Job 1:1-22
The Story Begins
There was a man who lived in the land of Uz. His name was Job. He was honest. He did what was right. He had respect for God and avoided evil. Job had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels. He owned 500 pairs of oxen and 500 donkeys. He also had a large number of servants. He was the most important man among all the people in the east.
His sons used to give feasts in their homes on their birthdays. They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. The time for enjoying good food would end. Then Job would make plans for his children to be made pure and “clean.” He would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them. He would do it early in the morning. He would think, “Perhaps my children have sinned. Maybe they have spoken evil things against God in their hearts.” That’s what Job always did for his children when he felt they had sinned.
One day angels came to the Lord. Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered, “From traveling all around the earth. I’ve been going from one end of it to the other.”
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you thought about my servant Job? There isn’t anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He does what is right. He has respect for God and avoids evil.”
“You always give Job everything he needs,” Satan replied. “That’s why he has respect for you. Haven’t you guarded him and his family? Haven’t you taken care of everything he has? You have blessed everything he does. His flocks and herds are spread all through the land. But now reach out your hand and strike down everything he has. Then I’m sure he will speak evil things against you. In fact, he’ll do it right in front of you.”
The Lord said to Satan, “All right. I am handing everything he has over to you. But do not touch the man himself.”
Then Satan left the Lord and went on his way.
One day Job’s sons and daughters were at their oldest brother’s house. They were enjoying good food and drinking wine. During that time a messenger came to Job. He said, “The oxen were plowing. The donkeys were eating grass near them. Then the Sabeans attacked us and carried off the animals. They killed some of the servants with their swords. I’m the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, a second messenger came. He said, “God sent lightning from the sky. It struck the sheep and killed them. It burned up some of the servants. I’m the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, a third messenger came. He said, “The Chaldeans separated themselves into three groups. They attacked your camels and carried them off. They killed the rest of the servants with their swords. I’m the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, a fourth messenger came. He said, “Your sons and daughters were at their oldest brother’s house. They were enjoying good food and drinking wine. Suddenly a strong wind blew in from the desert. It struck the four corners of the house. The house fell down on your children. Now all of them are dead. I’m the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
After Job heard all these reports, he got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped the Lord. He said,
“I was born naked.
And I’ll leave here naked.
The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away.
May the name of the Lord be praised.”
In spite of everything, Job didn’t sin by blaming God for doing anything wrong.
Job 2:1-13
On another day angels came to the Lord. Satan also came to him along with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered, “From traveling all around the earth. I’ve been going from one end of it to the other.”
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you thought about my servant Job? There isn’t anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He does what is right. He has respect for God and avoids evil. You tried to turn me against him. You wanted me to destroy him without any reason. But he still continues to be faithful.”
Satan replied, “A man will give everything he has to save himself. So Job is willing to give up the lives of his family to save his own life. But now reach out your hand and strike his flesh and bones. Then I’m sure he will speak evil things against you. In fact, he’ll do it right in front of you.”
The Lord said to Satan, “All right. I am handing him over to you. But you must spare his life.”
Then Satan left the Lord and went on his way. He sent painful sores on Job. They covered him from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. He got part of a broken pot. He used it to scrape his skin. He did it while he was sitting in ashes.
His wife said to him, “Are you still continuing to be faithful to the Lord? Speak evil things against him and die!”
Job replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. We accept good things from God. So we should also accept trouble when he sends it.”
In spite of everything, Job didn’t say anything that was sinful.
Job had three friends named Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They heard about all the troubles that had come to Job. So they started out from their homes. They had agreed to meet together. They wanted to go and show their concern for Job. They wanted to comfort him. When they got closer to where he lived, they could see him. But they could hardly recognize him. They began to weep out loud. They tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him. That’s because they saw how much he was suffering.
Job 3:1-26
Job Wishes He Had Never Been Born
After a while, Job opened his mouth to speak. He cursed the day he had been born. He said,
“May the day I was born be wiped out.
May the night be wiped away when people said, ‘A boy is born!’
May that day turn into darkness.
May God in heaven not care about it.
May no light shine on it.
May gloom and total darkness take it back.
May a cloud settle over it.
May blackness cover it up.
May deep darkness take over the night I was born.
May it not be included among the days of the year.
May it never appear in any of the months.
May no children ever have been born on that night.
May no shout of joy be heard in it.
May people say evil things about that day.
May people ready to wake the sea monster Leviathan say evil things about that day.
May its morning stars become dark.
May it lose all hope of ever seeing daylight.
May it not see the first light of the morning sun.
It didn’t keep my mother from letting me be born.
It didn’t keep my eyes from seeing trouble.
“Why didn’t I die when I was born?
Why didn’t I die as I came out of my mother’s body?
Why was I placed on her knees?
Why did her breasts give me milk?
If all of that hadn’t happened,
I would be lying down in peace.
I’d be asleep and at rest in the grave.
I’d be with the earth’s kings and rulers.
They had built for themselves places that are now destroyed.
I’d be with princes who used to have gold.
They had filled their houses with silver.
Why wasn’t I buried like a baby who was born dead?
Why wasn’t I buried like a child who never saw the light of day?
In the grave, sinful people don’t cause trouble anymore.
And there tired people find rest.
Prisoners also enjoy peace there.
They don’t hear a slave driver shouting at them anymore.
The least important and most important people are there.
And there the slaves are set free from their owners.
“Why should those who suffer ever be born?
Why should life be given to those whose spirits are bitter?
Why is life given to those who long for death that doesn’t come?
Why is it given to those who would rather search for death
than for hidden treasure?
Why is life given to those who are actually happy and glad
when they reach the grave?
Why is life given to a man like me?
God hasn’t told me what will happen to me.
He has surrounded me with nothing but trouble.
Sighs have become my food every day.
Groans pour out of me like water.
What I was afraid of has come on me.
What I worried about has happened to me.
I don’t have any peace and quiet.
I can’t find any rest. All I have is trouble.”
