The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.
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There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshiped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil.
2 And he had seven sons and three daughters.
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He had seven sons and three daughters,
3 And of cattle he had seven thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand camels, and a thousand oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great number of servants. And the man was greater than any of the sons of the east.
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and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand head of cattle, and five hundred donkeys. He also had a large number of servants and was the richest man in the East.
4 His sons regularly went to one another's houses, and every one on his day gave a feast: and at these times they sent for their three sisters to take part in their feasts with them.
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Job's sons used to take turns giving a feast, to which all the others would come, and they always invited their three sisters to join them.
5 And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.
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The morning after each feast, Job would get up early and offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally.
6 And there was a day when the sons of the gods came together before the Lord, and the Satan came with them.
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When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them.
7 And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.
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The Lord asked him, "What have you been doing?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth."
8 And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?
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"Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil."
9 And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?
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Satan replied, "Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it?
10 Have you yourself not put a wall round him and his house and all he has on every side, blessing the work of his hands, and increasing his cattle in the land?
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You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country.
11 But now, put out your hand against all he has, and he will be cursing you to your face.
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But now suppose you take away everything he has - he will curse you to your face!"
12 And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.
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"All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left.
13 And there was a day when his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their oldest brother,
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One day when Job's children were having a feast at the home of their oldest brother,
14 And a man came to Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses were taking their food by their side:
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a messenger came running to Job. "We were plowing the fields with the oxen," he said, "and the donkeys were in a nearby pasture.
15 And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
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Suddenly the Sabeans attacked and stole them all. They killed every one of your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."
16 And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
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Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."
17 And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
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Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Three bands of Chaldean raiders attacked us, took away the camels, and killed all your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."
18 And this one was still talking when another came, and said, Your sons and your daughters were feasting together in their oldest brother's house,
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Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Your children were having a feast at the home of your oldest son,
19 When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
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when a storm swept in from the desert. It blew the house down and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."
20 Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said,
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Then Job got up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face downward on the ground.
21 With nothing I came out of my mother's body, and with nothing I will go back there; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; let the Lord's name be praised.
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He said, "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!"
22 In all this Job did no sin, and did not say that God's acts were foolish.
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In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.