Job

I. The Prologue (1:1-2:13)

Job's Good Life0

1:11 There was a man2 in the land of Uz3 whose4 name was Job.5 And that man was pure6 and upright,7 one who feared God and turned away from evil.8 1:2 Seven9 sons and three daughters were born to him.10 1:3 His possessions11 included seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household.12 Thus he13 was the greatest of all the people in the east.14

1:4 Now, his sons used to go15 and hold16 a feast in the house of each one in turn,17 and they would send and invite18 their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 1:5 When19 the days of their feasting were finished,20 Job would send21 for them and sanctify22 them; he would get up early23 in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to24 the number of them all. For Job thought, "Perhaps25 my children26 have sinned and cursed27 God in their hearts." Job customarily did this.28

Satan's Accusation of Job29

1:6 Now the day came when30 the sons of God31 came to present themselves before32 the LORD--and Satan33 also came among them. 1:7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"34 And Satan answered the LORD,35 "From roving about36 on the earth, and from walking up and down37 in it." 1:8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered38 my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away39 from evil."

1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Is it for nothing that Job fears God?40 1:10 Have you41 not made a hedge42 around him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed43 the work of his hands, and his cattle44 have increased45 in the land. 1:11 But46 extend your hand and strike47 everything he has, and he will indeed48 curse you49 to your face!"

1:12 So the LORD said to Satan, "All right then,50 everything he has is51 in your power.52 Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!"53 So Satan went out54 from the presence of the LORD.55

Job's Integrity in Adversity56

1:13 Now the day57 came when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 1:14 and a messenger came to Job, saying, "The oxen were plowing58 and the donkeys grazing beside them, 1:15 and the Sabaeans59 swooped down60 and carried them all away, and they killed61 the servants with the sword!62 And I--only I alone63--escaped to tell you!"

1:16 While this one was still speaking,64 another messenger arrived65 and said, "The fire of God66 has fallen from heaven67 and has burned up the sheep and the servants--it has consumed them! And I--only I alone--escaped to tell you!"

1:17 While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "The Chaldeans68 formed three bands and made a raid69 on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword!70 And I--only I alone--escaped to tell you!"

1:18 While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 1:19 and suddenly71 there came a great wind across72 the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died! And I--only I alone--escaped to tell you!"

1:20 Then Job got up73 and tore his robe.74 He shaved his head,75 and then he fell down to the ground with his face to the ground.76 1:21 He said, "Naked77 I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return there.78 The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away.79 May the name of the LORD80 be blessed!" 1:22 In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety.81

Satan's Additional Charge

2:1 Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.1 2:2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Where do you come from?" Satan answered the LORD,2 "From roving about on the earth, and from walking up and down in it." 2:3 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly3 his integrity,4 so that5 you stirred me up to destroy him6 without reason."7

2:4 But8 Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for9 skin!10 Indeed, a man will give up11 all that he has to save his life!12 2:5 But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh,13 and he will indeed curse you to your face!"

2:6 So the LORD said to Satan, "All right,14 he is15 in your power;16 only preserve17 his life."

Job's Integrity in Suffering

2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and he afflicted18 Job with a malignant ulcer19 from the sole of his feet to the top of his head.20 2:8 Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape21 himself22 with while he was sitting23 among the ashes.24

2:9 Then25 his wife said to him, "Are you still holding firmly to your integrity?26 Curse27 God, and die!"28 2:10 But he replied,29 "You are speaking like one of the godless30 women would speak! Should we receive31 what is good from God, and not also32 receive33 what is evil?"34 In all this Job did not sin by what he said.35

The Visit of Job's Friends36

2:11 When Job's three friends heard about all this evil that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country37--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.38 They met together39 to come to show grief40 for him and to console41 him. 2:12 But when they gazed intently42 from a distance but could not recognize43 him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads. 2:13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain44 was very great.45

II. Job's Dialogue With His Friends (3:1-27:33)

Job Regrets His Birth

3:1 After this Job opened his mouth1 and cursed2 the day he was born.3 3:2 Job spoke up4 and said:

Job Wishes He Had Died at Birth37

Longing for Death72

Eliphaz Begins to Speak100

4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:1

Ungodly Complainers Provoke God's Wrath

Blessings for the One Who Seeks God27

Job Replies to Eliphaz

6:1 Then Job responded:1

Complaints Reflect Suffering

A Cry for Death

Disappointing Friends

Friends' Fears

No Sin Discovered

Other Explanation

The Brevity of Life

Job Remonstrates With God

Insignificance of Humans

Bildad's First Speech to Job75

8:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite spoke up and said:

