were feasting^(AH) and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing^(AI) nearby, ¹⁵ and the Sabeans^(AJ) attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens^(AK) and burned up the sheep and the servants,^(AL) and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans^(AM) formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁸ While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters^(AN) were feasting^(AO) and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ when suddenly a mighty wind^(AP) swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead,^(AQ) and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!^(AR)”

²⁰ At this, Job got up and tore his robe^(AS) and shaved his head.^(AT) Then he fell to the ground in worship^{(AU) 21} and said:

²² In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.^(AY)

2 On another day the angels^[d](AZ) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them^(BA) to present himself before him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”^(BB)

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.^(BC) And he still maintains his integrity,^(BD) though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”^(BE)

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has^(BF) for his own life. ⁵ But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones,^(BG) and he will surely curse you to your face.”^(BH)

⁶ The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands;^(BI) but you must spare his life.”^(BJ)

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.^{(BK) 8} Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.^(BL)

⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity?^(BM) Curse God and die!”^(BN)

¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish^[e] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”^(BO)

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.^(BP)

¹¹ When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite,^(BQ) Bildad the Shuhite^(BR) and Zophar the Naamathite,^(BS) heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.^{(BT) 12} When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him;^(BU) they began to weep aloud,^(BV) and they tore their robes^(BW) and sprinkled dust on their heads.^{(BX) 13} Then they sat on the ground^(BY) with him for seven days and seven nights.^(BZ) No one said a word to him,^(CA) because they saw how great his suffering was.

¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan^(A) fall like lightning from heaven.^(B)