Bible Reading Plan – Day 262

₁There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshipped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil. ₂He had seven sons and three daughters, ₃and owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 head of cattle, and 500 donkeys. He also had a large number of servants and was the richest man in the East.

₄Job's sons used to take it in turns to give a feast, to which all the others would come, and they always invited their three sisters to join them. ₅The morning after each feast, Job would get up early and offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally.

₆When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the LORD, Satan was there among them. ₇The LORD asked him, “What have you been doing?”

Satan answered, “I have been walking here and there, roaming round the earth.”

₈“Did you notice my servant Job?” the LORD asked. “There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil.”

₉Satan replied, “Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? ₁₀You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. ₁₁But now suppose you take away everything he has — he will curse you to your face!”

₁₂“All right,” the LORD said to Satan, “everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself.” So Satan left.

₁₃One day when Job's children were having a feast at the home of their eldest brother, ₁₄a messenger came running to Job. “We were ploughing the fields with the oxen,” he said, “and the donkeys were in a nearby pasture. ₁₅Suddenly the Sabeans attacked and stole them all. They killed every one of your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

₁₆Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, “Lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

₁₇Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, “Three bands of Chaldean raiders attacked us, took away the camels, and killed all your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

₁₈Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, “Your children were having a feast at the home of your eldest son, ₁₉when a storm swept in from the desert. It blew the house down and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

₂₀Then Job stood up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face downwards on the ground. ₂₁He said, “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The LORD gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!”

₂₂In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God.

₁When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the LORD again, Satan was there among them. ₂The LORD asked him, “Where have you been?”

Satan answered, “I have been walking here and there, roaming round the earth.”

₃“Did you notice my servant Job?” the LORD asked. “There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil. You persuaded me to let you attack him for no reason at all, but Job is still as faithful as ever.”

₄Satan replied, “A person will give up everything in order to stay alive. ₅But now suppose you hurt his body — he will curse you to your face!”

₆So the LORD said to Satan, “All right, he is in your power, but you are not to kill him.”

₇Then Satan left the LORD's presence and made sores break out all over Job's body. ₈Job went and sat by the rubbish heap and took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores. ₉His wife said to him, “You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?”

₁₀Job answered, “You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?” In spite of everything he suffered, Job said nothing against God.

₁₁Three of Job's friends were Eliphaz, from the city of Teman, Bildad, from the land of Shuah, and Zophar, from the land of Naamah. When they heard how much Job had been suffering, they decided to go and comfort him. ₁₂While they were still a long way off they saw Job, but did not recognize him. When they did, they began to weep and wail, tearing their clothes in grief and throwing dust into the air and on their heads. ₁₃Then they sat there on the ground with him for seven days and nights without saying a word, because they saw how much he was suffering.

₁Finally Job broke the silence and cursed the day on which he had been born.