I. The Prologue (1:1-2:13)
Job’s Good Life 11:1 2 There was a man 3 in the land of Uz 4 whose 5 name was Job. 6 And that man was pure 7 and upright, 8 one who feared God and turned away from evil. 9 1:2 Seven 10 sons and three daughters were born to him. 11 1:3 His possessions 12 included 13 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. 14 Thus he 15 was the greatest of all the people in the east. 16
1:4 Now his sons used to go 17 and hold 18 a feast in the house of each one in turn, 19 and they would send and invite 20 their three 21 sisters to eat and to drink with them. 1:5 When 22 the days of their feasting were finished, 23 Job would send 24 for them and sanctify 25 them; he would get up early 26 in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to 27 the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps 28 my children 29 have sinned and cursed 30 God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice. 31
1:6 Now the day came when 33 the sons of God 34 came to present themselves before 35 the Lord – and Satan 36 also arrived among them. 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” 37 And Satan answered the Lord, 38 “From roving about 39 on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” 40 1:8 So the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered 41 my servant Job? There 42 is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away 43 from evil.”
1:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Is it for nothing that Job fears God? 44 1:10 Have you 45 not made a hedge 46 around him and his household and all that he has on every side? You have blessed 47 the work of his hands, and his livestock 48 have increased 49 in the land. 1:11 But 50 extend your hand and strike 51 everything he has, and he will no doubt 52 curse you 53 to your face!”
1:12 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right then, 54 everything he has is 55 in your power. 56 Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!” 57 So Satan went out 58 from the presence of the Lord. 59
1:13 Now the day 61 came when Job’s 62 sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 1:14 and a messenger came to Job, saying, “The oxen were plowing 63 and the donkeys were grazing beside them, 1:15 and the Sabeans 64 swooped down 65 and carried them all away, and they killed 66 the servants with the sword! 67 And I – only I alone 68 – escaped to tell you!”
1:16 While this one was still speaking, 69 another messenger arrived 70 and said, “The fire of God 71 has fallen from heaven 72 and has burned up the sheep and the servants – it has consumed them! And I – only I alone – escaped to tell you!”
1:17 While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “The Chaldeans 73 formed three bands and made a raid 74 on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword! 75 And I – only I alone – escaped to tell you!”
1:18 While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 1:19 and suddenly 76 a great wind 77 swept across 78 the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died! And I – only I alone – escaped to tell you!”
1:20 Then Job got up 79 and tore his robe. 80 He shaved his head, 81 and then he threw himself down with his face to the ground. 82 1:21 He said, “Naked 83 I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. 84 The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. 85 May the name of the Lord 86 be blessed!” 1:22 In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety. 87
2:1 Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also arrived among them to present himself before the Lord. 88 2:2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, 89 “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” 90 2:3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly 91 to his integrity, 92 so that 93 you stirred me up to destroy him 94 without reason.” 95
2:4 But 96 Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for 97 skin! 98 Indeed, a man will give up 99 all that he has to save his life! 100 2:5 But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh, 101 and he will no doubt 102 curse you to your face!”
2:6 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right, 103 he is 104 in your power; 105 only preserve 106 his life.”
2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflicted 107 Job with a malignant ulcer 108 from the sole of his feet to the top of his head. 109 2:8 Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape 110 himself 111 with while he was sitting 112 among the ashes. 113
2:9 Then 114 his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? 115 Curse 116 God, and die!” 117 2:10 But he replied, 118 “You’re talking like one of the godless 119 women would do! Should we receive 120 what is good from God, and not also 121 receive 122 what is evil?” 123 In all this Job did not sin by what he said. 124
2:11 When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country 126 – Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. 127 They met together 128 to come to show sympathy 129 for him and to console 130 him. 2:12 But when they gazed intently 131 from a distance but did not recognize 132 him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads. 133 2:13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain 134 was very great. 135
II. Job’s Dialogue With His Friends
(3:1-27:33) 136
3:1 After this Job opened his mouth 137 and cursed 138 the day he was born. 139 3:2 Job spoke up 140 and said:
3:3 “Let the day on which 141 I was born 142 perish,
and the night that said, 143
‘A man 144 has been conceived!’ 145
3:4 That day 146 – let it be darkness; 147
let not God on high regard 148 it,
nor let light shine 149 on it!
