He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.

And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

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

Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”

And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job's Three Friends

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.

dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.

“Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!

so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.

Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish.

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

I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent.

But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.”

Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?

In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Job Continues: Still I Will Hope in God

“Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it.

As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all.

You put my feet in the stocks and watch all my paths; you set a limit for the soles of my feet.

Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All

“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.

If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.

The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless.