Beginning
Job
1 1 The holiness, riches, and care of Job for his children. 10 Satan hath permission to tempt him. 13 He tempteth him by taking away his substance, and his children. 20 His faith and patience.
1 There was a man in the land of [a]Uz called Job, and this man [b]was an upright and just man, [c]one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2 And he had seven sons, and three daughters.
3 His [d]substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and his family was very great, so that this man was the greatest of all the [e]men of [f]the East.
4 And his sons went and banqueted in their houses, every one his day, and sent, and called their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 And when the days of their banqueting were gone about, Job sent, and [g]sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and [h]offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, It may be that my sons have sinned, and [i]blasphemed God in their hearts, thus did Job [j]every day.
6 ¶ Now on a day when the [k]children of God came and stood [l]before the Lord, Satan [m]came also among them.
7 Then the Lord said unto Satan, Whence [n]comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, saying, [o]From compassing the earth to and fro, and from walking in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou not considered my servant Job, how none is like him in the earth? an upright and just man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for [p]nought?
10 Hast thou not made [q]an 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 is increased in the land.
11 But stretch out now thine hand and [r]touch all that he hath, to see if he will not blaspheme thee [s]to thy face.
12 Then the Lord said unto Satan, Lo, all that he hath is in [t]thine hand: only upon himself shalt thou not stretch out thine hand. So Satan departed from the [u]presence of the Lord.
13 ¶ And on a day, when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,
14 There came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding in their places,
15 And the [v]Sabeans came violently, and took them: yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword: but I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 And while he was yet speaking, another came, and said, The [w]fire of God is fallen from the heaven, and hath burnt up the sheep and the servants, and devoured them: but I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 And while he was yet speaking, another came, and said, The Chaldeans set on three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them, and have slain the servants with the edge of the sword: but I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 And while he was yet speaking, came another, and said, Thy [x]sons, and thy daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,
19 And behold, there came a great wind from beyond the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, which fell upon the children, and they are dead, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20 Then Job arose, and [y]rent his garment, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, (A)Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return [z]thither: the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken it: [aa]blessed be the Name of the Lord.
22 In all this did not Job sin, nor charge God [ab]foolishly.
2 6 Satan hath permission to afflict Job. 9 His wife tempteth him to forsake God. 11 His three friends visit him.
1 And on a day the [ac]children of God came and stood before the Lord, and [ad]Satan came also among them, and stood before the Lord.
2 Then the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From compassing the earth to and fro, and from walking in it.
3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou not considered my servant Job, how none is like him in the earth? (B)an upright and just man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? for yet he continueth in his uprightness, [ae]although thou movedst me against him, to destroy [af]him without cause.
4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, [ag]Skin for skin, and all that ever a man hath, will he give for his life.
5 But stretch now out thine hand, and touch his [ah]bones and his flesh, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face.
6 Then the Lord said unto Satan, Lo, he is in thine hand, but save [ai]his life.
7 ¶ So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore [aj]boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
8 And he took a [ak]potsherd to scrape him, and he sat down among the ashes.
9 Then said his [al]wife unto him, Dost thou [am]continue yet in thine uprightness? [an]Blaspheme God, and die.
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman: what? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and not [ao]receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his [ap]lips.
11 Now when Job’s three [aq]friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place, to wit, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they were agreed together to come to lament with him, and to comfort him.
12 So when they lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not: therefore they lifted up their voices and wept, and every one of them rent his garment and sprinkled [ar]dust upon their heads toward the heaven.
13 So they sat by him upon the ground seven days, and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that the grief was very [as]great.
3 1 Job complaineth, and curseth the day of his birth. 11 He desireth to die, as though death were the end of all man’s misery.
1 Afterward [at]Job opened his mouth, and [au]cursed his day.
2 And Job cried out, and said,
3 Let the day [av]perish wherein I was born, and the night when it was said, There is a man child conceived.
4 Let that day be darkness, let not God [aw]regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it,
5 But let darkness and the [ax]shadow of death stain it: let the cloud remain upon it, and let them make it fearful as a bitter day.
6 Let darkness possess that night, let it not be joined unto the days of the year, nor let it come into the count of the months.
7 Yea, desolate be that night, and let no joy be in it.
8 Let them that curse the day, (being [ay]ready to renew their mourning) curse it.
9 Let the stars of that twilight be dim through darkness of it: let it look for light, but have none: neither let it [az]see [ba]the dawning of the day,
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
11 [bb]Why died I not in the birth? or why died I not, when I came out of the womb?
12 Why did the knees prevent me? and why did I suck the breasts?
13 For so should I now have [bc]lain and been quiet, I should have slept then, and been at rest,
14 With the kings and counselors of the earth, which have built themselves [bd]desolate places:
15 Or with the princes that had gold, and have filled their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not hid, as an untimely birth, either as infants, which have not seen the light?
17 The wicked [be]have there ceased from their tyranny, and there they that labored valiantly, are at rest.
18 The [bf]prisoners rest together, and hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 There are small and great, and the servant is free from his master.
20 Wherefore is the light given to him that is in misery? and [bg]life unto them that have heavy hearts?
21 Which long for death, and if it come not, they would even search it more than treasures:
22 Which joy for gladness, and rejoice, when they can find the grave.
23 Why is the light given to the man whose way is [bh]hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the water.
25 For the thing I [bi]feared, is come upon me, and the thing that I was afraid of, is come unto me.
26 I had no peace, neither had I quietness, neither had I rest, [bj]yet trouble is come.
4 5 Job is reprehended of impatience, 7 and injustice, 17 and of the presumption of his own righteousness.
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite, answered and said,
2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but [bk]who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Behold, thou hast taught many, and [bl]hast strengthened the weary hands.
4 Thy words have confirmed him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the weak knees.
5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou art grieved: it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Is not this thy [bm]fear, thy confidence, thy patience, and uprightness of thy ways?
7 Remember, I pray thee: who ever perished, being an [bn]innocent? or where were the upright destroyed?
8 As I have seen, they that [bo]plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
9 With the [bp]blast of God they perish, and with the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
10 The roaring of the [bq]Lion, and the voice of the Lioness, and the teeth of the Lion’s whelps are broken.
11 The Lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the Lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.
12 But a thing was brought to me [br]secretly, and mine ear hath received a little thereof.
13 In the thoughts of the visions of the night, when sleep falleth on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and dread which made all my bones [bs]to tremble.
15 And the wind passed before me, and made the hairs of my flesh to stand up.
16 Then stood one, and I knew not his face: an image was before mine eyes, and in [bt]silence heard I a voice, saying,
17 Shall man be more [bu]just than God? or shall a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Behold, he found no steadfastness in his servants, and laid folly upon his [bv]Angels.
19 How much more in them that dwell in houses of [bw]clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which shall be destroyed before the moth?
20 They be destroyed from the [bx]morning unto the evening: they perish forever, [by]without regard.
21 Doth not their dignity go away with them? do they not die, and that without [bz]wisdom?
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.