Job 1
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.
In the land named Uz, there was a man named Job. He was a very godly/righteous [DOU] man, who greatly respected/revered God and always avoided doing evil things.
2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
He had seven sons and three daughters.
3 His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was the richest man in all the area east [of the Jordan River].
4 His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
Each year, Job’s sons made feasts [in their houses] to celebrate their birthdays. Whenever each one made a feast, he would invite [all his brothers and] his three sisters to come and eat together.
5 It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.
When each celebration ended, Job would summon them. He would get up early in the morning and kill animals and burn them on the altar as sacrifices, one for each of his children. He said to himself, “Perhaps [one of] my sons has sinned and said something evil about God in his heart.”
6 Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan also came among them.
One day, the angels came and gathered together in front of Yahweh, and Satan came too.
7 Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
Yahweh asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan replied, “I have come from the earth, where I been traveling back and forth, seeing what is happening.”
8 Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.”
Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you (noticed/thought about) my [faithful] servant Job? He is very godly/righteous [DOU], he greatly respects/reveres me, and he always avoids doing evil things. There is no one else on the earth like him.”
9 Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
Satan replied to Yahweh, “[What you say is true], but Job greatly respects you [only] because of what [you have done for him] [RHQ].
10 Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
You have always [RHQ] protected [MET] him and his family and everything that he owns. You have made him very prosperous/rich. He has livestock all over this land.
11 But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”
But if you take away [MTY] everything that he has, he will curse you openly. [IDM]”
12 Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh.
Yahweh replied to Satan, “(All right/Okay), I will permit you to take away everything that he has. But do not harm him.” Then Satan left, [and he prepared to cause many disastrous things to happen to Job].
13 It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
One day [after that], Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the home of their oldest brother.
14 that a messenger came to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,
While they were doing that, a messenger arrived at Job’s home and said to him, “While your oxen were plowing [the fields] and the donkeys were grazing nearby,
15 and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
a group of men from [the] Sheba [area] came and attacked us. They killed all your servants [who were working in the fields] and took away all the oxen and donkeys! I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you what happened.”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived. He said to Job, “Lightning from the sky [MTY] struck and killed all the sheep and all the men who were taking care of the sheep! I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived. He said to Job, “Three groups [of robbers/bandits] from Chaldea [land] came and attacked us. They stole all the camels and killed all the men who were taking care of them. I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
18 While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived and reported this to Job: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in the home of their oldest brother.
19 and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Suddenly a (very strong wind/tornado) came from the desert and struck the house. The house collapsed on your sons and daughters and killed them all! I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
20 Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.
Job stood up, and tore his robe and shaved his head [because he was very sad/grieved]. Then he prostrated himself on the ground [to worship God].
21 He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked will I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.”
He said, “When I was born, I had no clothes on. When I die, I will not take any clothes with me. Yahweh gave me [everything that I possessed], and [now] he has taken it all away. But (we should/I will) always praise Yahweh [anyway]! [MTY]”
22 In all this, Job didn’t sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.
In spite of all these [things that happened to] Job, [he] did not sin by saying that what God had done was wrong.
