Beginning
Job Was Greatest of the Sons of the East
1 There was a man in the (A)land of Uz whose name was (B)Job; and that man was (C)blameless, upright, (D)fearing God, and (E)turning away from evil. 2 (F)Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 (G)His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 pairs of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was (H)the greatest of all the sons of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 Now it happened when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and set them apart as holy. And he would rise up early in the morning and offer (I)burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “(J)Perhaps my sons have sinned and [a](K)cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
All Job Has Is in Satan’s Hand
6 (L)Now it was the day that the (M)sons of God came to stand before [b]Yahweh, and [c]Satan also came among them. 7 And Yahweh said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, “(N)From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 8 Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you set your heart upon (O)My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, (P)a blameless and upright man, [d]fearing God and turning away from evil.” 9 And (Q)Satan answered Yahweh and said, “Does Job [e]fear God without cause? 10 (R)Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? (S)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his (T)possessions have increased in the land. 11 (U)But send forth Your hand now and (V)touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12 Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand, only do not send forth your hand toward him.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh.
Messengers Speak of the Fire of God
13 Now it happened that on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the [f]donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and [g]the (W)Sabeans fell upon them and took them. They also struck down the young men with the edge of the sword, and [h]I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While this one was still speaking, another also came and said, “(X)The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the young men and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While this one was still speaking, another also came and said, “The (Y)Chaldeans set up three companies and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the young men with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While this one was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn, 19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and touched the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20 Then Job arose and (Z)tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said,
“(AA)Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
(AB)Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away.
Blessed be the name of Yahweh.”
22 (AC)Through all this Job did not sin, nor did he give offense to God.
Satan Strikes Job’s Flesh
2 (AD)Again it was the day that the sons of God came to stand before Yahweh, and Satan also came among them to stand himself before Yahweh. 2 And Yahweh said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 3 And Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you set your heart upon My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, [i]fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still (AE)holds fast his integrity. So you incited Me against him to swallow him up in vain.” 4 Satan answered Yahweh and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 (AF)However, send forth Your hand now, and (AG)touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You in Your face.” 6 So Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life.”
7 Then Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh and struck Job with (AH)terrible boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. 8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while (AI)he was sitting among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the wickedly foolish women speaks. (AJ)Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept calamity?” (AK)In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job’s Three Friends
11 Then Job’s three friends heard of all this calamity that had come upon him. So they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the (AL)Temanite, Bildad the (AM)Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to (AN)console him and comfort him. 12 Then they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And each of them (AO)tore his robe, and they (AP)threw dust over their heads toward the sky. 13 (AQ)Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
Job Curses the Day of His Birth
3 Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed [j]the day of his birth. 2 And Job answered and said,
3 “(AR)Let the day perish on which I was to be born,
And the night which said, ‘A man is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness;
Let not God seek it from above,
Nor light shine on it.
5 Let (AS)darkness and shadow of death redeem it;
Let a cloud dwell upon it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let thick darkness take it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Behold, let that night be barren;
Let no joyful shout enter it.
8 Let those curse it who curse the day,
Who are [k]ready to (AT)rouse Leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it hope for light but have none,
And let it not see the [l]breaking dawn,
10 Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s [m]body,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “(AU)Why did I not die from the womb,
Come forth from the womb and breathe my last?
12 Why did the knees receive me,
And why the breasts, that I should suck?
13 For now I (AV)would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then; it would have been rest to me,
14 With (AW)kings and with (AX)counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt (AY)waste places for themselves,
15 Or with (AZ)princes (BA)who had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not like a miscarriage hidden away,
As infants that never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the weary of strength are at (BB)rest.
18 The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there,
And the slave is free from his master.
20 “Why is (BC)light given to him who is troubled,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who [n](BD)long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for (BE)hidden treasures,
22 Who are glad with joy,
And rejoice when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man (BF)whose way is hidden,
And whom (BG)God has hedged in?
24 For (BH)my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And (BI)my roaring pours out like water.
25 For (BJ)the dread that I dread comes upon me,
And what I am afraid of befalls me.
26 I (BK)am not complacent, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, and raging comes.”
Eliphaz Says the Innocent Do Not Suffer
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “If one tries a word with you, will you become weary?
But (BL)who can hold back [o]from speaking?
3 Behold, (BM)you have disciplined many,
And you have strengthened limp hands.
4 Your words have [p]helped the stumbling to stand,
And you have encouraged [q]feeble knees.
5 But now it has come to you, and you (BN)are impatient;
It (BO)touches you, and you are dismayed.
6 Is not your [r](BP)fear of God (BQ)your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember now, (BR)who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright wiped out?
8 According to what I have seen, (BS)those who plow wickedness
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
9 By (BT)the breath of God they perish,
And (BU)by the wind of His anger they come to an end.
10 The (BV)roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The (BW)lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the (BX)whelps of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word (BY)was brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a (BZ)whisper of it.
13 Amid disquieting (CA)thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made the multitude of my bones shake in dread.
15 Then a [s]spirit swept by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.
16 It stood still, but I could not recognize its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can (CB)mankind be right [t]before God?
Can a man be pure [u]before his (CC)Maker?
18 (CD)He puts no trust even in His slaves;
And against His angels He charges error.
19 How much more those who dwell in (CE)houses of clay,
Whose (CF)foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
20 (CG)Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
[v]Unobserved, they (CH)perish forever.
21 Is not their (CI)tent-cord pulled up within them?
They die, yet (CJ)without wisdom.’
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