Job’s Character and Greatness

¹ There was a man in the land of Uz whose¹ name was Job. That² man was blameless and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil.

1. Hebrew “his”
2. Hebrew “And that”

² And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

³ Then¹ his livestock came to be seven thousand sheep and goats and three thousand camels and five hundred pairs² of oxen and five hundred female donkeys, and he had very many slaves, and that man was greater than all the people of the east.

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Hebrew “pair”

⁴ And his sons used to go and hold a feast ⌞at each other’s house⌟¹ on his day, and they would send, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

1. Literally “at the house of a man,” or “at the house of each”

⁵ ⌞Then when⌟¹ the days of the feast had run their course, ⌞Job would send⌟,² and he would sanctify them. Thus³ he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of all of them, because Job thought,⁴ “Perhaps my children have sinned and ⌞cursed⌟⁵ God in their heart.” This is what Job used to do ⌞all the time⌟.⁶

1. Literally “And it would happen that,” or “And it would happen when”
2. Literally “and Job would send”
3. Hebrew “And”
4. Or “said”
5. Literally “blessed”— negative meaning by context
6. Or “always”; literally “all the days”

⁶ And it happened ⌞one day⌟¹ ⌞that⌟² the sons of God³ came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan⁴ also came into their midst.

1. Literally “the day”
2. Literally “and”
3. Or “the heavenly beings,” or “the angels”
4. Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”

⁷ So¹ Yahweh said to Satan,² “From where have you come?” Then³ Satan⁴ answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming on the earth and from walking about in it.”

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
3. Hebrew “And”
4. Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”

⁸ So¹ Yahweh said to Satan,² “Have you ⌞considered⌟³ my servant Job? Indeed,⁴ there is no one like him on the earth—a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil.”

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
3. Literally “set your heart”
4. Or “For,” or “Because”

⁹ Then¹ Satan² answered Yahweh and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”

¹⁰ Have you¹ not put a fence around him and his household and around ⌞all that belongs to him⌟² ⌞on every side⌟?³ You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock⁴ has increased in the land.

1. Emphatic personal pronoun could be translated “you yourself”
2. Literally “all that is his”
3. Literally “from around”
4. Or “possessions”

¹¹ But,¹ on the other hand, stretch out² your hand and touch ⌞all that belongs to him⌟³ and see ⌞whether⌟⁴ he will ⌞curse⌟⁵ you to your face.”

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Or “please”
3. Literally “all that is his”
4. Literally “if not”
5. Literally “bless”— negative meaning by context

¹² So¹ Yahweh said to Satan,² “Look, ⌞all that belongs to him⌟³ is in your ⌞power⌟.⁴ Only do not stretch out your hand ⌞against⌟⁵ him.” So⁶ Satan⁷ went out from Yahweh’s ⌞presence⌟.⁸

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
3. Literally “all that is his”
4. Literally “hand”
5. Literally “to,” or “unto”
6. Hebrew “And”
7. Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
8. Literally “faces of”

The Adversary’s Attack on Job’s Possessions

¹³ And then there was one day when¹ his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother’s house.

1. Hebrew “and”

¹⁴ And a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding ⌞beside them⌟.¹

1. Literally “on their hands”

¹⁵ Then¹ the Sabeans ⌞attacked⌟,² and they took them, and they slew the servants ⌞by the edge of the sword⌟.³ But⁴ I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Literally “fell upon them”
3. Literally “with the mouth of the sword”
4. Hebrew “And”

¹⁶ While this one was still speaking, ⌞another⌟¹ came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens, and it blazed up against the sheep and goats and against the servants, and it consumed them. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”

1. Literally “this”

¹⁷ While this one was still speaking, ⌞another⌟¹ came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three divisions, and they made a raid on the camels, and they carried them away, and they struck your servants ⌞by the edge of the sword⌟,² but I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”

1. Literally “this”
2. Literally “with the mouth of the sword”

¹⁸ At the time¹ this one was speaking, ⌞another⌟² came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother’s house.

1. Hebrew “Until”
2. Literally “this”

¹⁹ And behold,¹ a great wind came from across the desert, and it struck the four corners of the house ⌞so that⌟² it fell upon the young people, and they died. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”

1. Or “Look”
2. Literally “and”

²⁰ Then¹ Job arose and tore his outer garment² and shaved his head; ⌞then⌟³ he fell upon the ground and he worshiped.

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Or “robe”
3. Hebrew “and”

²¹ Then¹ he said, “Naked I came out from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. Yahweh gives, and Yahweh takes. Let Yahweh’s name be blessed.”

1. Hebrew “And”

²² In all this, Job did not sin and did not ⌞charge God with wrongdoing⌟.¹

1. Literally “give unseemliness to God”