3:5 Let darkness and the deepest
shadow 150 claim it; 151
let a cloud settle on it;
let whatever blackens the day 152 terrify it!
3:6 That night – let darkness seize 153 it;
let it not be included 154 among the days of the year;
let it not enter among the number of the months! 155
3:7 Indeed, 156 let that night be barren; 157
let no shout of joy 158 penetrate 159 it!
3:8 Let those who curse the day 160 curse it 161 –
those who are prepared to rouse 162 Leviathan. 163
3:9 Let its morning stars 164 be darkened;
let it wait 165 for daylight but find none, 166
nor let it see the first rays 167 of dawn,
3:10 because it 168 did not shut the doors 169 of my mother’s womb on me, 170
nor did it hide trouble 171 from my eyes!
3:11 “Why did I not 173 die 174 at birth, 175
and why did I not expire
as 176 I came out of the womb?
3:12 Why did the knees welcome me, 177
and why were there 178 two breasts 179
that I might nurse at them? 180
3:13 For now 181 I would be lying down
and 182 would be quiet, 183
I would be asleep and then at peace 184
3:14 with kings and counselors of the earth
who built for themselves places now desolate, 185
3:15 or with princes who possessed gold, 186
who filled their palaces 187 with silver.
3:16 Or why 188 was 189 I not buried 190
like a stillborn infant, 191
like infants 192 who have never seen the light? 193
3:17 There 194 the wicked 195 cease 196 from turmoil, 197
and there the weary 198 are at rest.
3:18 There 199 the prisoners 200 relax 201 together; 202
they do not hear the voice of the oppressor. 203
3:19 Small and great are 204 there,
and the slave is free 205 from his master. 206
3:20 “Why does God 208 give 209 light to one who is in misery, 210
and life to those 211 whose soul is bitter,
3:21 to 212 those who wait 213 for death that 214 does not come,
and search for it 215
more than for hidden treasures,
3:22 who rejoice 216 even to jubilation, 217
and are exultant 218 when 219 they find the grave? 220
3:23 Why is light given 221 to a man 222
whose way is hidden, 223
and whom God has hedged in? 224
3:24 For my sighing comes in place of 225 my food, 226
and my groanings 227 flow forth like water. 228
3:25 For the very thing I dreaded 229 has happened 230 to me,
and what I feared has come upon me. 231
3:26 I have no ease, 232 I have no quietness;
I cannot rest; 233 turmoil has come upon me.” 234
4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: 236
4:2 “If someone 237 should attempt 238 a word with you,
will you be impatient? 239
But who can refrain from speaking 240 ?
4:3 Look, 241 you have instructed 242 many;
you have strengthened 243 feeble hands. 244
4:4 Your words have supported 245 those
who stumbled, 246
and you have strengthened the knees
that gave way. 247
4:5 But now the same thing 248 comes to you,
and you are discouraged; 249
it strikes you,
and you are terrified. 250
4:6 Is not your piety 251 your confidence, 252
and your blameless ways your hope? 253
4:7 Call to mind now: 254
Who, 255 being innocent, ever perished? 256
And where were upright people 257 ever destroyed? 258
4:8 Even as I have seen, 259 those who plow 260 iniquity 261
and those who sow trouble reap the same. 262
4:9 By the breath 263 of God they perish, 264
and by the blast 265 of his anger they are consumed.
4:10 There is 266 the roaring of the lion 267
and the growling 268 of the young lion,
but the teeth of the young lions are broken. 269
4:11 The mighty lion 270 perishes 271 for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lioness 272 are scattered.
