Episode 164: Have you considered my servant Job?

Job 1-2

Job and his family

1 ¹ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. He was a perfect man, who feared God and avoided evil. ² He had seven sons and three daughters. ³ He had 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants. He was the greatest man in the east. ⁴ Every night Job's sons would get together and invite their three sisters eat and drink with them. ⁵ Job worried about his sons, offering burnt offerings for their sins.

God and Satan make a wager about Job

⁶ One day, the sons of God came to visit God, and Satan was among them.

⁷ God said to Satan, "Where have you been?"

Satan answered, "I've been walking around on the earth."

⁸ God said,

Have you considered my servant, Job?

He is a perfect man, who fears me and avoids evil.

^9-10 Satan said,

Sure, he does now. You've blessed, protected, and enriched him.

¹¹ But if you mess with his stuff, he'll curse you to your face.

¹² God said,

Okay then, do whatever you like with his stuff.

But don't hurt him.

And Satan left.

Job's animals, servants, and children are killed (by God and Satan)

^13-14 One day, while Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine at the oldest son's house, a messenger came to Job, who said,

¹⁵ The Sabeans took your oxen and asses and killed your servants.

I'm the only one who survived.

¹⁶ While the first servant was speaking, another came and said to Job,

A fire from God killed your sheep and servants. I'm the only one who survived.

¹⁷ While the second servant was speaking, another came and said,

The Chaldeans stole your camels and killed your servants. I'm the only one who survived.

^18-19 While the third servant was speaking, another came and said,

Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine at your oldest son's house, when the wind blew the house down. All of your children are dead. I'm the only one who survived.

²⁰ Job stood up, tore his mantle, shaved his head, fell down to the ground, and worshiped God.

²¹ Job said,

I was born naked, and I'll die naked. God gives and God takes away.

May God's name be blessed.

²² None of this caused Job to sin or foolishly blame God.

God and Satan make another bet

2 ¹ One day, the sons of God visited God, and Satan was among them.

² God said to Satan, "Where have you been?"

Satan answered, "I've been walking around on the earth."

³ God said,

Have you considered my servant, Job?

He is a perfect man, who fears me and avoids evil.

He didn't even get upset when we destroyed him for no reason.

⁴ Satan answered God, saying,

Skin for skin. People will do anything to stay alive.

⁵ If you touch his body, he'll curse you to your face.

⁶ God said to Satan,

Okay then, do whatever you like to his body.

But don't kill him.

Job is smitten with boils

⁷ So Satan left God and smote Job with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. ⁸ Job scraped his skin with a potsherd and sat down in the ashes.

Job's wife gives him some advice

⁹ Job's wife said to him,

Do you want to keep any of your integrity?

If so, you should curse God and die.

¹⁰ Job said to her,

You're speaking like a foolish woman.

If we receive good things from God, we must accept bad things as well.

Job's friends come to visit

¹¹ When Job's friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) heard about the evil that had come upon him, they came to comfort him. ¹² At first, they didn't recognize him. But when they finally did, they wept, tore their clothes, and sprinkled dust on their heads.¹³ They sat down with Job for seven days and seven nights, never speaking a word.