There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Ayub1. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God2, and turned away from evil. 2There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. 4His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Ayub sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Ayub said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Thus did Ayub continually.
6Now it happened on the day when the sons of God3 came to present themselves before YAHWEH4, that Shaitan5 also came among them. 7YAHWEH said to Shaitan, “Where have you come from?”
Then Shaitan answered YAHWEH, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
8YAHWEH said to Shaitan, “Have you considered my servant, Ayub? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.”
9Then Shaitan answered YAHWEH, and said, “Does Ayub fear God for nothing? 10Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”
12YAHWEH said to Shaitan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself do not put forth your hand.”
So Shaitan went forth from the presence of YAHWEH. 13It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, 14that there came a messenger to Ayub, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
16While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
17While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
18While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, 19and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20Then Ayub arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped. 21He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. YAHWEH gave, and YAHWEH has taken away. Praise the Name of YAHWEH!” 22In all this, Ayub did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.
- 1:1 Ayub, this Arabic name and the English name Job are derived from the Hebrew name Iyyob, which means “persecuted.” ↩︎
- 1:1 God, English translation of elohim. Elohim (Hebrew) is related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 1:6 sons of God, that is, heavenly beings or angels. ↩︎
- 1:6 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 1:6 Shaitan, is derived from the Hebrew Satan, which means “adversary” or “accuser.” ↩︎