Study Desk

There was a man in the ^(C1)land of Uz whose name was ^(C2)Job; and that man was ^(C3)blameless, upright, ^(C4)fearing God and ^(C5)turning away from evil.

^(C1)Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

^(C1)His possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was ^(C2)the greatest of all the ^(F1)men of the east.

His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send word to them and consecrate them, getting up early in the morning and offering ^(C1)burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "^(C2)Perhaps my sons have sinned and ^(C3)cursed God in their hearts." Job did so continually.

^(C1)Now there was a day when the ^(F1)(C2)sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and ^(F2)Satan also came among them.

The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "^(C1)From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you ^(F1)considered ^(C1)My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, ^(C2)a blameless and upright man, ^(F2)fearing God and turning away from evil."

Then ^(C1)Satan answered the ^(F1)LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?

"^(C1)Have You not made a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? ^(C2)You have blessed the work of his hands, and his ^(C3)possessions have increased in the land.

"^(C1)But reach out with Your hand now and ^(C2)touch all that he has; he will certainly curse You to Your face."

Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your ^(F1)power; only do not reach out and put your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.

Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

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

and ^(F1)the ^(C1)Sabeans ^(F2)attacked and took them. They also ^(F3)killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and ^(F4)I alone have escaped to tell you."

While he was still speaking, another came and said, "^(C1)The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The ^(C1)Chaldeans formed three units and made a raid on the camels and took them, and ^(F1)killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

Then Job got up, ^(C1)tore his robe, and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped.

He said, "^(C1)Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The ^(C2)LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."

^(C1)Despite all this, Job did not sin, nor did he ^(F1)blame God.

^(C1)Again, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and ^(F1)Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.

The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you ^(F1)considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man ^(F2)fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still ^(C1)holds firm to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ^(F3)ruin him without cause."

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

"^(C1)However, reach out with Your hand now, and ^(C2)touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face!"

So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your ^(F1)power, only spare his life."

Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with ^(C1)severe boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.

And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while ^(C1)he was sitting in the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold firm your integrity? Curse God and die!"

But he said to her, "You are speaking as one of the foolish women speaks. ^(C1)Shall we actually accept good from God but not accept adversity?" ^(C2)Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

Now when Job's three friends heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, they came, each one from his own place—Eliphaz the ^(C1)Temanite, Bildad the ^(C2)Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to ^(C3)sympathize with him and comfort him.

When they ^(F1)looked from a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them ^(C1)tore his robe, and they ^(C2)threw dust over their heads toward the sky.

^(C1)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.

Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed ^(F1)the day of his birth.

And Job ^(F1)said,

"^(C1)May the day on which I was to be born perish, As well as the night which said, 'A ^(F1)boy is conceived.'

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

-"May ^(C1)darkness and black gloom claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May the blackness of the day terrify it.

-"As for that night, may darkness seize it; May it not rejoice among the days of the year; May it not come into the number of the months.

-"Behold, may that night be barren; May no joyful shout enter it.

-"May those curse it who curse the day, Who are ^(F1)prepared to ^(C1)disturb Leviathan.

-"May the stars of its twilight be darkened; May it wait for light but have none, And may it not see the ^(F1)breaking dawn;

Because it did not shut the opening of my mother's womb, Or hide trouble from my eyes.

"^(C1)Why did I not die ^(F1)at birth, Come out of the womb and pass away?

-"Why were the knees there in front of me, And why the breasts, that I would nurse?

-"For now I ^(C1)would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,

With ^(C1)kings and ^(C2)counselors of the earth, Who rebuilt ^(C3)ruins for themselves;

Or with ^(C1)rulers ^(C2)who had gold, Who were filling their houses with silver.

-"Or like a miscarriage which is ^(F1)hidden, I would not exist, As infants that never saw light.

-"There the wicked cease from raging, And there the ^(F1)weary are at ^(C1)rest.

-"The prisoners are at ease together; They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.

-"The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master.

"Why is ^(C1)light given to one burdened with grief, And life to the bitter of soul,

Who ^(F1)(C1)long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for ^(C2)hidden treasures;

Who are filled with jubilation, And rejoice when they find the grave?

-"Why is light given to a man ^(C1)whose way is hidden, And whom ^(C2)God has shut off?

-"For ^(C1)my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And ^(C2)my cries pour out like water.

-"For ^(F1)(C1)what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread ^(F2)encounters me.

-"I ^(C1)am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes."

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

"If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient? But ^(C1)who can refrain ^(F1)from speaking?

-"Behold, ^(C1)you have taught many, And you have strengthened weak hands.

-"Your words have helped the stumbling to stand, And you have strengthened ^(F1)feeble knees.

-"But now it comes to you, and you ^(C1)are impatient; It ^(C2)touches you, and you are horrified.

-"Is your ^(F1)(C1)fear of God not ^(C2)your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?

"Remember now, ^(C1)who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed?

-"According to what I have seen, ^(C1)those who ^(F1)plow wrongdoing And those who sow trouble harvest it.

-"By ^(C1)the breath of God they perish, And ^(C2)by the ^(F1)blast of His anger they come to an end.

-"The ^(C1)roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken out.

-"The ^(C1)lion perishes for lack of prey, And the ^(C2)cubs of the lioness are scattered.

"Now a word ^(C1)was brought to me secretly, And my ear received a ^(C2)whisper of it.

-"Amid disquieting ^(C1)thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on people,

Dread came upon me, and trembling, And made ^(F1)all my bones shake.

-"Then a ^(F1)spirit passed by my face; The hair of my flesh stood up.

-"Something was standing still, but I could not recognize its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice:

'Can ^(C1)mankind be righteous ^(F1)before God? Can a man be pure ^(F1)before his ^(C2)Maker?

-'^(C1)He puts no trust even in His servants; And He accuses His angels of error.

-'How much more those who live in ^(C1)houses of clay, Whose ^(C2)foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth!

-'^(C1)Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces; Unregarded, they ^(C2)perish forever.

-'Is their ^(C1)tent-cord not pulled out within them? They die, yet ^(C2)without wisdom.'

"Call now, is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the ^(C1)holy ones will you turn?

-"For ^(C1)irritation kills the fool, And jealousy brings death to the simple.

-"I have seen the ^(C1)fool taking root, And I ^(C2)cursed his home immediately.

-"His ^(C1)sons are far from safety, They are also ^(F1)oppressed at the gate, And there is no one to save them.

-"^(F1)The hungry devour his harvest And take it to a place of thorns, And the ^(F2)(C1)schemer is eager for their wealth.

-"For ^(C1)disaster does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

For ^(C1)man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.

"But as for me, I would ^(C1)seek God, And I would make my plea before God,

Who ^(C1)does great and unsearchable things, ^(F1)Wonders without number.

-"He ^(C1)gives rain on the earth, And sends water on the fields,

So that ^(C1)He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

-"He ^(C1)frustrates the schemes of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success.

-"He ^(C1)captures the wise by their own cleverness, And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.

-"By day they ^(C1)meet with darkness, And grope at noon as in the night.

-"But He saves from ^(C1)the sword of their mouth, And ^(C2)the poor from the hand of the strong.

-"So the helpless has hope, And ^(C1)injustice has shut its mouth.