Job's Reply to Bildad66

9:1 Then Job answered:

The Impossibility of Facing God in Court

Accusation of God's Justice

Renewed Complaint

An Appeal for Revelation

Motivations of God

Contradictions in God's Dealings

An Appeal for Relief

Zophar's First Speech to Job59

11:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite spoke up and said:

Job's Reply to Zophar54

12:1 Then Job answered:

Knowledge of God's Wisdom

Job Pleads His Cause to God65

The Brevity of Life

The Inevitability of Death

The Possibility of Another Life

The Present Condition46

Eliphaz's Second Speech66

15:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

Job's Reply to Eliphaz76

16:1 Then Job replied:

Abandonment by God and Man

An Appeal to God as Witness

Anticipation of Death

Bildad's Second Speech42

18:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:

Job's Reply to Bildad43

19:1 Then Job answered:

Job's Abandonment and Affliction

Job's Forsaken State

Job's Assurance of Vindication

Zophar's Second Speech70

20:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:

Job's Reply to Zophar58

21:1 Then Job answered:

The Wicked Prosper

How Often Do the Wicked Suffer?

Death Levels Everything

Futile Words, Deceptive Answers

Eliphaz's Third Speech80

22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

Job's Reply to Eliphaz56

23:1 Then Job answered:

The Inaccessibility and Power of God

The Apparent Indifference of God

Bildad's Third Speech54

25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:

Job's Reply to Bildad11

26:1 Then Job replied:

A Better Description of God's Greatness7

A Protest of Innocence

27:1 And Job took up his discourse again:1

The Condition of the Wicked

III. Job's Search for Wisdom (28:1-28)

No Known Road to Wisdom35

No Price Can Buy Wisdom

God Alone Has Wisdom

IV. Job's Concluding Soliloquy (29:1-31:40)

Job Recalls His Former Condition47

29:1 Then Job continued1 his speech:

Job's Benevolence

Job's Confidence

Job's Reputation

Job's Present Misery

Job's Indignities

Job's Despondency

The Contrast With the Past

Job Vindicates Himself

Job's Appeal

Job's Final Solemn Oath73

The words of Job have ended.

V. The Speeches of Elihu (32:1-37:24)

Elihu's First Speech79

32:1So these three men refused to answer1 Job further, because he was righteous in his2 own eyes. 32:2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry.3 He was angry4 with Job for justifying5 himself rather than God.6 32:3 With Job's7 three friends he was also angry, because they could not find8 an answer, and so declared Job guilty.9 32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking10 to Job, because the others11 were older than he. 32:5 But when Elihu saw12 that the three men had no further reply,13 he became very angry.

Elihu Claims Wisdom

32:6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up:14

Job's Friends Failed to Answer35

Elihu Invites Job's Attention

Elihu Rejects Job's Plea of Innocence

Elihu Disagrees With Job's View of God

Elihu's Appeal to Job49

Elihu's Second Speech53

34:1 Elihu answered:

God is Not Unjust

God Is Impartial and Omniscient

Job Is Foolish to Rebel

Elihu's Third Speech63

35:1 Then Elihu answered:

Elihu's Fourth Speech26

36:1 Elihu said further:1

The Work and Wisdom of God

VI. The Divine Speeches (38:1-42:6)

The LORD's First Speech31

38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind:1

God's questions to Job

Job's Reply to God's Challenge

40:1 Then the LORD answered Job:

The LORD's First Speech7

40:6 Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:

The Description of Behemoth20

The Description of Leviathan

Job's Confession

42:1 Then Job answered the LORD:

VII. The Epilogue (42:7-17)

42:7 After the LORD had spoken these things to Job, he8 said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My anger is stirred up9 against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right,10 as my servant Job has. 42:8 So now take11 seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will intercede12 for you, and I will respect him,13 so that I do not deal with you14 according to your folly,15 because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has."16

42:9 So they went, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and did just as the LORD had told them; and the LORD had respect for Job.17

42:10 So the LORD18 restored what Job had lost19 after he prayed for his friends,20 and the LORD doubled21 all that had belonged to Job. 42:11 So they came to him, all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him and consoled him for all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver22 and a gold ring.23

42:12 So the LORD blessed the second part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. 42:13 And he also had seven sons24 and three daughters. 42:14 The first daughter he named Jemimah,25 the second Keziah,26 and the third Keren-Happuch.27 42:15 Nowhere in all the land could women be found who were as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance alongside their brothers.

42:16 After this Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 42:17 And so Job died, old and full of days.