Study Desk

Prologue

In the land of Uz^(a) there lived a man whose name was Job.^(b) This man was blameless^(c) and upright;^(d) he feared God^(e) and shunned evil.^(f)

He had seven sons^(g) and three daughters,^(h)

and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys,⁽ⁱ⁾ and had a large number of servants.^(j) He was the greatest man^(k) among all the people of the East.^(l)

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

When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified.⁽ⁿ⁾ Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering^(o) for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned^(p) and cursed God^(q) in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.

One day the angels^[a](r) came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan^[b](s) also came with them.^(t)

The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord , "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it."^(u)

Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?^(v) There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God^(w) and shuns evil."^(x)

"Does Job fear God for nothing?"^(y) Satan replied.

"Have you not put a hedge^(z) around him and his household and everything he has?^(aa) You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.^(ab)

But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has,^(ac) and he will surely curse you to your face."^(ad)

The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has^(ae) is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."^(af) Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord .

One day when Job's sons and daughters^(ag) were feasting^(ah) and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house,

a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing^(ai) nearby,

and the Sabeans^(aj) 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 fire of God fell from the heavens^(ak) and burned up the sheep and the servants,^(al) and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans^(am) 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!"

While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters^(an) were feasting^(ao) and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house,

when suddenly a mighty wind^(ap) swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead,^(aq) and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!^(ar)"

At this, Job got up and tore his robe^(as) and shaved his head.^(at) Then he fell to the ground in worship^(au)

and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.^[c](av) The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;^(aw) may the name of the Lord be praised."^(ax)

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.^(ay)

On another day the angels^[a](a) came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan also came with them^(b) to present himself before him.

And the Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord , "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it."^(c)

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.^(d) And he still maintains his integrity,^(e) though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."^(f)

"Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has^(g) for his own life.

But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones,^(h) and he will surely curse you to your face."⁽ⁱ⁾

The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands;^(j) but you must spare his life."^(k)

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.^(l)

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

His wife said to him, "Are you still maintaining your integrity?⁽ⁿ⁾ Curse God and die!"^(o)

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish^[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"^(p) In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.^(q)

When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite,^(r) Bildad the Shuhite^(s) and Zophar the Naamathite,^(t) 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.^(u)

When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him;^(v) they began to weep aloud,^(w) and they tore their robes^(x) and sprinkled dust on their heads.^(y)

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

Job Speaks

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.^(a)

He said:

"May the day of my birth perish, and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!'^(b)

That day—may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it.

May gloom and utter darkness^(c) claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it.

That night—may thick darkness^(d) seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months.

May that night be barren; may no shout of joy^(e) be heard in it.

May those who curse days^[a] curse that day,^(f) those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.^(g)

May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn,^(h)

for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes.

"Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?⁽ⁱ⁾

Why were there knees to receive me^(j) and breasts that I might be nursed?

For now I would be lying down^(k) in peace; I would be asleep and at rest^(l)

with kings and rulers of the earth,^(m) who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,⁽ⁿ⁾

with princes^(o) who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.^(p)

Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,^(q) like an infant who never saw the light of day?^(r)

There the wicked cease from turmoil,^(s) and there the weary are at rest.^(t)

Captives^(u) also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver's^(v) shout.^(w)

The small and the great are there,^(x) and the slaves are freed from their owners.

"Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul,^(y)

to those who long for death that does not come,^(z) who search for it more than for hidden treasure,^(aa)

who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?^(ab)

Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden,^(ac) whom God has hedged in?^(ad)

For sighing^(ae) has become my daily food;^(af) my groans^(ag) pour out like water.^(ah)

What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded^(ai) has happened to me.^(aj)

I have no peace,^(ak) no quietness; I have no rest,^(al) but only turmoil."^(am)

Eliphaz

Then Eliphaz the Temanite^(a) replied:

"If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking?^(b)

Think how you have instructed many,^(c) how you have strengthened feeble hands.^(d)

Your words have supported those who stumbled;^(e) you have strengthened faltering knees.^(f)

But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;^(g) it strikes^(h) you, and you are dismayed.⁽ⁱ⁾

Should not your piety be your confidence^(j) and your blameless^(k) ways your hope?

"Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?^(l) Where were the upright ever destroyed?^(m)

As I have observed,⁽ⁿ⁾ those who plow evil^(o) and those who sow trouble reap it.^(p)

At the breath of God^(q) they perish; at the blast of his anger they are no more.^(r)

The lions may roar^(s) and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions^(t) are broken.^(u)

The lion perishes for lack of prey,^(v) and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.^(w)

"A word^(x) was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper^(y) of it.^(z)

Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on people,^(aa)

fear and trembling^(ab) seized me and made all my bones shake.^(ac)

A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end.^(ad)

It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice:^(ae)

‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?^(af) Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?^(ag)

If God places no trust in his servants,^(ah) if he charges his angels with error,^(ai)

how much more those who live in houses of clay,^(aj) whose foundations^(ak) are in the dust,^(al) who are crushed^(am) more readily than a moth!^(an)

Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever.^(ao)

Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,^(ap) so that they die^(aq) without wisdom?'^(ar)

"Call if you will, but who will answer you?^(a) To which of the holy ones^(b) will you turn?

Resentment^(c) kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.^(d)

I myself have seen^(e) a fool taking root,^(f) but suddenly^(g) his house was cursed.^(h)

His children⁽ⁱ⁾ are far from safety,^(j) crushed in court^(k) without a defender.^(l)

The hungry consume his harvest,^(m) taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.

For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground.⁽ⁿ⁾

Yet man is born to trouble^(o) as surely as sparks fly upward.

"But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him.^(p)

He performs wonders^(q) that cannot be fathomed,^(r) miracles that cannot be counted.^(s)

He provides rain for the earth;^(t) he sends water on the countryside.^(u)

The lowly he sets on high,^(v) and those who mourn^(w) are lifted^(x) to safety.

He thwarts the plans^(y) of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.^(z)

He catches the wise^(aa) in their craftiness,^(ab) and the schemes of the wily are swept away.^(ac)

Darkness^(ad) comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.^(ae)

He saves the needy^(af) from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.^(ag)

So the poor^(ah) have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.^(ai)