< Job 1 >
1 In the land named Uz, there was a man named Job. He was a very godly/righteous [DOU] man, who greatly respected/revered God and always avoided doing evil things.
There was a man in the land of 'Uz, Job was his name; And this man was perfect and upright, and fearing God, and eschewing evil.
2 He had seven sons and three daughters.
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was the richest man in all the area east [of the Jordan River].
And his cattle consisted of seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and he had a very great store of servants: so that this man was greater than all the sons of the east.
4 Each year, Job’s sons made feasts [in their houses] to celebrate their birthdays. Whenever each one made a feast, he would invite [all his brothers and] his three sisters to come and eat together.
And his sons used to go and prepare a feast in the house of every one on his day; and they sent and invited their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 When each celebration ended, Job would summon them. He would get up early in the morning and kill animals and burn them on the altar as sacrifices, one for each of his children. He said to himself, “Perhaps [one of] my sons has sinned and said something evil about God in his heart.”
And it happened, when the days of the feast were gone round, that Job sent and sanctified them, and he then rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of all of them; for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and have renounced God in their heart. In this manner used Job to do all the time.
6 One day, the angels came and gathered together in front of Yahweh, and Satan came too.
Now it happened on a certain day, when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, that the Accuser also came in the midst of them.
7 Yahweh asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan replied, “I have come from the earth, where I been traveling back and forth, seeing what is happening.”
Then said the Lord unto the Accuser, Whence comest thou? And the Accuser answered the Lord, and said, From roaming over the earth, and from wandering through it.
8 Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you (noticed/thought about) my [faithful] servant Job? He is very godly/righteous [DOU], he greatly respects/reveres me, and he always avoids doing evil things. There is no one else on the earth like him.”
Then said the Lord unto the Accuser, Hast thou directed thy attention toward my servant Job; for there is none like him on the earth, a man perfect and upright, who feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Satan replied to Yahweh, “[What you say is true], but Job greatly respects you [only] because of what [you have done for him] [RHQ].
Then answered the Accuser the Lord, and said, Is it for nought that Job feareth God?
10 You have always [RHQ] protected [MET] him and his family and everything that he owns. You have made him very prosperous/rich. He has livestock all over this land.
Behold, thou hast indeed placed a fence about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side: the work of his hands hast thou blessed, and his cattle are far spread out in the land.
11 But if you take away [MTY] everything that he has, he will curse you openly. [IDM]”
But stretch only forth thy hand and touch all that he hath, and [see] whether he will not renounce thee to thy face.
12 Yahweh replied to Satan, “(All right/Okay), I will permit you to take away everything that he has. But do not harm him.” Then Satan left, [and he prepared to cause many disastrous things to happen to Job].
Then said the Lord unto the Accuser, Behold, all that is his be in thy power; only against himself shalt thou not stretch forth thy hand. The Accuser went thereupon away from the presence of the Lord.
13 One day [after that], Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the home of their oldest brother.
And it happened on a certain day, when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their first-born 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,
That a messenger came unto Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the she-asses were feeding beside them:
15 a group of men from [the] Sheba [area] 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 escaped to [come and] tell you what happened.”
When the Sabeans made an incursion, and took them away, and the young men they slew with the edge of the sword; and I am escaped, none but myself alone, to tell it unto thee.
16 While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived. He said to Job, “Lightning from the sky [MTY] struck and killed all the sheep and all the men who were taking care of the sheep! I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
This one was yet speaking, when another came, and said, A fire of God fell from heaven, and burnt among the sheep and the young men, and consumed them; and I am escaped, none but myself alone, to tell it unto thee.
17 While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived. He said to Job, “Three groups [of robbers/bandits] from Chaldea [land] 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 escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
This one was yet speaking, when another came, and said, The Chaldeans posted themselves in three divisions, and made an inroad against the camels, and took them away, and the young men they slew with the edge of the sword; and I am escaped, none but myself alone, to tell it unto thee.
18 While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived and reported this to Job: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in the home of their oldest brother.
While this one was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their first-born brother:
19 Suddenly a (very strong wind/tornado) 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 escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
When, behold, a violent wind came from the direction of the wilderness, and struck against the four corners of the house, so that it fell upon the young men, and they died; and I am escaped, none but myself alone, to tell it unto thee.
20 Job stood up, and tore his robe and shaved his head [because he was very sad/grieved]. Then he prostrated himself on the ground [to worship God].
Then arose Job, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and prostrated himself.
21 He said, “When I was born, I had no clothes on. When I die, I will not take any clothes with me. Yahweh gave me [everything that I possessed], and [now] he has taken it all away. But (we should/I will) always praise Yahweh [anyway]! [MTY]”
And he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; may the name of the Lord be blessed.
22 In spite of all these [things that happened to] Job, [he] did not sin by saying that what God had done was wrong.
With all this did Job not sin, and attributed no injustice to God.