4:12 “Now a word was secretly 273 brought 274 to me,
and my ear caught 275 a whisper 276 of it.
4:13 In the troubling thoughts 277 of the dreams 278 in the night
when a deep sleep 279 falls on men,
4:14 a trembling 280 gripped me – and a terror! –
and made all my bones shake. 281
4:15 Then a breath of air 282 passes 283 by my face;
it makes 284 the hair of my flesh stand up.
4:16 It stands still, 285
but I cannot recognize 286 its appearance;
an image is before my eyes,
and I hear a murmuring voice: 287
4:17 “Is 288 a mortal man 289 righteous 290 before 291 God?
Or a man pure 292 before his Creator? 293
4:18 If 294 God 295 puts no trust in 296 his servants 297
and attributes 298 folly 299 to his angels,
4:19 how much more to those who live in houses of clay, 300
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed 301 like 302 a moth?
4:20 They are destroyed 303 between morning and evening; 304
they perish forever 305 without anyone regarding it. 306
4:21 Is not their excess wealth 307 taken away from them? 308
They die, 309 yet without attaining wisdom. 310
5:1 “Call now! 311 Is there anyone who will answer you? 312
To which of the holy ones 313 will you turn? 314
5:2 For 315 wrath kills the foolish person, 316
and anger 317 slays the silly one.
5:3 I myself 318 have seen the fool 319 taking root,
but suddenly I cursed his place of residence. 320
5:4 His children are far 321 from safety,
and they are crushed 322 at the place where judgment is rendered, 323
nor is there anyone to deliver them. 324
5:5 The hungry 325 eat up his harvest, 326
and take it even from behind the thorns, 327
and the thirsty 328 swallow up 329 their fortune. 330
5:6 For evil does not come up from the dust, 331
nor does trouble spring up from the ground,
5:7 but people 332 are born 333 to trouble,
as surely as the sparks 334 fly 335 upward. 336
5:8 “But 338 as for me, 339 I would seek 340 God, 341
and to God 342 I would set forth my case. 343
5:9 He does 344 great and unsearchable 345 things,
marvelous things without 346 number; 347
5:10 he gives 348 rain on the earth, 349
and sends 350 water on the fields; 351
5:11 he sets 352 the lowly 353 on high,
that those who mourn 354 are raised 355 to safety.
5:12 He frustrates 356 the plans 357 of the crafty 358
so that 359 their hands cannot accomplish
what they had planned! 360
5:13 He catches 361 the wise in their own craftiness, 362
and the counsel of the cunning 363 is brought to a quick end. 364
5:14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, 365
and grope about 366 in the noontime as if it were night. 367
5:15 So he saves 368 from the sword that comes from their mouth, 369
even 370 the poor from the hand of the powerful.
5:16 Thus the poor have hope,
and iniquity 371 shuts its mouth. 372
5:17 “Therefore, 373 blessed 374 is the man whom God corrects, 375
so do not despise the discipline 376 of the Almighty. 377
5:18 For 378 he 379 wounds, 380 but he also bandages;
he strikes, but his hands also heal.
5:19 He will deliver you 381 from six calamities;
yes, in seven 382 no evil will touch you.
5:20 In time of famine 383 he will redeem you from death,
and in time of war from the power of the sword. 384
5:21 You will be protected 385 from malicious gossip, 386
and will not be afraid of the destruction 387 when it comes.
5:22 You will laugh at destruction and famine 388
and need not 389 be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
5:23 For you will have a pact with the stones 390 of the field,
and the wild animals 391 will be at peace 392 with you.
5:24 And 393 you will know 394 that your home 395
will be secure, 396
and when you inspect 397 your domains,
you will not be missing 398 anything.
5:25 You will also know that your children 399 will be numerous,
and your descendants 400 like the grass of the earth.
5:26 You will come to your grave in a full age, 401
As stacks of grain are harvested in their season.
5:27 Look, we have investigated this, so it is true.
Hear it, 402 and apply it for your own 403 good.” 404