Beginning
Job’s Character and Greatness
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose[a] name was Job. That[b] man was blameless and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Then[c] his livestock came to be seven thousand sheep and goats and three thousand camels and five hundred pairs[d] of oxen and five hundred female donkeys, and he had very many slaves, and that man was greater than all the people of the east. 4 And his sons used to go and hold a feast at each other’s house[e] on his day, and they would send, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 Then when[f] the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send,[g] and he would sanctify them. Thus[h] he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of all of them, because Job thought,[i] “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed[j] God in their heart.” This is what Job used to do all the time.[k]
6 And it happened one day[l] that[m] the sons of God[n] came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan[o] also came into their midst. 7 So[p] Yahweh said to Satan,[q] “From where have you come?”
Then[r] Satan[s] answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming on the earth and from walking about in it.”
8 So[t] Yahweh said to Satan,[u] “Have you considered[v] my servant Job? Indeed,[w] there is no one like him on the earth—a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil.”
9 Then[x] Satan[y] answered Yahweh and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you[z] not put a fence around him and his household and around all that belongs to him[aa] on every side?[ab] You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock[ac] has increased in the land. 11 But,[ad] on the other hand, stretch out[ae] your hand and touch all that belongs to him[af] and see whether[ag] he will curse[ah] you to your face.”
12 So[ai] Yahweh said to Satan,[aj] “Look, all that belongs to him[ak] is in your power.[al] Only do not stretch out your hand against[am] him.” So[an] Satan[ao] went out from Yahweh’s presence.[ap]
The Adversary’s Attack on Job’s Possessions
13 And then there was one day when[aq] his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother’s house. 14 And a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding beside them.[ar] 15 Then[as] the Sabeans attacked,[at] and they took them, and they slew the servants by the edge of the sword.[au] But[av] I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”
16 While this one was still speaking, another[aw] came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens, and it blazed up against the sheep and goats and against the servants, and it consumed them. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”
17 While this one was still speaking, another[ax] came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three divisions, and they made a raid on the camels, and they carried them away, and they struck your servants by the edge of the sword,[ay] but I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”
18 At the time[az] this one was speaking, another[ba] came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother’s house. 19 And behold,[bb] a great wind came from across the desert, and it struck the four corners of the house so that[bc] it fell upon the young people, and they died. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”
20 Then[bd] Job arose and tore his outer garment[be] and shaved his head; then[bf] he fell upon the ground and he worshiped. 21 Then[bg] he said, “Naked I came out from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. Yahweh gives, and Yahweh takes. Let Yahweh’s name be blessed.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin and did not charge God with wrongdoing.[bh]
The Adversary’s Attack on Job’s Person
2 And then[bi] one day the sons of God[bj] came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan[bk] also came into their midst to present himself before Yahweh. 2 So[bl] Yahweh asked[bm] Satan,[bn] “From where have you come?”
And Satan[bo] answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming on the earth and from walking about in it.”
3 So[bp] Yahweh asked[bq] Satan,[br] “Have you considered[bs] my servant Job? Indeed,[bt] there is no one like him on the earth—a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil. And still he persists in his blamelessness even though[bu] you incited me against him to destroy him for nothing.”
4 Then[bv] Satan[bw] answered him and said, “Skin for skin! All that that[bx] man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out[by] your hand and touch his bones and his flesh, and see whether[bz] he will curse[ca] you to your face.”[cb]
6 So[cc] Yahweh said to Satan,[cd] “All right,[ce] he is in your power.[cf] Only spare his life.”
Job’s Blameless Behavior
7 So[cg] Satan[ch] went out from Yahweh’s presence,[ci] and he inflicted Job with loathsome skin sores from the sole of his foot up to the crown of his head. 8 So[cj] he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and he sat in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then[ck] his wife said to him, “Are you still persisting in your blamelessness? Curse[cl] God and die.”
10 So[cm] he said to her, “You speak like one of the foolish women speaks. Indeed, should we receive the good from God, but[cn] not receive the evil?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
11 Thus[co] Job’s three friends heard of this calamity that had come upon him. So[cp] each set out from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite. And they met[cq] together to come to console him and to comfort him.
