Job 1-4 - Prayer Tents

Job 1

Prologue

1There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.H376H776H5780H8034H347H376H8535H3477H3373H430H5493H74512He had seven sons and three daughters.H3205H7651H1121H7969H13233He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.H4735H7651H505H6629H7969H505H1581H2568H3967H6776H1241H2568H3967H860H3966H7227H5657H376H1419H1121H69244Job's sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them.H1121H1980H4960H6213H1004H376H3117H7971H7121H7969H269H398H83545When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, "Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular practice.H3117H4960H5362H347H7971H6942H7925H1242H5927H5930H4557H347H559H194H1121H2398H1288H430H3824H6213H347H3117

Job’s First Test

6One day the members of the heavenly court

came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.H3117H1121H430H935H3320H3068H7854H935H84327"Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on."H3068H559H7854H370H935H7854H6030H3068H559H7751H776H19808Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil."H3068H559H7854H7760H3820H5650H347H776H8535H3477H376H3373H430H5493H74519Satan replied to the LORD, "Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God.H7854H6030H3068H559H347H3372H430H260010You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!H7753H1157H1004H5439H1288H4639H3027H4735H6555H77611But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!"H199H7971H3027H5060H1288H3808H644012"All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD's presence.H3068H559H7854H3027H7971H3027H7854H3318H6440H306813One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother's house,H3117H1121H1323H398H8354H3196H1060H251H100414a messenger arrived at Job's home with this news: "Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them,H935H4397H347H559H1241H2790H860H7462H302715when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."H7614H5307H3947H5221H5288H6310H2719H4422H504616While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: "The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."H1696H935H559H784H430H5307H8064H1197H6629H5288H398H4422H504617While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: "Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."H1696H935H559H3778H7760H7969H7218H6584H1581H3947H5221H5288H6310H2719H4422H504618While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: "Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother's home.H1696H935H559H1121H1323H398H8354H3196H1060H251H100419Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."H935H1419H7307H5676H4057H5060H702H6438H1004H5307H5288H4191H4422H504620Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.H347H6965H7167H4598H1494H7218H5307H776H781221He said, "I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!"H559H6174H3318H517H990H6174H7725H3068H5414H3068H3947H1288H8034H306822In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.H347H2398H5414H430H8604

Job 2

Job’s Second Test

2One day the members of the heavenly court

came again to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.H3117H1121H430H935H3320H3068H7854H935H8432H3320H30682"Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on."H3068H559H7854H335H935H7854H6030H3068H559H7751H776H19803Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause."H3068H559H7854H7760H3820H5650H347H776H8535H3477H376H3373H430H5493H7451H2388H8538H5496H1104H26004Satan replied to the LORD, "Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life.H7854H6030H3068H559H5785H5785H376H5414H53155But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!"H199H7971H3027H5060H6106H1320H1288H64406"All right, do with him as you please," the LORD said to Satan. "But spare his life."H3068H559H7854H3027H8104H53157So Satan left the LORD's presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.H3318H7854H3318H6440H3068H5221H347H7451H7822H3709H7272H69368Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes.H3947H2789H1623H3427H8432H6659His wife said to him, "Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die."H559H802H2388H8538H1288H430H419110But Job replied, "You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.H559H1696H259H5036H1696H1571H6901H2896H430H6901H7451H347H2398H8193

Job’s Three Friends Share His Anguish

11When three of Job's friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.H347H7969H7453H8085H7451H935H935H376H4725H464H8489H1085H7747H6691H5284H3259H3162H935H5110H516212When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief.H5375H5869H7350H5234H5375H6963H1058H7167H376H4598H2236H6083H7218H806413Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.H3427H776H7651H3117H7651H3915H1696H1697H7200H3511H3966H1431

Job 3

Job’s First Speech

3At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth.H310H6605H347H6310H7043H31172He said.H347H6030H5593"Let the day of my birth be erased, and the night I was conceived.H3117H6H3205H3915H559H1397H20294Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let no light shine on it.H3117H2822H433H1875H4605H5105H33135Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own. Let a black cloud overshadow it, and let the darkness terrify it.H2822H6757H1350H6053H7931H3650H3117H12046Let that night be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the year, never again to appear among the months.H3915H652H3947H2302H3117H8141H935H4557H33917Let that night be childless. Let it have no joy.H3915H1565H7445H9358Let those who are experts at cursing—whose cursing could rouse Leviathan

