The Book of Job
1
There was a man in the lande of Vz called Iob, and this man was an vpright and iust man, one that feared God, and eschewed euill. And he had seue sonnes, and three daughters. His substance also was seuen thousande sheepe, and three thousand camels, and fiue hundreth yoke of oxen, and fiue hundreth shee asses, and his family was very great, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East. And his sonnes went and banketted in their houses, euery one his day, and sent, and called their three sisters to eate and to drinke with them. And when the dayes of their banketting were gone about, Iob sent, and sanctified them, and rose vp early in the morning, and offred burnt offrings according to the nomber of them all. For Iob thought, It may be that my sonnes haue sinned, and blasphemed God in their hearts: thus did Iob euery day. Nowe on a day when the children of God came and stoode before the Lord, Satan came also among them. Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Whence commest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, saying, From compassing the earth to and from, and from walking in it. And the Lord saide vnto Satan, Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob, how none is like him in the earth? an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God, and escheweth euill? Then Satan answered the Lord, and sayde, Doeth Iob feare God for nought? 10 Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house, and about all that he hath on euery side? thou hast blessed the worke of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But stretch out now thine hand and touch all that he hath, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face. 12 Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Lo, all that he hath is in thine hand: onely vpon himselfe shalt thou not stretch out thine hand. So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. 13 And on a day, when his sonnes and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house, 14 There came a messenger vnto Iob, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding in their places, 15 And the Shabeans came violently, and tooke them: yea, they haue slayne the seruants with the edge of the sworde: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 And whiles he was yet speaking, another came, and sayde, The fire of God is fallen from the heauen, and hath burnt vp the sheepe and the seruants, and deuoured them: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 And whiles he was yet speaking, another came, and sayd, The Caldeans set on three bands, and fell vpon the camels, and haue taken them, and haue slayne the seruantes with the edge of the sworde: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 And whiles he was yet speaking, came an other, and sayd, Thy sonnes, and thy daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house, 19 And behold, there came a great wind from beyonde the wildernesse, and smote the foure corners of the house, which fel vpon the children, and they are dead, and I onely am escaped alone to tell thee. 20 Then Iob arose, and rent his garment, and shaued his head, and fel downe vpon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And sayd, Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I returne thither: the Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken it: blessed be the Name of the Lord. 22 In all this did not Iob sinne, nor charge God foolishly.