He also possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (pairs) of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great number of servants, so that this man was the greatest [and wealthiest and most respected] of all the men of the east (northern Arabia).

When the days of their feasting were over, Job would send [for them] and consecrate them, rising early in the morning and offering 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.” Job did this at all [such] times.

Have You not put a hedge [of protection] around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands [and conferred prosperity and happiness upon him], and his possessions have increased in the land.

But put forth Your hand now and touch (destroy) all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! Yes, a man will give all he has for his life.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.

“Let darkness and gloom claim it for their own; Let a cloud settle upon it; Let all that blackens the day terrify it (the day that I was born).

Dread and trembling came upon me, Which made all my bones shake.

So am I allotted months of futility and suffering, And [long] nights of trouble and misery are appointed to me.

“So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish,

“He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills and saturates me with bitterness.

“It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’

“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice]. If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come]; I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.

“Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life] That the hand of the Lord has done this,

In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes

[Job continued:] “Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

“But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully]; You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.

“You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment] And [critically] observe all my paths; You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],

“Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You [in Your control], And You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].

“If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my struggle Until my change and release will come.