Job 1  Common English Bible

Job’s piety and life of bliss

1 A man in the land of Uz was named Job. That man was honest, a person of absolute integrity; he feared God and avoided evil. ² He had seven sons and three daughters, ³ and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred pairs of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a vast number of servants, so that he was greater than all the people of the east. ⁴ Each of his sons hosted a feast in his own house on his birthday. They invited their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ When the days of the feast had been completed, Job would send word^[a] and purify his children.^[b] Getting up early in the morning, he prepared entirely burned offerings for each one of them, for Job thought, Perhaps my children have sinned and then cursed^[c] God in their hearts. Job did this regularly.

Job’s motives questioned

⁶ One day the divine beings^[d] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Adversary^[e] also came among them. ⁷ The Lord said to the Adversary, “Where did you come from?”

The Adversary answered the Lord, “From wandering throughout the earth.”

⁸ The Lord said to the Adversary, “Have you thought about my servant Job; surely there is no one like him on earth, a man who is honest, who is of absolute integrity, who reveres God and avoids evil?”

⁹ The Adversary answered the Lord, “Does Job revere God for nothing? ¹⁰ Haven’t you fenced him in—his house and all he has—and blessed the work of his hands so that his possessions extend throughout the earth? ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and strike all he has. He will certainly curse you to your face.”

¹² The Lord said to the Adversary, “Look, all he has is within your power; only don’t stretch out your hand against him.” So the Adversary left the Lord’s presence.

Job passes the test

¹³ One day Job’s sons and 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 donkeys were grazing nearby ¹⁵ when the Sabeans took them and killed the young men with swords. I alone escaped to tell you.”

¹⁶ While this messenger was speaking, another arrived and said: “A raging fire fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and devoured the young men. I alone escaped to tell you.”

¹⁷ While this messenger was speaking, another arrived and said: “Chaldeans set up three companies, raided the camels and took them, killing the young men with swords. I alone escaped to tell you.”

¹⁸ While this messenger was speaking, another arrived and said: “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ when a strong wind came from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It fell upon the young people, and they died. I alone escaped to tell you.”

²⁰ Job arose, tore his clothes, shaved his head, fell to the ground, and worshipped. ²¹ He said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb; naked I will return there. The Lord has given; the Lord has taken; bless the Lord’s name.” ²² In all this, Job didn’t sin or blame God.