¹ There was once a man in the land of Uz called Job: a sound and honest man who feared God and shunned evil.

² Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

³ And he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred she-donkeys, and many servants besides. This man was the most prosperous of all the Sons of the East.

⁴ It was the custom of his sons to hold banquets in one another's houses in turn, and to invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

⁵ Once each series of banquets was over, Job would send for them to come and be purified, and at dawn on the following day he would make a burnt offering for each of them. 'Perhaps', Job would say, 'my sons have sinned and in their heart blasphemed.' So that was what Job used to do each time.

⁶ One day when the sons of God came to attend on Yahweh, among them came Satan.

⁷ So Yahweh said to Satan, 'Where have you been?' 'Prowling about on earth,' he answered, 'roaming around there.'

⁸ So Yahweh asked him, 'Did you pay any attention to my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth: a sound and honest man who fears God and shuns evil.'

⁹ 'Yes,' Satan said, 'but Job is not God-fearing for nothing, is he?

¹⁰ Have you not put a wall round him and his house and all his domain? You have blessed all he undertakes, and his flocks throng the countryside.

¹¹ But stretch out your hand and lay a finger on his possessions: then, I warrant you, he will curse you to your face.'

¹² 'Very well,' Yahweh said to Satan, 'all he has is in your power. But keep your hands off his person.' So Satan left the presence of Yahweh.

¹³ On the day when Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking in their eldest brother's house,

¹⁴ a messenger came to Job. 'Your oxen', he said, 'were at the plough, with the donkeys grazing at their side,

¹⁵ when the Sabaeans swept down on them and carried them off, and put the servants to the sword: I alone have escaped to tell you.'

¹⁶ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. 'The fire of God', he said, 'has fallen from heaven and burnt the sheep and shepherds to ashes: I alone have escaped to tell you.'

¹⁷ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. 'The Chaldaeans,' he said, 'three bands of them, have raided the camels and made off with them, and put the servants to the sword: I alone have escaped to tell you.'

¹⁸ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. 'Your sons and daughters', he said, 'were eating and drinking at their eldest brother's house,

¹⁹ when suddenly from the desert a gale sprang up, and it battered all four corners of the house which fell in on the young people. They are dead: I alone have escaped to tell you.'

²⁰ Then Job stood up, tore his robe and shaved his head. Then, falling to the ground, he prostrated himself

²¹ and said: Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I shall return again. Yahweh gave, Yahweh has taken back. Blessed be the name of Yahweh!

²² In all this misfortune Job committed no sin, and he did not reproach God.