CHAPTER 1

¹A man there was in the land of Uz—Job, his name. And the man was blameless and upright and feared God and shunned evil. ², And seven sons were born to him, and three daughters. ³And his flocks came to seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels and five hundred yokes of cattle and five hundred she-asses and a great abundance of slaves. And that man was greater than all the Easterners. ⁴And his sons would go and hold a feast, in each one’s house on his set day, and they would call to their sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵And it happened when the days of the feast came round, that Job would send and consecrate them and rise early in the morning and offer up burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, Perhaps my sons have offended and cursed God in their hearts. Thus would Job do at all times.

⁶And one day, the sons of God came to stand in attendance before the LORD, and the Adversary, too, came among them. ⁷And the LORD said to the Adversary, “From where do you come?” And the Adversary answered the LORD and said, “From roaming the earth and walking about in it.” ⁸And the LORD said to the Adversary, “Have you paid heed to My servant Job, for there is none like him on earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and shuns evil?” ⁹And the Adversary answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have You not hedged him about and his household and all that he has all around? The work of his hands You have blessed, and his flocks have spread over the land. ¹¹And yet, reach out Your hand, pray, and strike all he has. Will he not curse You to Your face?” ¹²And the LORD said to the Adversary, “Look, all that he has is in your hands. Only against him do not reach out your hand.” And the Adversary went out from before the LORD’s presence.

¹³And one day, his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn. ¹⁴And a messenger came to Job and said, “The cattle were plowing and the she-asses grazing by them, ¹⁵and Sabeans fell upon them and took them, and the lads they struck down by the edge of the sword, and I alone escaped to tell you.” ¹⁶This one was still speaking when another came and said, “God’s fire fell from the heavens and burned among the sheep and the lads and consumed them, and I alone escaped to tell you.” ¹⁷This one was still speaking when another came and said, “Chaldaeans set out in three bands and pounced upon the camels and took them, and the lads they struck down by the edge of the sword.” ¹⁸This one was still speaking when another came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn. ¹⁹And, look, a great wind came from beyond the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died. And I alone escaped to tell you.” ²⁰And Job rose and tore his garment and shaved his head and fell to the earth and bowed down. ²¹And he said,

                    “Naked I came out from my mother’s womb,

                          and naked shall I return there.

                    The LORD has given and the LORD has taken.

                          May the LORD’s name be blessed.”

²²With all this, Job did not offend, nor did he put blame on God.