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was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and had a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.
4 His sons used to hold feasts in their houses, each on his appointed day, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 Then when the days of their feasting were over, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would rise and offer burnt offerings for each of them; for Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” This is what Job always did.
6 Now there was a day when the celestial sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil.”
9 Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his house, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out Your hand now, and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well then, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were ploughing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans attacked them and carried them off. They also killed the servants with the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger also came and said, “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
17 While he was still speaking, another came also and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, and made a raid on the camels, and carried them away, and killed the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
18 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20 Then Job got up, tore his robe, and shaved his head, and he fell down on the ground and worshipped, 21 and he said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I shall depart.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 In all this Job did not sin or blame God with wrongdoing.