Job’s Character and Wealth

1 There was a man in the land of ^aUz whose name was ^bJob, and that man was ^cblameless and upright, one who ^dfeared God and ^eturned away from evil. 2 There were born to him ^fseven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all ^gthe people 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 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and ^hconsecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and ⁱoffer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and ^jcursed¹ God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

6 Now there was a day when ^kthe sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and ^lSatan² also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From ^mgoing to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you ⁿconsidered my ^oservant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, ^pa blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put ^qa hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have ^rblessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But ^sstretch out your hand and ^ttouch all that he has, and he will ^ucurse you ^vto your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Satan Takes Job’s Property and Children

13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and ^wthe Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants³ with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ^x“The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ^y“The Chaldeans formed ^zthree groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ^a“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across ^bthe wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

20 Then Job arose and ^ctore his ^drobe and ^eshaved his head ^fand fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, ^g“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I ^hreturn. The Lord ⁱgave, and the Lord has taken away; ^jblessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 ^kIn all this Job did not sin or charge God with ^lwrong.

Satan Attacks Job’s Health

1 Again ^mthere was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still ⁿholds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him ^owithout reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But ^pstretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will ^qcurse you to your face.” 6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome ^rsores from ^sthe sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took ^ta piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in ^uthe ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still ^vhold fast your integrity? ^qCurse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the ^wfoolish women would speak. ^xShall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”^{4 y}In all this Job did not ^zsin with his lips.

Job’s Three Friends

11 Now when Job’s three ^afriends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz ^bthe Temanite, Bildad ^cthe Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to ^dshow him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they ^etore their robes and sprinkled ^fdust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground ^gseven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

Job Laments His Birth

1 After this Job ^hopened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job said:

Hide Me from the Wicked

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.