1:1 There was a man ³  in the land of Uz ⁴  whose ⁵  name was Job. ⁶  And that man was pure ⁷  and upright, ⁸  one who feared God and turned away from evil. ⁹  1:2 Seven ¹⁰  sons and three daughters were born to him. ¹¹  1:3 His possessions ¹²  included ¹³  7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. ¹⁴  Thus he ¹⁵  was the greatest of all the people in the east. ¹⁶ 

1:4 Now his sons used to go ¹⁷  and hold ¹⁸  a feast in the house of each one in turn, ¹⁹  and they would send and invite ²⁰  their three ²¹  sisters to eat and to drink with them. 1:5 When ²²  the days of their feasting were finished, ²³  Job would send ²⁴  for them and sanctify ²⁵  them; he would get up early ²⁶  in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to ²⁷  the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps ²⁸  my children ²⁹  have sinned and cursed ³⁰  God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice. ³¹ 

1:6 Now the day came when ³³  the sons of God ³⁴  came to present themselves before ³⁵  the Lord – and Satan ³⁶  also arrived among them. 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” ³⁷  And Satan answered the Lord, ³⁸  “From roving about ³⁹  on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” ⁴⁰  1:8 So the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered ⁴¹  my servant Job? There ⁴²  is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away ⁴³  from evil.”

1:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Is it for nothing that Job fears God? ⁴⁴  1:10 Have you ⁴⁵  not made a hedge ⁴⁶  around him and his household and all that he has on every side? You have blessed ⁴⁷  the work of his hands, and his livestock ⁴⁸  have increased ⁴⁹  in the land. 1:11 But ⁵⁰  extend your hand and strike ⁵¹  everything he has, and he will no doubt ⁵²  curse you ⁵³  to your face!”

1:12 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right then, ⁵⁴  everything he has is ⁵⁵  in your power. ⁵⁶  Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!” ⁵⁷  So Satan went out ⁵⁸  from the presence of the Lord. ⁵⁹ 

1:13 Now the day ⁶¹  came when Job’s ⁶²  sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 1:14 and a messenger came to Job, saying, “The oxen were plowing ⁶³  and the donkeys were grazing beside them, 1:15 and the Sabeans ⁶⁴  swooped down ⁶⁵  and carried them all away, and they killed ⁶⁶  the servants with the sword! ⁶⁷  And I – only I alone ⁶⁸  – escaped to tell you!”

1:16 While this one was still speaking, ⁶⁹  another messenger arrived ⁷⁰  and said, “The fire of God ⁷¹  has fallen from heaven ⁷²  and has burned up the sheep and the servants – it has consumed them! And I – only I alone – escaped to tell you!”

1:17 While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “The Chaldeans ⁷³  formed three bands and made a raid ⁷⁴  on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword! ⁷⁵  And I – only I alone – escaped to tell you!”

1:18 While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 1:19 and suddenly ⁷⁶  a great wind ⁷⁷  swept across ⁷⁸  the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died! And I – only I alone – escaped to tell you!”

1:20 Then Job got up ⁷⁹  and tore his robe. ⁸⁰  He shaved his head, ⁸¹  and then he threw himself down with his face to the ground. ⁸²  1:21 He said, “Naked ⁸³  I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. ⁸⁴  The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. ⁸⁵  May the name of the Lord ⁸⁶  be blessed!” 1:22 In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety. ⁸⁷ 

2:1 Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also arrived among them to present himself before the Lord. ⁸⁸  2:2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, ⁸⁹  “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” ⁹⁰  2:3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly ⁹¹  to his integrity, ⁹²  so that ⁹³  you stirred me up to destroy him ⁹⁴  without reason.” ⁹⁵ 

2:4 But ⁹⁶  Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for ⁹⁷  skin! ⁹⁸  Indeed, a man will give up ⁹⁹  all that he has to save his life! ¹⁰⁰  2:5 But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh, ¹⁰¹  and he will no doubt ¹⁰²  curse you to your face!”

2:6 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right, ¹⁰³  he is ¹⁰⁴  in your power; ¹⁰⁵  only preserve ¹⁰⁶  his life.”

2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflicted ¹⁰⁷  Job with a malignant ulcer ¹⁰⁸  from the sole of his feet to the top of his head. ¹⁰⁹  2:8 Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape ¹¹⁰  himself ¹¹¹  with while he was sitting ¹¹²  among the ashes. ¹¹³ 

2:9 Then ¹¹⁴  his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? ¹¹⁵  Curse ¹¹⁶  God, and die!” ¹¹⁷  2:10 But he replied, ¹¹⁸  “You’re talking like one of the godless ¹¹⁹  women would do! Should we receive ¹²⁰  what is good from God, and not also ¹²¹  receive ¹²²  what is evil?” ¹²³  In all this Job did not sin by what he said. ¹²⁴ 

2:11 When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country ¹²⁶  – Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. ¹²⁷  They met together ¹²⁸  to come to show sympathy ¹²⁹  for him and to console ¹³⁰  him. 2:12 But when they gazed intently ¹³¹  from a distance but did not recognize ¹³²  him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads. ¹³³  2:13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain ¹³⁴  was very great. ¹³⁵