Job was the name of a God-fearing man who had seven sons and three
daughters, and owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen and 500
she-asses, and was the richest of all the men of the East. When his sons
had feasted and eaten and drunk, he arose early and offered burnt
offerings, for, said he: It may be that my sons have sinned and said
farewell to God in their hearts. Eyes was he to the blind, feet was he
to the lame, and a father to the poor; the aged arose before him, and
princes were silent when he spoke.
One day when his children were feasting in the house of their elder
brother, there came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were plowing,
and the asses were feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them
and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants, I only am
escaped. While he was yet speaking, there came another and said: Fire is
fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the shepherds, and I
only escaped. While he was yet speaking, came a third and said: The
Chaldeans fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and have
slain the young men with the edge of the sword. I only am escaped to
tell thee. While he yet spoke, came a fourth and said: Thy sons and
daughters were eating and drinking in their oldest brother’s house, and
behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the
house, and it fell upon thy children, and they are dead, I only am
escaped. Then Job rent his robe, but worshiped God, and said: Naked came
I from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and
the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord!
Job’s whole body now became covered with boils, and he took a potsherd
to scrape himself, and he sat in the ashes. His wife asked: Dost thou
still believe in God? Job answered: Thou speakest as one of the foolish
women. Shall we receive good at the hands of God, and shall we not
receive evil?
Three of Job’s friends, hearing of his misfortunes, came to console him.
But they knew him not, and they sat with him seven days and seven
nights, and none spake to him, for they saw that his grief was very
great. When they began to speak their words were harsh, for they thought
that he must be a greater sinner than other men, since God sent greater
afflictions upon him than on others. Then Job sinned; for he boasted of
his perfection and disputed God’s righteousness. Then the Lord spoke to
Job out of a storm and said: Who art thou, that durst dispute with God?
And Job answered: I have uttered that which I understood not. And God
forgave him, and reproved his three friends because they had judged Job
harshly.
God blessed Job; he was healed again, and got twice as much riches as
before; he got again seven sons and three daughters, and lived a hundred
and forty years after and died old and full of days. (Book of Job.)