12 Thus[cr] they lifted up their eyes[cs] from afar, but[ct] they did not recognize him, so[cu] they raised their voice, and they wept, and each man tore his outer garment[cv] and threw dust on their heads toward the sky.[cw] 13 Then[cx] they sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, but[cy] no one spoke[cz] a word to him because they saw that his[da] suffering was very great.
Job Regrets His Birth
3 Afterward[db] Job opened his mouth and cursed[dc] his day. 2 Thus[dd] Job spoke up[de] and said,
3 “Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said, ‘A man-child is conceived.’
4 Let that day become[df] darkness;
may God not seek it from above,
nor may daylight shine on it.
5 Let darkness and deep shadow claim it;
let clouds[dg] settle on it;
let them[dh] terrify it with the blackness[di] of day.
6 Let darkness seize that night;[dj]
let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
let it not enter among the number of the months.
7 Look, let that night become[dk] barren;
let a joyful song not enter it.
8 Let those who curse the day curse it,
those who are skilled at rousing Leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light but[dl] there be none,
and let it not see the eyelids of dawn
10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
nor[dm] did it hide trouble from my eyes.
Job Wishes He Had Died
11 “Why did I not die at[dn] birth?
Why did I not come forth from the womb and expire?
12 Why did the knees receive me
and the breasts, that I could suck?
13 For now I would lie down, and I would be at peace;
I would be asleep; then I would be at rest[do]
14 with kings and counselors of the earth,
who rebuild [dp] ruins for themselves,
15 or with high officials who have gold,[dq]
who fill up their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not hidden like a miscarriage,
like infants who did not see the light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary[dr] are at rest;
18 the prisoners are at ease together;
they do not hear the oppressor’s voice.
19 The small and the great are there,
and the slave is free from his masters.[ds]
Job Wishes He Might Die
20 “Why does he[dt] give light to one in misery
and life to those bitter of soul,
21 who wait for death, but[du] it does not come,[dv]
and search[dw] for it more than for treasures,
22 who rejoice exceedingly,[dx]
and they are glad when they find the grave?
23 Why does he[dy] give light to a man whose way is hidden,
and God has fenced him in all around?
24 For[dz] my sighing comes before[ea] my bread,[eb]
and my groanings gush forth like water
25 because the dread that I feel[ec] has come upon me,
and what I feared befalls me.
26 I am not at ease, and I am not at peace,
and I do not have rest, thus[ed] turmoil has come.”
Eliphaz’s First Response to Job
4 Then[ee] Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “If someone would test a word with you, would you be offended?
But[ef] who can refrain from speaking?
3 Look, you have instructed many,
and you have strengthened weak hands.
4 Your words have raised up the one who stumbles,
and you have strengthened knees giving way.
5 But now it has come to you, and you are worn out;
it touches you, and you are horrified.
6 Is not your fear in God your confidence?
Is not your hope even[eg] the integrity of your ways?
7 “Think[eh] now, who has perished who is innocent?
Or[ei] where are the upright destroyed?
8 Just as I have seen, plowers of mischief
and sowers of trouble will reap it.
9 By[ej] the breath of God they perish,
and by[ek] the blast of his anger they come to an end.
10 The roar of the lion and the voice of a lion in its prime,
and the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The lion is perishing without[el] prey,
and the lion’s whelps are scattered.
12 “And a word came stealing to me,
and my ear received the whisper from it.
13 Amid troubling thoughts from night visions,
at the falling of deep sleep on men,
14 dread met me, and trembling,
and it made many of my bones shake.
15 And a spirit glided before my face;
the hair of my flesh[em] bristled.
16 It stood still, but[en] I could not recognize its appearance;
a form was before[eo] my eyes;
there was a hush, and I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can a human being be more righteous than God,
or can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Look, he does not trust in his servants
and he charges his angels with error.
19 How much more dwellers in clay houses,
whose foundation is in the dust?
They are crushed like a moth.
20 Between morning and evening[ep] they are destroyed;
without anyone regarding it they perish forever.
21 Is not their tent cord pulled up within them?
They die, but[eq] not in[er] wisdom.’
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