Job 1
1 There was a
certain man in the land of Ausis, whose name was Job;
and that man was true, blameless, righteous,
and godly, abstaining from everything evil.
2 And he had seven sons and three
daughters. 3 And his cattle consisted
of seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen,
five hundred she-asses in the pastures, and a very great household, and he had
a great husbandry on the earth; and that man was
most noble of the men of the
east.
4 And his sons visiting one another
prepared a banquet every day, taking with them also their three sisters to eat
and drink with them. 5 And when the
days of the banquet were completed, Job sent and purified them, having risen
up in the morning, and offered sacrifices for them, according to their number,
and one calf for a sin-offering for their souls: for Job said, Lest
peradventure my sons have thought evil in their minds against God. Thus then
Job did continually.
6 And it came to pass on a day, that,
behold, the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came
with them. 7 And the Lord said to the
devil, Whence art thou come? And the devil answered the Lord, and said, I am
come from compassing the earth, and walking up and down in the world.
8 And the Lord said to him, Hast thou
diligently considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the
earth, a man blameless, true, godly, abstaining from everything evil?
9 Then the devil answered, and said
before the Lord, Does Job worship the Lord for nothing?
10 Hast thou not made a hedge about
him, and about his household, and all his possessions round about? and hast
thou not blessed the works of his hands, and multiplied his cattle upon the
land? 11 But put forth thine hand,
and touch all that he has: verily he will bless thee to
thy face.
12 Then the Lord said to the devil,
Behold, I give into thine hand all that he has, but touch not himself. So the
devil went out from the presence of the Lord.
13 And it came to pass on a certain
day, that Job's sons and his daughters were drinking wine in the house of
their elder brother. 14 And, behold,
there came a messenger to Job, and said to him, The yokes of oxen were
ploughing, and the she-asses were feeding near them;
15 and the spoilers came and took
them for a prey, and slew the servants with the sword; and I having escaped
alone am come to tell thee. 16 While
he was yet speaking, there came another messenger, and said to Job, Fire has
fallen from heaven, and burnt up the sheep, and devoured the shepherds
likewise; and I having escaped alone am come to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there
came another messenger, and said to Job, The horsemen formed three companies
against us, and surrounded the camels, and took them for a prey, and slew the
servants with the sword; and I only escaped, and am come to tell thee.
18 While he is yet speaking, another
messenger comes, saying to Job, While thy sons and thy daughters were eating
and drinking with their elder brother,
19 suddenly a great wind came on from
the desert, and caught the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon
thy children, and they are dead; and I have escaped alone, and am come to tell
thee.
20 So Job arose, and rent his
garments, and shaved the hair of his head, and fell on the earth, and
worshipped, 21 and said, I myself
came forth naked from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the
Lord gave, the Lord has taken away: as it seemed good to the Lord, so has it
come to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord.
22 In all these events that befel him
Job sinned not at all before the Lord, and did not impute folly to God.