Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 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.
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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.
2 He had seven sons and three daughters,
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There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
3 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.
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His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
4 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.
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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.
5 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.
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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." Thus did Job continually.
6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them.
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Now it happened on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan also came among them.
7 The Lord asked him, "What have you been doing?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth."
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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."
8 "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."
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Yahweh said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil."
9 Satan replied, "Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it?
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Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 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.
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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.
11 But now suppose you take away everything he has - he will curse you to your face!"
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But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face."
12 "All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left.
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Yahweh said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don't put forth your hand." So Satan went forth from the presence of Yahweh.
13 One day when Job's children were having a feast at the home of their oldest brother,
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It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,
14 a messenger came running to Job. "We were plowing the fields with the oxen," he said, "and the donkeys were in a nearby pasture.
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that there came a messenger to Job, and said, "The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15 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."
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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."
16 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."
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While he was still speaking, there also came another, 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."
17 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."
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While he was still speaking, there came also another, 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."
18 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Your children were having a feast at the home of your oldest son,
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While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,
19 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."
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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."
20 Then Job got up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face downward on the ground.
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Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.
21 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!"
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He said, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh."
22 In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God.
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In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.