1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and eschewed evil.

² And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

³ His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred sheasses, and a very great household, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East.

⁴ And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day, and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

⁵ And it was so, that when the days of their feasting were ended, Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus did Job continually.

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

⁷ And the Lord said unto Satan, “From whence comest thou?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down upon it.”

⁸ And the Lord said unto Satan, “Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who feareth God and escheweth evil?”

⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Doth Job fear God for nought?

¹⁰ Hast not Thou made a 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 hath 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.

¹³ And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,

¹⁴ and there came a messenger unto Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding beside them,

¹⁵ and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them away. Yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!”

¹⁶ While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, “The fire of God hath fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!”

¹⁷ While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, “The Chaldeans made up three bands, and fell upon the camels and have carried them away, yea, and have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!”

¹⁸ While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, “Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,

¹⁹ and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!”

²⁰ Then Job arose, and rent his mantle and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshiped,

²¹ and said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

²² In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

21 But Job answered and said:

² “Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.

³ Suffer me that I may speak; and after I have spoken, mock on.

⁴ “As for me, is my complaint to man? And if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

⁵ Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth!

⁶ Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

⁷ Why do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

⁸ Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

⁹ Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

¹⁰ Their bull breeds, and faileth not; their cow calveth and casteth not her calf.

¹¹ They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

¹² They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

¹³ They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

¹⁴ Therefore they say unto God, ‘Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.

¹⁵ What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?’

¹⁶ Lo, their good is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷ “How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! And how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in His anger.

¹⁸ They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

¹⁹ God layeth up his iniquity for his children; He rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

²⁰ His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹ For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

²² “Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing He judgeth those that are high?

²³ One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

²⁴ His milk pails are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

²⁵ And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.

²⁶ They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

²⁷ “Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

²⁸ For ye say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? And where are the dwelling places of the wicked?’

²⁹ Have ye not asked them that go along the way? And do ye not know their tokens,

³⁰ that the wicked are reserved for the day of destruction? They shall be brought forth on the day of wrath.

³¹ Who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?

³² Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

³³ The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

³⁴ “How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?”

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

² “Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

³ Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him that thou makest thy ways perfect?

⁴ Will He reprove thee for fear of thee? Will He enter with thee into judgment?

⁵ Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite?

⁶ For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

⁷ Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸ But as for the mighty man, he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it.

⁹ Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰ Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee,

¹¹ or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

¹² “Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

¹³ And thou sayest, ‘How doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?

¹⁴ Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.’

¹⁵ Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden,

¹⁶ who were cut down before their time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood,

¹⁷ who said unto God, ‘Depart from us. And what can the Almighty do to them?’

¹⁸ Yet He filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹ The righteous see it and are glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn;

²⁰ whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

²¹ “Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee.

²² Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine heart.

²³ If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

²⁴ Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

²⁵ Yea, the Almighty shall be thy gold, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

²⁶ For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

²⁷ Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

²⁸ Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

²⁹ When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, ‘There is lifting up!’ And He shall save the humble person.

³⁰ He shall deliver the island of the innocent; and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.”