Chronological
Job’s Faithfulness
1 There once was a man in the land of Uz[a] named Job. The man was blameless as well as upright. He feared God and kept away from evil. 2 Seven sons and three daughters had been born to him. 3 His livestock included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams[b] of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants. Indeed, the man’s stature greatly exceeded that of many people who lived in the East. 4 His sons used to travel to each other’s houses in turn on a regular schedule and hold festivals, inviting their three sisters to celebrate[c] with them.
5 When their time of feasting had concluded, Job would rise early in the morning to send for them[d] and consecrate them to God.[e] He would offer a burnt offering for each one,[f] because Job thought, “Perhaps my children sinned by cursing God in their hearts.” Job did this time and again.[g]
Satan’s First Attack on Job
6 One day, divine beings[h] presented themselves to the Lord, and Satan[i] accompanied them. 7 The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”
In response, Satan answered the Lord, “From wandering all over the earth and walking back and forth throughout it.”
8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you considered[j] my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. The man is blameless as well as upright. He fears God and keeps away from evil.”
9 But in response, Satan asked the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Haven’t you surrounded him with a fence on all sides, around his house, and around all that he owns? You have blessed everything he puts his hands on and you have increased his livestock in the land. 11 However, stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face.”
12 Then the Lord told Satan, “Very well then, everything he owns is under your control,[k] only you may not extend your hand against him.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
13 Some time later, when his children[l] were celebrating[m] in their oldest[n] brother’s house, 14 a messenger approached Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the female donkeys were grazing nearby 15 when the Sabeans attacked, captured the servants, and killed them with swords. I alone escaped to tell you!”
16 While this messenger[o] was still speaking, another[p] came and announced, “A lightning storm struck[q] and incinerated the flock and the servants while they were eating. I alone escaped to tell you!”
17 While this messenger[r] was still speaking, another[s] came and announced, “The Chaldeans formed three companies, raided the camels, captured the servants, and killed them with swords. Only I alone escaped to tell you.”
18 While this messenger[t] was still speaking, another[u] came and announced, “Your children were celebrating[v] in their oldest[w] brother’s house 19 when a strong wind came straight out of the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people, and they died. I alone escaped to tell you!”
Job Blesses God Despite the Catastrophe
20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground, bowed very low, 21 and exclaimed:
“I left my mother’s womb naked,
and I will return to God naked.
The Lord has given,
and the Lord has taken.
May the name of the Lord be blessed.”
22 Job neither sinned nor charged God with wrongdoing in all of this.
Satan’s Second Attack on Job
2 Some time later, divine beings again[x] presented themselves to the Lord, and Satan accompanied them to present himself to the Lord. 2 The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”
In response, Satan told the Lord, “From wandering all over the earth and walking back and forth throughout it.”
3 The Lord asked Satan, “Have you considered[y] my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. The man is blameless as well as upright. He fears God and keeps away from evil. He remains firm in his integrity, even though you have been urging me to overwhelm him without cause.”
4 Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! The man will give up everything that he owns in exchange for his health.[z] 5 However, stretch out your hand[aa] and strike his bones and flesh, and he’ll curse you to your face, won’t he?”
6 Then the Lord told Satan, “Very well then, he is under your control.[ab] Just preserve his life.”[ac]
7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence and struck Job with terrible boils from the sole of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Job[ad] took a broken piece of pottery to scrape himself while sitting among the ashes.
Job Refuses to Curse God
9 Then his wife told him, “Do you remain firm in your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 But he replied to her, “You’re talking like foolish women do. Are we to accept[ae] what is good from God but not tragedy?”
Throughout all of this, Job did not sin by what he said.[af]
Job’s Friends Visit
11 When Job’s three friends heard all these tragedies that happened to him, they each traveled from their home towns[ag] to visit him. Eliphaz came from Teman,[ah] Bildad came from Shuah,[ai] and Zophar came from Naamath.[aj] They met together and went to console and comfort him. 12 Observing him from a distance, at first they didn’t even recognize him, so they raised their voices and burst into tears. They each ripped their robes, threw ashes into the air on their heads, 13 and sat with Job[ak] on the ground for a full week[al] without saying a word, since they could see the great extent of his anguish.
Job Laments the Day He was Born
3 After this, Job spoke up solemnly, cursing[am] the day he was born.[an] 2 This is what Job said:
3 “Let the day when I was born be annihilated,
along with the night when it was announced,
‘It’s a boy!’[ao]
4 Let that day be dark;
let God above not care about it;
let no light shine over it.
5 Let darkness and deep gloom reclaim it;
let clouds settle down on it;
let blackness in mid-day terrify it.
6 Let darkness carry that night away;
let it not take its place joyfully among the days of the year;
let it not be entered into the calendar.[ap]
7 “Yes, let that night be barren;
let it not appear with its joyful shout.
8 Let whoever curses days curse it—
those who are ready to awaken monsters.[aq]
9 Let the stars of its evening twilight be dark;
let it hope for light but let there be none;
let it not see the breaking rays[ar] of the dawn.
10 “Because that night[as] refused to shut the doors of my mother’s[at] womb;
it failed to keep me from seeing this trouble.
11 Why didn’t I die while I was still in the womb,
or die while I was being born?
12 Why was there a lap[au] to hold me,
and why were there breasts to nurse me?
13 “If I had died,[av] I would be lying down by now,
undisturbed, asleep, and at rest,
14 along with kings and counselors of the earth,
who used to build for themselves what are now only[aw] ruins,
15 or princes who amassed[ax] gold for themselves,
and who kept filling their houses with silver.
