Prologue

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied.

and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

with kings and rulers of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,

with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?

What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.

“If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking?

fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake.

If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error,

Are not the cords of their tent pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’

His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.

You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes.

You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the wild animals.