Beginning
Job, the Good Man
1 A man named Job lived in the land of Uz [C east of Israel in Edom (present-day Jordan); Lam. 4:21]. He was an ·honest [innocent; blameless; Prov. 2:7, 21] and ·innocent [virtuous; Prov. 1:3] man; he ·honored [feared; respected] God [28:28; Prov. 1:7] and stayed away from evil [C these terms are used to describe the wise in Proverbs]. 2 Job had seven sons and three daughters [C indicating a large and complete family]. 3 He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys. He also had a large number of servants. He was the ·greatest [or richest] man among all the people of the East [C the expected reward of wisdom].
4 Job’s sons took turns holding feasts [L on their day; C perhaps birthday celebrations] in their homes and invited their sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 After a feast was over, Job would send and have them ·made clean [consecrated; made holy]. Early in the morning Job would offer a burnt offering [C an atonement offering; Lev. 1:1–17] for each of them, because he thought, “My children may have sinned and ·cursed [L blessed; C a euphemism for “cursed”] God in their hearts.” Job did this every time.
Satan Appears Before the Lord
6 One day the ·angels [L sons of God] came to ·show themselves [stand] before the Lord, and ·Satan [L the Satan; C means “the Accuser” or “the Adversary”; either the Devil or a member of God’s heavenly court] was with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan [1:6] answered the Lord, “I have been ·wandering around [roaming] the earth, ·going back and forth in [patrolling] it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed [considered; L set your heart on] my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him. He is an honest and innocent man, honoring God and staying away from evil [1:1].”
9 But Satan [1:6] answered the Lord, “·Job honors God for a good reason [L Does Job honor/fear/respect God for no good reason?]. 10 ·You have [L Don’t you…?] put a ·wall [hedge; C to protect from danger] around him, his family, and everything he owns. You have blessed ·the things he has done [L all the works of his hands]. His flocks and herds ·are so large they almost cover [L burst forth on] the land. 11 But ·reach out [stretch forth] your hand and ·destroy [afflict] everything he has, and [L see if] he will curse you to your face.”
12 The Lord said to Satan [1:6], “All right, then. Everything Job has is in your ·power [L hand], but ·you must not touch Job himself [L but don’t send your hand against him].” Then Satan [1:6] left the Lord’s presence.
13 One day Job’s sons and daughters were ·eating and drinking wine [feasting; celebrating] together at the ·oldest [L firstborn] brother’s house. 14 A messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were eating grass nearby, 15 when the Sabeans [C a people from southern Arabia] attacked and carried them away. They killed the servants with swords, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
16 The messenger was still speaking when another messenger arrived and said, “·Lightning [L Fire] from God fell from ·the sky [heaven]. It burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
17 The second messenger was still speaking when another messenger arrived and said, “The ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans; C a people located in present-day southern Iraq] sent three ·groups of attackers [raiding parties] that swept down and stole your camels and killed the servants [L with the sword]. I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
18 The third messenger was still speaking when another messenger arrived and said, “Your sons and daughters were ·eating and drinking wine [feasting; celebrating] together at the ·oldest [L firstborn] brother’s house. 19 Suddenly a ·great [strong; mighty] wind came from the desert, hitting all four corners of the house at once. The house fell in on the young people, and they are all dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
20 When Job heard this, he got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [C ancient mourning customs]. Then he bowed down to the ground to worship God. 21 He said:
“I was naked when I ·was born [L came from my mother’s womb],
and I will be naked when I ·die [L return there].
The Lord gave these things to me,
and he has taken them away.
·Praise [Blessed be] the name of the Lord.”
22 In all this Job did not sin or blame God.
Satan Appears Before the Lord Again
2 ·On another day [or One day] the ·angels [L the sons of God] came to ·show themselves [L stand] before the Lord, and Satan [1:6] was with them again. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “I have been ·wandering around [roaming] the earth, ·going back and forth in [patrolling] it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job [1:8]? No one else on earth is like him. He is an honest and innocent man, honoring God and staying away from evil [1:1]. You ·caused [or enticed] me to ·ruin [injure] him for no good reason, but he ·continues to be without blame [or maintains his innocence].”
4 “One skin for another [L Skin for skin; C a proverb meaning that people only react if they are affected directly]!” Satan [1:6] answered. “A man will give all he has to save his own life. 5 But reach out your hand and ·destroy [afflict; L touch] his bones and flesh, and he will ·curse [L bless; C a euphemism for “curse”; 1:5] you to your face.”
6 The Lord said to Satan [1:6], “All right, then. Job is in your ·power [L hand], but you ·may not take [L must preserve] his life.”
7 So Satan [1:6] left the Lord’s presence. He put ·painful sores [horrible boils] on Job’s body, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. 8 Job took a ·piece of broken [shard of] pottery to scrape himself, and he sat in ashes in misery.
9 Job’s wife said to him, “Why are you ·trying to stay innocent [maintaining your innocence]? Curse [2:5] God and die!”
10 Job answered, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Should we take only good things from God and not ·trouble [or evil]?” In spite of all this Job did not sin ·in what he said [L with his lips].
Job’s Three Friends Come to Help
11 Now Job had three friends: Eliphaz the Temanite [C from Tema, a town in Edom (1:1)], Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. When these friends heard about Job’s troubles, they agreed to meet and visit him. They wanted to ·show their concern [mourn] and to comfort him. 12 They ·saw Job [L lifted their eyes] from far away, but he looked so different they almost didn’t recognize him. They began to cry loudly and tore their robes and put ·dirt [dust] on their heads [C ancient mourning customs]. 13 Then they sat on the ground with Job seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw how much he was ·suffering [in pain].
