There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

And it was so, when the days of the feasting were gone about, that Job sent and hallowed them; and he rose up early in the morning, and offered up burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

And it happened {one day} {that} the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came into their midst.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil?

And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, Is it, for nought, that Job revereth God?

Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

And the day is, that his sons and his daughters are eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their brother, the first-born.

that there came a messenger to Job, and said, "The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,

That messenger was still speaking when yet another came and reported: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, made a raid on the camels, and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Suddenly a powerful wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people so that they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

In all this Job did no sin, and did not say that God's acts were foolish.

Again it happened on the day when the God's sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil? and still he remaineth firm in his integrity, though thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause.

Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.

so that he sat upon the ground in the ashes, and scraped off the filth of his sores with a potsherd.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him.

And lifting up their eyes when they were still far off, it did not seem that the man they saw was Job because of the change in him. And they gave way to bitter weeping, with signs of grief, and put dust on their heads.

Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived.

“May that day be darkness;
Let not God above care for it,
Nor light shine on it.

“Let darkness and gloom claim it for their own;
Let a cloud settle upon it;
Let all that blackens the day terrify it (the day that I was born).

“As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not come into the number of the months.

“Behold, let that night be barren;
Let no joyful shout enter it.

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;

“Let the stars of its early dawn be dark;
Let the morning wait in vain for the light,
Let it not see the eyelids of morning (the day’s dawning),

Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.

“Why did the knees receive me,
And why the breasts, that I should suck?

Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

“Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be,
As infants that never saw light.

In that place, the wicked stop causing trouble, and there, those whose strength is exhausted are at rest.

In that place, those who once were prisoners will be at ease together; they won't hear the voice of oppressors.

There, are small and great; the bondman, and he that is free from his master.

Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

to those who wait for death that does not come, and search for it more than for hidden treasures,

That should be joy to the man whose way is hid, which God keepeth back from him.

For I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.

Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees:

But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off?

Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, reap the same.

They perish by the breath of God; they are consumed by the storm that is his anger.

Full grown lions die when they cannot find prey; that's when the lion cubs are scattered.

A fear fell upon me, along with trembling that caused all my bones to shake in terror.

"Can a mortal person be more righteous than God? Or can the purity of the valiant exceed that of his maker?'

How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth!

‘Is not their tent-cord drawn up within them [so that the tent collapses]?
Do they not die, and yet without [acquiring] wisdom?’

Call, I pray thee! Is there any that answereth thee? and to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

“I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering],
But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].

that his children were without prosperity or health; that they were slain in the door, and no man to deliver them;

that his harvest was eaten up of the hungry; that the weaponed man had spoiled it, and that the thirsty had drunk up his riches.

"It is not the earth that bringeth forth travail, neither cometh sorrow out of the ground;

but it is man, that is born unto misery, like as the sparks fly up out of the hot coals.

who does great things that can't be fathomed, marvelous things without number;

So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

“He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.

He traps the wise in their craftiness
so that the plans of the deceptive
are quickly brought to an end.

Insomuch that they run into darkness by fair day, and grope about them at the noonday, like as in the night.

So he saves from the sword that comes from their mouth, even the poor from the hand of the powerful.

that the poor may have hope, and that the mouth of the oppressor may be stopped.

Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.

For, he, woundeth that he may bind up, He smiteth through, that, his own hands, may heal.

“He will rescue you from six troubles;
Even in seven, evil will not touch you.

He shall keep thee from the perilous tongue so that when trouble cometh, thou shalt not need to fear.

“You will know that your tent is secure,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.

“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.

You'll go to your grave at a ripe old age; like a stack of grain that's harvested at just the right time.

See, we have made search with care, and it is so; it has come to our ears; see that you take note of it for yourself.

Job answered, and said, "Oh that my misery were weighed, and my punishment laid in the balances:

“Oh that my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my calamity!

But because it is heavier than the sand of the sea, that is why my words have been wild.

Shall that which is insipid be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg?

What my soul refuseth to touch, that is as my loathsome food.

“Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my longing!

“Would that God were willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!

“But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

“What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should endure?

Is my strength like that of stones? or is my flesh made of bronze?

“Is it that my help is not within me,
And that deliverance is driven from me?

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

My brothers have been as treacherous as a seasonal stream, and as the riverbeds of the intermittent streams that flow away.

That are black because of ice, By them doth snow hide itself.

The caravans that travel beside them turn aside. They go up into the waste, and perish.

They are ashamed that they had trusted, They have come up to one of them, and are confounded.

For now you have become like these streams that are no help; you see a terror, and are afraid.

Is it that I said, Make me a gift, or, out of your abundance, offer a bribe on my behalf;

Or, Get me out of the power of my hater? or, Give money so that I may be free from the power of the cruel ones?

How pleasant are the sayings that are right! But what can a decision from you, decide?

Do ye imagine to reprove words? The speeches of one that is desperate are indeed for the wind.

But, now, be pleased to turn to me, that it may be, to your faces, if I speak falsehood,

Have I said anything that's unjust? I can discern evil, can't I?"

As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:

“Remember that my life is but breath;
My eye will not again see good.

The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up.

Therefore I will not spare my mouth, but will speak in the trouble of my spirit; in that bitterness of my mind will I talk.