But the king of Egypt said to Moses and Aaron, “Why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens!”

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God].

When the days of their feasting were over, Job would send [for them] and consecrate them, rising early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job did this at all [such] times.

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God].”

Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

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

Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God].

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]. And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.”

So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome boils and agonizingly painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.

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

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

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

And Job said,

Then Job answered and said,

“How long will you say these things?
And will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with joyful shouting [if you are found blameless].

Then Job answered and said,

Then Job responded,

[Job continued:] “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered [Job] and said,

Then Job answered and said,

Then Job answered and said,

Then Job answered and said,

“For you say, ‘Where is the house of the noble man?
And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wicked?’

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

“But the land is possessed by the man with power,
And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.

Then Job answered and said,

But Job answered and said,

Job continued his discourse and said,

And Job again took up his discussion and said,

Let thorns grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed and cockleburs instead of barley.”

So the words of Job [with his friends] are finished.

So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled and burned and he became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God’s character].

Elihu’s anger burned against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job’s error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were years older than he.

“Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
I also will give you my opinion [about Job’s situation] and tell you plainly what I think.’

“I even paid close attention to [what] you [said],
Indeed, not one of you convinced Job [nor could you refute him],
Not one of you supplied [satisfactory] answers to his words.

“Beware if you say,
‘We have found wisdom;
God thrusts Job down [justly], not man [for God alone is dealing with him].’

“Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended],
Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]

“They (Job’s friends) are dismayed and embarrassed, they no longer answer;
The words have moved away and failed them,” [says Elihu].

“However, Job, please listen to my words,
And pay attention to everything I say.

“For God speaks once,
And even twice, yet no one notices it [including you, Job].

“Pay attention, Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will speak.

“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous [and innocent],
But God has taken away my right;

“What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,

‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom and insight.

‘Job ought to be tried to the limit
Because he answers like wicked men!

Elihu continued speaking [to Job] and said,

Job uselessly opens his mouth
And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].”

“But you [Job] were full of judgment on the wicked,
Judgment and justice take hold of you.

“Listen to this, Job;
Stand still and consider the wonders of God.

“Tell us [Job] what words [of man] shall we say to such a Being;
We cannot state our case because of darkness [that is, our ignorance in the presence of the unsearchable God].

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

“Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions

“Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock give birth [to their young]?
Do you observe the calving of the deer?

“Will you have faith and depend on him to return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

“Have you [Job] made him leap like a locust?
The majesty of his snorting [nostrils] is terrible.

“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south [as winter approaches]?

Then the Lord said to Job,

Then Job replied to the Lord and said,

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, saying,

Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And [if you are so able] tread down the wicked where they stand.

“[If you can do all this, Job, proving your divine power] then I [God] will also praise you and acknowledge
That your own right hand can save you.

“He looks on everything that is high [without terror];
He is monarch over all the sons of pride. [And now, Job, who are you who does not dare to disturb the beast, yet who dares resist Me, the beast’s creator? Everything under the heavens is Mine; therefore, who can have a claim against God?]”

Then Job answered the Lord and said,

It came about that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him [and his prayer] so that I may not deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has.”

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

In all the land there were found no women so fair as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations.

So Job died, an old man and full of days.

even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that land, by their own righteousness (right standing with God) they could only save (deliver) themselves,” says the Lord God.

even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they could not save either their son or their daughter; they would save only themselves by their righteousness [that is, their right-standing with God—their moral and spiritual integrity].”

You know we call those blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] who were steadfast and endured [difficult circumstances]. You have heard of the patient endurance of Job and you have seen the Lord’s outcome [how He richly blessed Job]. The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.