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]
Footnotes
- Job 1:1 Hebrew “his”
- Job 1:1 Hebrew “And that”
- Job 1:3 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:3 Hebrew “pair”
- Job 1:4 Literally “at the house of a man,” or “at the house of each”
- Job 1:5 Literally “And it would happen that,” or “And it would happen when”
- Job 1:5 Literally “and Job would send”
- Job 1:5 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:5 Or “said”
- Job 1:5 Literally “blessed”— negative meaning by context
- Job 1:5 Or “always”; literally “all the days”
- Job 1:6 Literally “the day”
- Job 1:6 Literally “and”
- Job 1:6 Or “the heavenly beings,” or “the angels”
- Job 1:6 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:7 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:7 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:7 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:7 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:8 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:8 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:8 Literally “set your heart”
- Job 1:8 Or “For,” or “Because”
- Job 1:9 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:9 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:10 Emphatic personal pronoun could be translated “you yourself”
- Job 1:10 Literally “all that is his”
- Job 1:10 Literally “from around”
- Job 1:10 Or “possessions”
- Job 1:11 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:11 Or “please”
- Job 1:11 Literally “all that is his”
- Job 1:11 Literally “if not”
- Job 1:11 Literally “bless”— negative meaning by context
- Job 1:12 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:12 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:12 Literally “all that is his”
- Job 1:12 Literally “hand”
- Job 1:12 Literally “to,” or “unto”
- Job 1:12 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:12 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:12 Literally “faces of”
- Job 1:13 Hebrew “and”
- Job 1:14 Literally “on their hands”
- Job 1:15 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:15 Literally “fell upon them”
- Job 1:15 Literally “with the mouth of the sword”
- Job 1:15 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:16 Literally “this”
- Job 1:17 Literally “this”
- Job 1:17 Literally “with the mouth of the sword”
- Job 1:18 Hebrew “Until”
- Job 1:18 Literally “this”
- Job 1:19 Or “Look”
- Job 1:19 Literally “and”
- Job 1:20 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:20 Or “robe”
- Job 1:20 Hebrew “and”
- Job 1:21 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:22 Literally “give unseemliness to God”