Job 1
1 Once there was a man called Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was a man of integrity who did what was right. He respected God and avoided evil.
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.
2 He had seven sons and three daughters.
And he had seven sons and three daughters.
3 He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, as well as many servants. He was more wealthy than anyone else in the East.
And of cattle he had seven thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand camels, and a thousand oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great number of servants. And the man was greater than any of the sons of the east.
4 Job's sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes on their specific day, also inviting their sisters to come and eat and drink with them.
His sons regularly went to one another's houses, and every one on his day gave a feast: and at these times they sent for their three sisters to take part in their feasts with them.
5 When the days of feasting were over, Job would send for them and purify them by getting up early in the morning to offer a burnt offering for each of them. He was concerned, thinking to himself, “Maybe my children have sinned in some way and have unintentionally offended God.” This is what Job always did.
And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.
6 One day the angels came to present themselves to the Lord, and Satan came with them.
And there was a day when the sons of the gods came together before the Lord, and the Satan came with them.
7 The Lord asked Satan, “What have you been doing?” “Traveling around on earth, going here and there,” Satan replied.
And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.
8 “Have you paid attention to Job, my servant?” asked the Lord. “There's no one like him on earth, a man of integrity who does what is right, who respects God and avoids evil.”
And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?
9 “Is it for nothing that Job respects God?” Satan answered. “You've placed a protective fence around him and his family—in fact around everything he has.
And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?
10 You have blessed everything he does. His flocks and herds have increased so much they fill the whole land!
Have you yourself not put a wall round him and his house and all he has on every side, blessing the work of his hands, and increasing his cattle in the land?
11 But if you reach out and take everything he has, he will definitely curse you to your face.”
But now, put out your hand against all he has, and he will be cursing you to your face.
12 The Lord told Satan, “Very well, you have the power to do whatever you want to everything he has, but don't hurt him physically.” Then Satan left the Lord's presence.
And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.
13 The day came when while Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,
And there was a day when his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their oldest brother,
14 a messenger came to Job and told him, “As the oxen were plowing and female donkeys were grazing nearby,
And a man came to Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses were taking their food by their side:
15 the Sabeans attacked and took them, killing the herdsmen. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”
And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
16 While he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and set the sheep and shepherds on fire and burned them up. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”
And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
17 While he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Three armed companies of Chaldeans attacked the camels and took them, killing the herdsmen. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”
And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
18 While he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother
And this one was still talking when another came, and said, Your sons and your daughters were feasting together in their oldest brother's house,
19 when all of a sudden a tremendous wind came in from the desert. It hit the house on all four sides so that it collapsed on them and they died. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”
When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
20 Then Job stood up and tore his robe. Then cut off his hair and fell to the ground in worship.
Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said,
21 “I was naked when I came out of my mother's womb, and I shall be naked when I leave,” he said. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. May the Lord's name be honored.”
With nothing I came out of my mother's body, and with nothing I will go back there; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; let the Lord's name be praised.
22 In all of this Job did not sin, nor blame God.
In all this Job did no sin, and did not say that God's acts were foolish.
