11 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and this man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and abstained from evil. 2 And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 And his substance was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants; and this man was greater than all the children of the east.
4 And his sons went and made a feast in the house of each one on his day; and they sent and invited their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of the feasting were gone about, that Job sent and hallowed them; and he rose up early in the morning, and offered up burnt-offerings [according to] the number of them all; for Job said, It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
6 And there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah; and Satan came also among them. 7 And Jehovah said to Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil? 9 And Satan answered Jehovah and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is spread abroad in the land. 11 But put forth thy hand now and touch all that he hath, [and see] if he will not curse thee to thy face! 12 And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.
13 And there was a 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 said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them; 15 and [they of] Sheba fell [upon them] and took them, and the servants have they smitten with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels and took them, and the servants have they smitten with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn; 19 and behold, there came a great wind from over the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they died; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.
20 And Job rose up, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshipped; 21 and he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah! 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor ascribed anything unseemly to God.
21 And there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan also came among them to present himself before Jehovah. 2 And Jehovah said to Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil? and still he remaineth firm in his integrity, though thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause. 4 And Satan answered Jehovah and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life; 5 but put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, [and see] if he will not curse thee to thy face! 6 And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.
7 And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah; and he smote Job with a grievous botch from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself with; and he sat among the ashes. 9 And his wife said to him, Dost thou still remain firm in thine integrity? curse God and die. 10 But he said to her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. We have also received good from God, and should we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
11 And three friends of Job heard of all this evil that was come upon him. And they came each one from his place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to condole with him and to comfort him. 12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice and wept. And they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward the heavens. 13 And they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights; and none spoke a word to him; for they saw that [his] anguish was very great.
31 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. 2 And Job answered and said, 3 Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived. 4 That day—let it be darkness, let not +God care for it from above, neither let light shine upon it: 5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of the day terrify it. 6 That night—let gloom seize upon it; let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months. 7 Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful sound come therein; 8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan; 9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it wait for light, and have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the dawn: 10 Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.
11 Wherefore did I not die from the womb,—come forth from the belly and expire? 12 Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck? 13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept: then had I been at rest, 14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves, 15 Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver; 16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light. 17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest. 18 The prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster. 19 The small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master.
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul, 21 Who long for death, and it [cometh] not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures; 22 Who rejoice even exultingly and are glad when they find the grave?— 23 To the man whose way is hidden, and whom +God hath hedged in? 24 For my sighing cometh before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters. 25 For I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me. 26 I was not in safety, neither had I quietness, neither was I at rest, and trouble came.
41 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 2 If a word were essayed to thee, wouldest thou be grieved? But who can refrain from speaking? 3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands; 4 Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees: 5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou grievest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. 6 Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, reap the same. 9 By the breath of +God they perish, and by the blast of his nostrils are they consumed. 10 The roar of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken; 11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.
12 Now to me a word was secretly brought, and mine ear received a whisper thereof. 13 In thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men:— 14 Fear came on me, and trembling, and made all my bones to shake; 15 And a spirit passed before my face—the hair of my flesh stood up— 16 It stood still; I could not discern the appearance thereof: a form was before mine eyes; I heard a slight murmur and a voice: 17 Shall [mortal] man be more just than +God? Shall a man be purer than his Maker? 18 Lo, he trusteth not his servants, and his angels he chargeth with folly: 19 How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth! 20 From morning to evening are they smitten: without any heeding it, they perish for ever. 21 Is not their tent-cord torn away in them? they die, and without wisdom.