—curse that day.H5344H779H3117H6264H5782H38829Let its morning stars remain dark. Let it hope for light, but in vain; may it never see the morning light.H3556H5399H2821H6960H216H7200H6079H783710Curse that day for failing to shut my mother's womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble.H5462H1817H990H5641H5999H586911"Why wasn't I born dead? Why didn't I die as I came from the womb?H4191H7358H1478H3318H99012Why was I laid on my mother's lap? Why did she nurse me at her breasts?H1290H6923H7699H324313Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace. I would be asleep and at rest.H7901H8252H3462H511714I would rest with the world's kings and prime ministers, whose great buildings now lie in ruins.H4428H3289H776H1129H272315I would rest with princes, rich in gold, whose palaces were filled with silver.H8269H2091H4390H1004H370116Why wasn't I buried like a stillborn child, like a baby who never lives to see the light?H2934H5309H5768H7200H21617For in death the wicked cause no trouble, and the weary are at rest.H7563H2308H7267H3019H3581H511718Even captives are at ease in death, with no guards to curse them.H615H7599H3162H8085H6963H506519Rich and poor are both there, and the slave is free from his master.H6996H1419H5650H2670H11320"Oh, why give light to those in misery, and life to those who are bitter?H216H5414H6001H2416H4751H531521They long for death, and it won't come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure.H2442H4194H2658H430122They're filled with joy when they finally die, and rejoice when they find the grave.H8056H1524H7797H4672H691323Why is life given to those with no future, those God has surrounded with difficulties?H1397H1870H5641H433H552624I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water.H585H935H6440H3899H7581H5413H432525What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.H6343H6342H857H3025H93526I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes."H7951H8252H5117H7267H935

Job 4

Eliphaz’s First Response to Job

4Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied to Job.H464H8489H6030H5592"Will you be patient and let me say a word? For who could keep from speaking out?H5254H1697H3811H3201H6113H44053"In the past you have encouraged many people; you have strengthened those who were weak.H3256H7227H2388H7504H30274Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees.H4405H6965H3782H553H3766H12905But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart. You are terrified when it touches you.H935H3811H5060H9266Doesn't your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn't your life of integrity give you hope?H3374H3690H8615H8537H18707"Stop and think! Do the innocent die? When have the upright been destroyed?H2142H6H5355H375H3477H35828My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same.H7200H2790H205H2232H5999H71149A breath from God destroys them. They vanish in a blast of his anger.H5397H433H6H7307H639H361510The lion roars and the wildcat snarls, but the teeth of strong lions will be broken.H7581H738H6963H7826H8127H3715H542111The fierce lion will starve for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness will be scattered.H3918H6H1097H2964H3833H1121H650412"This truth was given to me in secret, as though whispered in my ear.H1697H1589H241H3947H810213It came to me in a disturbing vision at night, when people are in a deep sleep.H5587H2384H3915H8639H5307H58214Fear gripped me, and my bones trembled.H6343H7122H7461H7230H6106H634215A spirit

swept past my face, and my hair stood on end.H7307H2498H6440H8185H1320H556816The spirit stopped, but I couldn't see its shape. There was a form before my eyes. In the silence I heard a voice say,H5975H5234H4758H8544H5869H1827H8085H696317'Can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone be pure before the Creator?'H582H6663H433H1397H2891H621318"If God does not trust his own angels and has charged his messengers with foolishness,H539H5650H4397H7760H841719how much less will he trust people made of clay! They are made of dust, crushed as easily as a moth.H637H7931H1004H2563H3247H6083H1792H6440H621120They are alive in the morning but dead by evening, gone forever without a trace.H3807H1242H6153H6H5331H776021Their tent-cords are pulled and the tent collapses, and they die in ignorance.H3499H5265H4191H2451