Job 1

Satan tests Job

1 Many years ago, a man lived in a place called Uz. His name was Job and he was a very good man. He was fair to everybody and he did the right things. He was afraid to make God angry. And he refused to do wrong things. 2 Job had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He had 7000 sheep and 3000 camels. He had 500 pairs of oxen and 500 donkeys. And he had many servants. There was no one richer than Job for many miles. ^{▼▼1:3 Some of the events that you read about in this part of the book (to Chapter 2 verse 7) happen in heaven. Job does not know anything about these events. So he does not know why all the bad things have happened. But he still wants us to worship God (verse 21).}

4 Each year, Job’s sons had birthday parties in their homes. They had lots to eat and lots to drink. And they always asked their three sisters to come. 5 After each party, Job would ask his children to visit him. He thought that they might have done wrong things. Or perhaps they had had wrong thoughts about God. So he would get up early the next morning and sacrifice an animal to God for each of them. They might have done wrong things. So he would ask God to forgive them for those things.

6 One day, the LORD‘s angels came to him in heaven. And Satan came with them. 7 The LORD asked Satan where he had been. Satan replied, ‘I have been going all over the earth. I have been watching the things that happen there.’

8 Then the LORD asked Satan, ‘You have seen Job, who is my servant. What do you think about him? There is no one on earth that is like him. He is a very good person. He is afraid to make me angry and he obeys me. He refuses to do things that are wrong.’

9 ‘He may be afraid to make you angry and he may obey you’,

Satan replied. ‘There are good reasons why he does that. 10 You do not let any bad things happen to him. So he knows that he will be safe. You do this for all his family. You make sure that all his things are safe. You have helped his business so that he has become very rich. He has many sheep and lots of cows. 11 But take away the things that he has. Then he will certainly let you know that he is cursing you.’

12 So the LORD told Satan, ‘Job has many things. Do what you want with any of them. But do not hurt Job’s body.’ Then Satan left God.

Satan destroys everything that Job owns

13 Job’s sons and daughters were at a party in the home of his oldest son. 14 A servant rushed up to Job. He told him about things that had just happened. This is what the servant told Job. ‘We were using your oxen to plough the fields. Near where we worked, your donkeys were eating grass in a field. 15 Some bad men from the south came and they attacked us. They took the oxen and the donkeys. And they killed all your servants except me. Instead, I ran away. And I have come to tell you what has happened.’

16 That servant was still speaking, when a second servant ran up to Job. He said, ‘God has sent a fire that has killed your sheep and all your servants except me. And I have come to tell you what has happened.’

17 Before that servant had finished speaking, a third servant ran up to Job. He said, ‘Bad men from the north have attacked your camels and they have taken them away. They killed all your servants except me. Instead, I ran away. And I have come to tell you what has happened.’

Satan kills Job’s children

18 That servant was still speaking, when a fourth servant ran up to Job. He said, ‘Your children were at a party. They were drinking wine at the home of your oldest son. 19 There was a bad storm and the wind destroyed the house. The house fell on all your children and it killed them. But I am still alive. And I have come to tell you what has happened.’

What Job did

20 When Job heard all this he was very sad. He tore his clothes and he cut off all his hair. He did this because he was so sad. Then he bent his body to the ground and he worshipped God. 21 And he said, ‘When we are born we have nothing. When we die, we take nothing with us. God has given to us all the things that we have. Sometimes he takes away the things that we have. Only the LORD gives us things. It is only the LORD that takes them away again. But I will still praise the name of the LORD!’

22 Even after all the things that had happened, Job still did not do wrong things. Nor did he say that God had done anything wrong.