11 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job ; and that man was blameless , upright , fearing God and turning away from evil . 2 Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 His possessions also were 7,000 e sheep , 3,000 e camels , 500 e yoke of oxen , 500 e female donkeys , and very many servants ; and that man was the greatest of all the [1]men of the east .
4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day , and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of feasting had completed their cycle , Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all ; for Job said , " Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts ." Thus Job did continually e .
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord , and [2]Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan , "From where do you come ?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said , " From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." 8 The Lord said to Satan , "Have you [3]considered e e My servant Job ? For there is no one like him on the earth , a blameless and upright man , [4]fearing God and turning away from evil ." 9 Then Satan answered the [5]Lord , "Does Job fear God for nothing ? 10 " Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side ? You have blessed the work of his hands , and his possessions have increased in the land . 11 " But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely e curse You to Your face ." 12 Then the Lord said to Satan , "Behold , all that he has is in your [6]power , only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord .
13 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house , 14 a messenger came to Job and said , "The oxen were plowing and the [7]donkeys feeding beside e them, 15 and [8]the Sabeans [9]attacked and took them. They also [10]slew the servants with the edge of the sword , and [11]I alone e have escaped to tell you." 16 While he was still speaking , another also came and said , " The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone e have escaped to tell you." 17 While he was still speaking , another also came and said , "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and [12]slew the servants with the edge of the sword , and I alone e have escaped to tell you." 18 While he was still speaking , another also came and said , "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house , 19 and behold , a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house , and it fell on the young people and they died , and I alone e have escaped to tell you."
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head , and he fell to the ground and worshiped . 21 He said , " Naked I came from my mother's womb , And naked I shall return there . The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord ." 22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he [13]blame e God .
21 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord . 2 The Lord said to Satan , "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said , "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." 3 The Lord said to Satan , "Have you considered e e My servant Job ? For there is no one like him on the earth , a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil . And he still holds fast his integrity , although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause ." 4 Satan answered the Lord and said , "Skin for skin ! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life . 5 " However , put forth Your hand now , and touch his bone and his flesh ; he will curse You to Your face ." 6 So the Lord said to Satan , "Behold , he is in your power , only spare his life ."
7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head . 8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes . 9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity ? Curse God and die !" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks . Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity ?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips .
11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place , Eliphaz the Temanite , Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite ; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept . And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky . 13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great .
31 Afterward e Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job said e , 3 " Let the day perish on which I was to be born , And the night which said , 'A boy is conceived .' 4 "May that day be darkness ; Let not God above care for it, Nor light shine on it. 5 "Let darkness and black gloom claim it; Let a cloud settle on it; Let the blackness of the day terrify it. 6 "As for that night , let darkness seize 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 shout enter it. 8 "Let those curse it who curse the day , Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan . 9 "Let the stars of its twilight be darkened ; Let it wait for light but have none , And let it not see the breaking dawn ; 10 Because it did not shut the opening of my mother's womb , Or hide trouble from my eyes .
11 " Why did I not die at birth , Come forth from the womb and expire ? 12 "Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts , that I should suck ? 13 "For now I would have lain down and been quiet ; I would have slept then , I would have been at rest , 14 With kings and with counselors of the earth , Who rebuilt ruins for themselves; 15 Or with princes who had gold , Who were filling their houses with silver . 16 "Or like a miscarriage which is discarded , I would not be, As infants that never saw light . 17 "There the wicked cease from raging , And there the weary are at rest . 18 "The prisoners are at ease together ; They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster . 19 "The small and the great are there , And the slave is free from his master .
20 "Why is light given to him who suffers , And life to the bitter of soul , 21 Who long for death , but there is none , And dig for it more than for hidden treasures , 22 Who rejoice greatly , And exult when they find the grave ? 23 "Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden , And whom God has hedged in? 24 "For my groaning comes at the sight of my food , And my cries pour out like water . 25 "For what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me. 26 "I am not at ease , nor am I quiet , And I am not at rest , but turmoil comes ."
41 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered , 2 "If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient ? But who can refrain from speaking ? 3 "Behold you have admonished many , And you have strengthened weak hands . 4 "Your words have helped the tottering to stand , And you have strengthened feeble knees . 5 "But now it has come to you, and you are impatient ; It touches you, and you are dismayed . 6 "Is not your fear of God your confidence , And the integrity of your ways your hope ?
7 "Remember now , who ever perished being innocent ? Or where were the upright destroyed ? 8 "According to what I have seen , those who plow iniquity And those who sow trouble harvest it. 9 "By the breath of God they perish , And by the blast of His anger they come to an end . 10 "The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion , And the teeth of the young lions are broken . 11 "The lion perishes for lack of prey , And the whelps of the lioness are scattered .
12 "Now a word was brought to me stealthily , And my ear received a whisper of it. 13 "Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night , When deep sleep falls on men , 14 Dread came upon me, and trembling , And made all my bones shake . 15 "Then a spirit passed by my face ; The hair of my flesh bristled up. 16 "It stood still , but I could not discern its appearance ; A form was before my eyes ; There was silence , then I heard a voice : 17 'Can mankind be just before God ? Can a man be pure before his Maker ? 18 ' He puts no trust even in His servants ; And against His angels He charges error . 19 'How much more those who dwell in houses of clay , Whose foundation is in the dust , Who are crushed before the moth ! 20 ' Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces ; Unobserved e , they perish forever . 21 'Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die , yet without wisdom .'
51 "Call now , is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn ? 2 "For anger slays the foolish man , And jealousy kills the simple . 3 "I have seen the foolish taking root , And I cursed his abode immediately . 4 "His sons are far from safety , They are even oppressed in the gate , And there is no deliverer . 5 "His harvest the hungry devour And take it to a place of thorns , And the schemer is eager for their wealth .
6 "For affliction does not come from the dust , Nor does trouble sprout from the ground , 7 For man is born for trouble , As sparks e fly upward . 8 "But as for me, I would seek God , And I would place my cause before God ; 9 Who does great and unsearchable e things , Wonders without e number . 10 "He gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields , 11 So that He sets on high those who are lowly , And those who mourn are lifted to safety . 12 "He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd , So that their hands cannot attain success . 13 "He captures the wise by their own shrewdness , And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted . 14 "By day they meet with darkness , And grope at noon as in the night . 15 "But He saves from the sword of their mouth , And the poor from the hand of the mighty . 16 "So the helpless has hope , And unrighteousness must shut its mouth .
17 "Behold , how happy is the man whom God reproves , So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty . 18 "For He inflicts pain , and gives relief ; He wounds , and His hands also heal . 19 "From six troubles He will deliver you, Even in seven evil will not touch you. 20 "In famine He will redeem you from death , And in war from the power of the sword . 21 "You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue , And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes . 22 "You will laugh at violence and famine , And you will not be afraid of wild beasts . 23 "For you will be in league with the stones of the field , And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you. 24 "You will know that your tent is secure , For you will visit your abode and fear no loss . 25 "You will know also that your descendants will be many , And your offspring as the grass of the earth . 26 "You will come to the grave in full vigor , Like the stacking of grain in its season . 27 "Behold this ; we have investigated it, and so it is. Hear it, and know for yourself."
