Job

Job was a righteous man of the land of Uz who lost his children, his wealth and his health. He disputed with his friends, was answered by God out of the whirlwind, and was restored.

A righteous man

• Job 1:1-5
  ¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil. ²And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.He had seven sons and three daughters, ³His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East. ⁴And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.Job’s sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, 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 cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
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Testing

• Job 1:13-22
  ¹³And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:One day, while Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:a messenger came and reported to Job: “While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, ¹⁵And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁶While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “The fire of God fell from heaven. It burned and consumed the sheep and the servants, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁷While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁸While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ²⁰Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, ²¹And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” ²²In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.
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• Job 2:7-10
  ⁷So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ⁸And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes. ⁹Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.Then Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
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Lament and debate with his friends

• Job 2:11-13
  ¹¹Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him. ¹²And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head. ¹³So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was.
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• Job 3:1-3
  ¹After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. ²And Job spake, and said,And this is what he said: ³Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.“May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
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• Job 13:15
  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.
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• Job 19:25-27
  ²⁵For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. ²⁶And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. ²⁷Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.I will see Him for myself; my eyes will behold Him, and not as a stranger. How my heart yearns within me!
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God answers out of the whirlwind

• Job 38:1-7
  ¹Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: ²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge? ³Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. ⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. ⁵Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it? ⁶Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone, ⁷When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
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• Job 40:3-5
  ³Then Job answered the Lord, and said,Then Job answered the LORD: ⁴Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth. ⁵Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.I have spoken once, but I have no answer— twice, but I have nothing to add.”
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• Job 42:1-6
  ¹Then Job answered the Lord, and said,Then Job replied to the LORD: ²I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted. ³Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. ⁴Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall inform Me.’ ⁵I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. ⁶Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
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Restoration

• Job 42:10-17
  ¹⁰And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions. ¹¹Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. ¹²So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.So the LORD blessed Job’s latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. ¹³He had also seven sons and three daughters.And he also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren–happuch.He named his first daughter Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch. ¹⁵And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers. ¹⁶After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. ¹⁷So Job died, being old and full of days.And so Job died, old and full of years.
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Elsewhere in Scripture

• Ezekiel 14:14
  Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD.
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• James 5:11
  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
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See also

• Suffering
• Patience
• Sovereignty of God
• Grief

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.