16 “Or why was I not buried[ay] like a stillborn child,[az]
like babies[ba] who never saw the light?
17 In that place, the wicked stop causing trouble,
and there, those whose strength is exhausted are at rest.
18 In that place, those who once were prisoners will be at ease together;
they won’t hear the voice of oppressors.
19 The unimportant and the important are both there,
and the servant is free from his master.
20 “Why does God[bb] give light to the sufferer
or life to the bitter person:
21 To those who are longing for death—
even though it does not come?
To those who search for it
more than for hidden treasure?
22 To those who are happy beyond measure[bc]
when they reach their graves?
23 To the formerly successful[bd] man who lost his way in life,
and God fenced him in?
24 “As far as I’m concerned, my food comes to me in the form of sighs,
and my cries of anguish pour out like water.
25 For the dreaded thing that I feared has happened to me,
what caused me to worry has engulfed[be] me.
26 I will not be at ease;
I will not be quiet;
I will not rest;
because trouble has arrived.”
Eliphaz: the Innocent Don’t Suffer
4 In reply, Eliphaz from Teman answered:
2 “Will you get offended if somebody tries to talk to you?
Who can keep from speaking at a time like this?[bf]
3 Look! You’ve admonished many people,[bg]
and you’ve strengthened feeble hands.
4 A word from you has supported those who have stumbled,
and has strengthened faltering knees.
5 “But now it’s your turn,
and you’re the one who is worn out![bh]
Now it’s striking you,
and you’re dismayed!
6 “Your fear of God has been your confidence, hasn’t it?
The integrity of your life has been your hope, hasn’t it?
7 Now please think:
Who has ever perished when they’re innocent?
Where have the upright been destroyed?
8 It’s been my experience that those who plow the soil of[bi] iniquity
and those who sow the seed of[bj] trouble will reap their harvest![bk]
9 They perish by the breath of God;
they are consumed by the storm that is[bl] his anger.[bm]
10 “The lioness may roar,
and the lion cub may growl;
but even the ivory teeth of the full grown lion are broken.
11 Full grown lions die when they cannot find prey;
that’s when the lion cubs are scattered.
12 “A message was confided[bn] to me;
my ear caught a whisper of it.
13 Disquieting thoughts from dreams at night;
when deep sleep falls on everyone.[bo]
14 A fear fell upon me, along with trembling
that caused all my bones to shake in terror.[bp]
15 A spirit glided past me
and made the hair on my skin[bq] to bristle.
16 It remained standing,
but I couldn’t recognize its appearance.
A form appeared before my eyes;
At first there was[br] silence, and then this voice:
17 ‘Can a mortal person[bs] be more righteous than God?
Or can the purity of the valiant exceed that of his maker?’[bt]
18 “Indeed, since he doesn’t trust his servants,[bu]
since he charges[bv] his angels with error,
19 how much less confidence[bw] does he have
in those who dwell in houses of clay;
who were formed from a foundation in dust
and can perish[bx] like a moth?
20 They are defeated between morning and evening;
they perish forever—and no one notices!
21 Their wealth[by] perishes with them, doesn’t it?
They die, and do so without having wisdom, don’t they?”
Eliphaz: God Blesses those who Seek Him
5 “Cry out, won’t you!
Is there anyone who will answer you?
To whom will you turn among the holy ones?
2 For wrath will slay a fool;
zealous anger will kill the naïve.
3 “I myself saw a fool becoming established,
but I suddenly cursed where he lived.[bz]
4 His children are far from deliverance;
they’ll be maltreated before they leave home,[ca]
with no one to rescue them.
5 Then the hungry will devour his harvest,
snatching it even from the midst of thorns,
while the thirsty covet their wealth.
6 For wickedness doesn’t crop up from dust,
nor does trouble sprout out of the ground;
7 But mankind is born headed for trouble,
just as sparks soar skyward.”
God Can be Trusted in Adversity
8 “Now as for me, I would seek God if I were you;[cb]
I would commit my case to God.
9 He is always doing great things that cannot be explained,
countless awesome deeds.
10 He sends rain on the surface of the earth,
and waters the surface of the open country.
11 He sets the lowly on high,
and lifts those who mourn to safety.[cc]
12 He frustrates the plans of the crafty;
so that what they work for never succeeds.
13 He captures the wise in their own craftiness,
bringing a quick end to their cunning advice.
14 They meet with darkness in broad daylight;
at noonday they grope around as if it were night.
15 So he delivers from the sword of their mouth—
the poor from the power[cd] of the mighty.
16 Therefore there is hope for those who are poor,
and iniquity shuts its mouth.
17 “Indeed, how blessed is the person whom God reproves!
So never disrespect the discipline of the Almighty,
18 because though he wounds, but then applies bandages;
though he strikes, his hands still heal.
19 “He will deliver you through six calamities;
and calamity won’t touch you throughout the seventh.
20 He will deliver you from death by famine;
in war from the power[ce] of the sword.
21 You’ll be protected from the accusing[cf] tongue;
you need not fear destruction when it heads your way.
22 You’ll laugh at destruction and famine;
and you need not fear the beasts of the earth.
23 For you’ll have a pact[cg] with the stones in the field;
and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You’ll know that your home[ch] is secure;
when you search your possessions, and nothing will be missing.
25 You’ll know that you’ll have many children;
and that your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.
26 You’ll go to your grave at a ripe old age;
like a stack of grain that’s harvested at just the right time.
27 “Look! We have thought all this through,
and what we’ve said is true;[ci]
So please listen and learn for your own good!”
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