Job Curses His Birth
3 ·After seven days [L Afterward] Job ·cried out [L opened his mouth] and cursed ·the day he had been born [L his day; Jer. 20:14–18], 2 saying:
3 “Let the day I was born be destroyed,
and the night it was said, ‘A boy is ·born [L conceived]!’
4 Let that day turn to darkness [C contrast Gen. 1:3].
Don’t let God ·care about [L seek] it.
Don’t let light shine on it.
5 Let darkness and gloom ·have that day [L redeem it].
Let a cloud ·hide [L settle over] it.
Let thick darkness ·cover its light [overwhelm the day].
6 Let thick darkness capture that night.
Don’t count it among the days of the year
or put it in any of the months.
7 Let that night be ·empty [barren],
with no shout of joy ·to be heard [L entering it].
8 Let those who curse ·days [or the Sea; C a symbol of chaos] curse that day [C Balaam (Num. 22–24) is an example of a professional curser].
Let them prepare to wake up the sea monster Leviathan [C a creature in ancient Near Eastern texts that represents chaos; 41:1, 12; Ps. 74:14; 104:26; Is. 27:1].
9 Let that day’s morning stars ·never appear [L become dark];
let it ·wait [hope] for daylight that never comes.
Don’t let it see the first light of dawn,
10 because it ·allowed me to be born [L did not shut the doors of my (mother’s) womb]
and did not hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why didn’t I die as soon as I ·was born [L came out of the womb]?
Why didn’t I die when I came out of the ·womb [L belly; Eccl. 6:3–5]?
12 Why did my mother’s knees receive me,
and ·my mother’s breasts feed me [L why were there breasts that I could suck]?
13 If they had not been there,
I would be lying dead in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
14 with kings and wise men of the earth
who built places for themselves that are now ruined.
15 I would be asleep with rulers
who filled their houses with gold and silver.
16 Why was I not ·buried [L hidden] like a ·child born dead [stillborn],
like a baby who never saw the light of day?
17 In the grave the wicked ·stop making trouble [or cease their agitation],
and the weary workers are at rest.
18 In the grave there is rest for the ·captives [prisoners]
who no longer hear the ·shout [L voice] of the ·slave driver [taskmaster].
19 People great and small are ·in the grave [L there],
and the ·slave [servant] is freed from his master.
20 “Why is light given to those in misery?
Why is life given to those who are ·so unhappy [depressed]?
21 They want to die, but death does not come.
They search for death more than for hidden treasure.
22 They are very happy
[L they celebrate] when they get to the grave.
23 They cannot see where they are going.
God has ·hidden the road ahead [L placed a hedge around him].
24 I ·make sad sounds [sigh] as I eat;
my groans pour out like water.
25 ·Everything I feared and dreaded
has happened to me.
[or For the dread I dreaded has come to me,
and what I feared has come to me.]
26 I have no peace or quietness.
I have no rest, only ·trouble [agitation].”
Eliphaz Speaks
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “If someone tried to speak with you, would you be ·upset [or discouraged]?
I cannot keep from speaking.
3 Think about the many people you have taught
and the weak hands you have made strong.
4 Your words have ·comforted [L lifted up] those who ·fell [stumbled],
and you have strengthened those ·who could not stand [L with weak knees].
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;
·trouble hits [L it touches] you, and you are ·terrified [disturbed].
6 ·You should have [Shouldn’t you have…?] confidence because you ·respect [fear; have awe for] God;
·you should [should you not…?] have hope because ·you are innocent [L of your innocent ways].
7 “Remember ·that the innocent will not die [L who being innocent/blameless has perished…?];
·honest people will never be [L when were the honest/virtuous…? ] destroyed.
8 I have ·noticed [seen] that people who plow ·evil [wickedness]
and plant trouble, harvest it.
9 God’s breath destroys them,
and a blast of his anger ·kills [finishes] them.
10 Lions may roar and lion cubs growl,
but when the teeth of a strong lion are broken,
11 that lion dies ·of hunger [L without prey].
The cubs of the mother lion are scattered [C the wicked may briefly prosper but will ultimately perish].
12 “A word ·was brought to me in secret [L stole over me],
and my ears heard a whisper of it [C Eliphaz claims a supernatural revelation that supports his teaching].
13 It was during ·a nightmare [L anxious thoughts of a night vision]
when people are in deep sleep.
14 I was trembling with fear;
all my bones were shaking.
15 A spirit glided past my face,
and the hair on my ·body [L skin] stood on end.
16 The spirit stopped,
but I could not see what it was.
A shape stood before my eyes,
and I heard a quiet voice.
17 It said, ‘Can a human be more right than God?
Can a person be pure before his maker? [C the implied answer is no]
18 God does not trust his ·angels [L servants];
he blames ·them [L angels] for mistakes.
19 So ·he puts even more blame on [L what about…?] people who live in clay houses [C physical bodies],
whose foundations are made of dust [Gen. 2:7],
who can be crushed like a moth.
20 Between ·dawn and sunset [L morning and evening] many people are broken to pieces;
without being noticed, they die and are gone forever.
21 The ropes of their tents are pulled up,
and they die without wisdom.’
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.