Job 1

¹There was a man in the Land of Hus, named Job, and that man was simple, and right, and fearing God, and departing from evil.

²And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.

³And his possession was seven thousand sheep, & three thousand camels, also five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a family exceeding great: and that man was great among all them of the East.

⁴And his sons went, and made a feast by houses, every one in his day. And sending they called their three sisters to eat & drink with them.

⁵And when the days of feasting had passed about in course, Job sent to them, and sanctified them: and rising up early offered holocausts for every one. For he said: Lest perhaps my sons have sinned, and have blessed God in their hearts. So did Job all the days.

⁶But on a certain day when the sons of God were come to assist before our Lord, Satan also was present among them.

⁷To whom our Lord said: From whence comest thou? Who answering, said: I have gone round about the earth, & walked through it.

⁸And our Lord said to him: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is not the like to him in the earth, a man simple, and right, and fearing God, and departing from evil?

⁹To whom Satan answering, said: Why, doth Job fear God in vain?

¹⁰hast not thou fenced him, and his house, and all his substance round about, blessed the works of his hands, and his possession hath increased on the earth?

¹¹But stretch forth thy hand a little, and touch all things that he possesseth, unless he bless thee in the face.

¹²Our Lord therefore said to Satan: behold, all things that he hath, are in thy hand, only upon him extend not thy hand. And Satan went forth from the face of our Lord.

¹³And when upon a certain day his sons and daughters did eat, and drink wine in the house of their eldest brother,

¹⁴there came a messenger to Job, which said: The oxen ploughed, and the she-asses fed beside them,

¹⁵and the Sabeians came in violently, and have taken all things, and have strucken the servants with the sword, and I only have escaped to tell thee.

¹⁶And when he yet spake, another came, and said: The fire of God fell from heaven, and striking the sheep and the servants hath consumed them, and I only have escaped to tell thee.

¹⁷But whilst he also was yet speaking, there came another and said: The Chaldees made three troops, and have invaded the camels, and taken them, moreover the servants also they have strucken with the sword, and I alone am fled to tell thee.

¹⁸He yet spake, and behold another came in, and said: Thy sons and daughters eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother,

¹⁹suddenly a vehement wind came violently from the country of the desert, and shook the four corners of the house, which falling oppressed thy children and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

²⁰Then Job rose up, and rent his garments, & with polled head falling on the ground, adored,

²¹and said: Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: Our Lord gave, and our Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased our Lord, so is it done: the name of our Lord be blessed.

²²In all these things Job sinned not with his lips, neither spake he any foolish thing against God.