Job 1

¹There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.

²And he had seven sons and three daughters.

³And of cattle he had seven thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand camels, and a thousand oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great number of servants. And the man was greater than any of the sons of the east.

⁴His sons regularly went to one another's houses, and every one on his day gave a feast: and at these times they sent for their three sisters to take part in their feasts with them.

⁵And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.

⁶And there was a day when the sons of the gods came together before the Lord, and the Satan came with them.

⁷And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

⁸And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?

⁹And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?

¹⁰Have you yourself not put a wall round him and his house and all he has on every side, blessing the work of his hands, and increasing his cattle in the land?

¹¹But now, put out your hand against all he has, and he will be cursing you to your face.

¹²And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.

¹³And there was a day when his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their oldest brother,

¹⁴And a man came to Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses were taking their food by their side:

¹⁵And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

¹⁶And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

¹⁷And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

¹⁸And this one was still talking when another came, and said, Your sons and your daughters were feasting together in their oldest brother's house,

¹⁹When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

²⁰Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said,

²¹With nothing I came out of my mother's body, and with nothing I will go back there; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; let the Lord's name be praised.

²²In all this Job did no sin, and did not say that God's acts were foolish.

Job 1

¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.

²There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.

³His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.

⁴His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

⁵It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts." Job did so continually.

⁶Now it happened on the day when the God's sons came to present themselves before the Lord, that Satan also came among them.

⁷The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, "From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

⁸The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil."

⁹Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?

¹⁰Haven't you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

¹¹But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face."

¹²The Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself do not put forth your hand." So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

¹³It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

¹⁴that there came a messenger to Job, and said, "The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,

¹⁵and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁶While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, "The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁷While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁸While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

¹⁹and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you."

²⁰Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.

²¹He said, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

²²In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.