1Once there was a man called Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was a man of integrity who did what was right. He respected ⁰God and avoided evil.

2He had seven sons and three daughters.

3He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, as well as many servants. He was more wealthy than anyone else in the East.

4Job's sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes on their specific day, ¹also inviting their sisters to come and eat and drink with them.

5When the days of feasting were over, Job would send for them and purify them by getting up early in the morning to offer a burnt offering for each of them. He was concerned, thinking to himself, “Maybe my children have sinned in some way and have unintentionally offended ²God.” This is what Job always did.

6One day the angels ³came to present themselves to the Lord, and Satan ⁴came with them.

7The Lord asked Satan, “What have you been doing?” “Traveling around on earth, going here and there,” Satan replied.

8“Have you paid attention to Job, my servant?” ⁵asked the Lord. “There's no one like him on earth, a man of integrity who does what is right, who respects God and avoids evil.”

9“Is it for nothing that Job respects God?” Satan answered. “You've placed a protective fence around him and his family—in fact around everything he has.

10You have blessed everything he does. His flocks and herds have increased so much they fill the whole land!

11But if you reach out and take everything he has, he will definitely curse you to your face.”

12The Lord told Satan, “Very well, you have the power to do whatever you want to everything he has, but don't hurt him physically.” Then Satan left the Lord's presence.

13The day came when while Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

14a messenger came to Job and told him, “As the oxen were plowing and female donkeys were grazing nearby,

15the Sabeans attacked and took them, killing the herdsmen. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”

16While he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and set the sheep and shepherds on fire and burned them up. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”

17While he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Three armed companies of Chaldeans attacked the camels and took them, killing the herdsmen. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”

18While he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother

19when all of a sudden a tremendous wind came in from the desert. It hit the house on all four sides so that it collapsed on them and they died. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”

20Then Job stood up and tore his robe. ⁶Then cut off his hair and fell to the ground in worship.

21“I was naked when I came out of my mother's womb, and I shall be naked when I leave,” he said. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. May the Lord's name be honored.”

22In all of this Job did not sin, nor blame God.