Job's Character and Wealth

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”

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.

He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no evil shall touch you.

“Behold, God will not reject a blameless man, nor take the hand of evildoers.

They conceive trouble and give birth to evil, and their womb prepares deceit.”

“Though evil is sweet in his mouth, though he hides it under his tongue,

that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity, that he is rescued in the day of wrath?

Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.

And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

But when I hoped for good, evil came, and when I waited for light, darkness came.

“If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him

who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men?

There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.

There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.

Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.