Job

1 There happened to be a man* in the land of Uz+ whose name was Job;*+ and that man proved to be blameless+ and upright,+ and fearing God+ and turning aside from bad.+ 2 And seven sons and three daughters came to be born to him.+ 3 And his livestock+ got to be seven thousand sheep* and three thousand camels and five hundred spans of cattle and five hundred she-asses, along with a very large body of servants; and that man came to be the greatest of all the Orientals.*+

4 And his sons went and held a banquet+ at the house of each one* on his own day; and they sent and invited their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And it would occur that when the banquet days had gone round the circuit, Job would send and sanctify them;+ and he got up early in the morning and offered up burnt sacrifices+ according to the number of all of them; for, said Job, “maybe my sons have sinned and have cursed*+ God in their heart.”+ That is the way Job would do always.+

6 Now it came to be the day when the sons* of the [true] God*+ entered to take their station before Jehovah,+ and even Satan*+ proceeded to enter right among them.+

7 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where do you come from?” At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “From roving about in the earth+ and from walking about in it.”+ 8 And Jehovah went on to say to Satan: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth,+ a man blameless+ and upright,+ fearing God+ and turning aside from bad?”+ 9 At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God?+ 10 Have not you yourself put up a hedge about him+ and about his house and about everything that he has all around? The work of his hands you have blessed,+ and his livestock itself has spread abroad in the earth. 11 But, for a change, thrust out your hand, please, and touch everything he has [and see] whether he will not curse* you to your very face.”+ 12 Accordingly Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust out your hand!” So Satan went out away from the person* of Jehovah.+

13 Now it came to be the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother the firstborn.+ 14 And there came a messenger+ to Job, and he proceeded to say: “The cattle themselves happened to be plowing+ and the she-asses were grazing at the side of them 15 when the Sa·beʹans*+ came making a raid and taking them, and the attendants they struck down with the edge of the sword; and I got to escape, only I by myself, to tell you.”+

16 While this one was yet speaking that one came and proceeded to say: “The very fire of God fell from the heavens+ and went blazing among the sheep and the attendants and eating them up; and I got to escape, only I by myself, to tell you.”

17 While that one was yet speaking another one came and proceeded to say: “The Chal·deʹans+ made up three bands and went dashing against the camels and taking them, and the attendants they struck down with the edge of the sword; and I got to escape, only I by myself, to tell you.”

18 While this other one was yet speaking, still another one came and proceeded to say: “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine+ in the house of their brother the firstborn. 19 And, look! there came a great wind*+ from the region of the wilderness, and it went striking the four corners of the house, so that it fell upon the young people and they died. And I got to escape, only I by myself, to tell you.”

20 And Job proceeded to get up and rip+ his sleeveless coat apart and cut the hair+ off his head and fall to the earth+ and bow down+ 21 and say:

22 In all this Job did not sin or ascribe anything improper to God.+