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The Book of Job

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- Chapter 1 -

Job and his family in Uz

(James 5:7-12)
1
In the land named Uz, there was a man named Job. He obeyed God and always avoided doing evil things.
2
He had seven sons and three daughters.
3
He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand oxen, and five hundred donkeys. He also had many servants. This was the man who was the richest in all the area east of the Jordan River.
4
Job’s sons often held feasts in their houses. Whenever each one made a feast, he would invite all his brothers and sisters to come and eat together.
5
After each celebration, Job would summon them. He would ask Yahweh to purify them from any action they might have committed during their feasting that would make them unacceptable to him. He would get up early in the morning, kill animals, and burn them on the altar as sacrifices, one for each of his children. For Job always said, “Perhaps my children have sinned and said something evil about God in their hearts.”

Satan attacks Job's character

6
One day, the angels came and gathered together in front of Yahweh, and Satan came, too.
7
Yahweh asked Satan, “Where have you just come from?” Satan replied, “I have come from the earth, where I have been traveling back and forth to see what is happening.”
8
Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you noticed Job, who worships me? No one else on earth honors me and lives in such a right way as he does. He always refuses to do anything evil.”
9
Satan replied to Yahweh, “What you say is true, but Job honors you only because of what you have done for him.
10
You have always protected him, his family, and everything he owns. You make him succeed in whatever work he tries to do, and he has very much livestock all over his land.
11
But if you attacked what he owns and took it away, he would curse you in front of everyone.”
12
Yahweh replied to Satan, “So this is what you want me to do! All right, I will permit you to take away everything that he has. But do not harm him in his own body.” Satan agreed and then left Yahweh in order to plan how he would attack Job.

Job loses his possessions and his children

13
One day after that, Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the home of their oldest brother.
14
While they were doing that, a messenger arrived at Job’s home and said to him, “While your oxen were plowing the fields and the donkeys were grazing nearby,
15
a group of men from the people group of Sheba came and attacked us. They killed all your servants who were working in the fields and took away all the oxen and donkeys! I am the only one who has escaped to come and tell you what happened.”
16
While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived. He said to Job, “Lightning from the sky struck and killed all the sheep and all the men who were taking care of them! I am the only one who has escaped to come and tell you what happened.”
17
While he was still talking to Job, a third messenger arrived. He said to Job, “Three groups of robbers from the region of Chaldea came and attacked us. They stole all the camels and killed all the men who were taking care of them. I am the only one who has escaped to come and tell you what happened.”
18
While he was still talking to Job, a fourth messenger arrived. He said to Job: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in the home of their oldest brother.
19
Suddenly a very strong wind came from the desert and struck the house. The house collapsed on your sons and daughters and killed them all! I am the only one who has escaped to come and tell you what happened.”
20
Then Job stood up and tore his robe and shaved his head because he was very sad. Then he laid down on the ground to worship God.
21
He said, “When I was born, I was wearing no clothes. When I die, I will not take any clothes with me. It is Yahweh who gave me everything that I possessed, and it is Yahweh who has taken it all away. But we must always praise Yahweh!”
22
So in spite of all the things that happened to Job, he did not speak like a foolish man, he did not sin by saying that what God had done was wrong.

Job and his family in Uz

(James 5:7-12)
1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God,(a) and turned away from evil.
2
There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
3
His 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.
4
His 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.
5
It 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.

Satan attacks Job's character

6
Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD,(b) Satan also came among them.
7
The 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.”
8
The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.”
9
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10
Haven’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.
11
But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”
12
The LORD said to Satan, “Behold,(c) all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Job loses his possessions and his children

13
It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
14
that a messenger came to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15
and 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.”
16
While he was still speaking, another also came 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.”
17
While he was still speaking, another also came 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.”
18
While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19
and 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.”
20
Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.
21
He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked will I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the LORD’s name.”
22
In all this, Job didn’t sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
(b)1:6 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.
(c)1:12 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.