אִישׁ הָיָה בְאֶרֶץ־עוּץ אִיּוֹב שְׁמוֹ וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ הַהוּא תָּם וְיָשָׁר וִירֵא אֱלֹהִים וְסָר מֵרָע

There was a man in the land of Utz, in the region of Aram or Edom, whose name was Job; that man was virtuous and upright, God-fearing, and he shunned evil. He excelled in all aspects of character and conduct.

וַיִּוָּלְדוּ לוֹ שִׁבְעָה בָנִים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ בָּנוֹת

Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

וַיְהִי מִקְנֵהוּ שִׁבְעַת אַלְפֵי־צֹאן וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אַלְפֵי גְמַלִּים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת צֶמֶד־בָּקָר וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת אֲתוֹנוֹת וַעֲבֻדָּה רַבָּה מְאֹד וַיְהִי הָאִישׁ הַהוּא גָּדוֹל מִכָּל־בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם

His livestock was seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred pairs of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, as well as a great many servants. This man was greater in wealth and honor than all the people of the East. With his large family and vast properties, Job was almost like a king.

וְהָלְכוּ בָנָיו וְעָשׂוּ מִשְׁתֶּה בֵּית אִישׁ יוֹמוֹ וְשָׁלְחוּ וְקָרְאוּ לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת אַחְיֹתֵיהֶם לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת עִמָּהֶם

His sons would go and make a feast in the house of each son on his day. Every day of the week, or occasionally, a different son would invite the entire family for a feast in his house. They would send and invite their three sisters, who were presumably unmarried, to eat and drink with them. The family was close and lived a tranquil life, enjoying each other’s company during extended family meals.

וַיְהִי כִּי הִקִּיפוּ יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה וַיִּשְׁלַח אִיּוֹב וַיְקַדְּשֵׁם וְהִשְׁכִּים בַּבֹּקֶר וְהֶעֱלָה עֹלוֹת מִסְפַּר כֻּלָּם כִּי אָמַר אִיּוֹב אוּלַי חָטְאוּ בָנַי וּ'בֵרְכוּ' אֱלֹהִים בִּלְבָבָם כָּכָה יַעֲשֶׂה אִיּוֹב כָּל־הַיָּמִים

It was when the cycle of the days of their feasting was completed that Job would send and sanctify them. Job was careful to purify his children from various types of impurity. Perhaps they might have contracted impurities during their feasts. Other commentaries explain that he invited them to join him. And he, Job, would rise early in the morning and proffer up burnt offerings corresponding to the number of all of them, all his children. For Job would say: Perhaps my sons have sinned and blasphemed [berekhu] God in their hearts. The word berekhu means “they blessed,” but here, as elsewhere, it is used euphemistically so as to avoid any explicit association of blasphemy in connection with God. Job was concerned that in their excessive levity or smugness, during the feasts, his children might have entertained negative thoughts about God, even if such notions were not expressed verbally. So would Job, this successful, wealthy, and God-fearing individual, do always.

וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־ה' וַיָּבוֹא גַם־הַשָּׂטָן בְּתוֹכָם

It was one day, and the children of the great, the angels, came to stand before the Lord, in a kind of heavenly meeting. And the accuser too came among them, as he is also an angel with a task, which is not necessarily evil, to fulfill. He is assigned the role of prosecutor, whose duty is to ensure that all cases are conducted in accordance with the letter of the law and to raise allegations if there are grounds to do so.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־הַשָּׂטָן מֵאַיִן תָּבֹא וַיַּעַן הַשָּׂטָן אֶת־ה' וַיֹּאמַר מִשּׁוּט בָּאָרֶץ וּמֵהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּהּ

The Lord said to the accuser: From where have you come? The accuser answered the Lord and said: From wandering the earth, and from walking around it. I have traveled throughout the world, observing, executing my duty. Satan does not remain in heaven, as his primary occupation involves this world. It is clear that God and Satan maintain friendly ties, so to speak.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־הַשָּׂטָן הֲשַׂמְתָּ לִבְּךָ עַל־עַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב כִּי אֵין כָּמֹהוּ בָּאָרֶץ אִישׁ תָּם וְיָשָׁר יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים וְסָר מֵרָע

The Lord said to the accuser: Have you noticed My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a virtuous and upright man, revering God and shunning evil. Look at him. Don’t you agree that he is an impressive figure?

וַיַּעַן הַשָּׂטָן אֶת־ה' וַיֹּאמַר הַחִנָּם יָרֵא אִיּוֹב אֱלֹהִים

Then the accuser answered the Lord and said: Is it for nothing that Job reveres God? He has good reason for revering You.

הֲלֹא־אַתָּ שַׂכְתָּ בַעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד־בֵּיתוֹ וּבְעַד כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ מִסָּבִיב מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו בֵּרַכְתָּ וּמִקְנֵהוּ פָּרַץ בָּאָרֶץ

Haven’t You sheltered him, his household, and everything around that is his? You have spread over him a net of assistance, protection, and patronage. You blessed his handiwork, and his livestock has spread out in the land. You help him, bless him, and grant him success. His world is calm and serene, and his every desire is fulfilled. He has never had to struggle in any way. This is why he acts in a wholehearted and upright manner.

וְאוּלָם שְׁלַח־נָא יָדְךָ וְגַע בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ אִם־לֹא עַל־פָּנֶיךָ ‘יְבָרְכֶךָּ'

However, extend Your hand now, and touch, harm, something of all that he has. Won’t he blaspheme You to Your face? The verse employs the term yevarkheka, literally, bless You, as a euphemism for blaspheme You. Under those circumstances Job would undoubtedly change his ways.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־הַשָּׂטָן הִנֵּה כָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ בְּיָדֶךָ רַק אֵלָיו אַל־תִּשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ וַיֵּצֵא הַשָּׂטָן מֵעִם פְּנֵי ה'

The Lord said to the accuser: Behold, everything that he has is in your hand. You have permission to test Job to see whether, as you claim, he will abandon and even blaspheme Me in his suffering. Only do not extend your hand against him. Do not harm Job bodily. The accuser emerged from the presence of the Lord to act on the permission he had received to test Job.

וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וּבָנָיו וּבְנֹתָיו אֹכְלִים וְשֹׁתִים יַיִן בְּבֵית אֲחִיהֶם הַבְּכוֹר

It was one day, and his, Job’s, sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their usual manner in the house of their firstborn brother,

וּמַלְאָךְ בָּא אֶל־אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר הַבָּקָר הָיוּ חֹרְשׁוֹת וְהָאֲתֹנוֹת רֹעוֹת עַל־יְדֵיהֶם

and a messenger came to Job and said: The oxen were plowing in the field, and the female donkeys were grazing alongside them, as they cannot be used for plowing like the oxen,

וַתִּפֹּל שְׁבָא וַתִּקָּחֵם וְאֶת־הַנְּעָרִים הִכּוּ לְפִי־חָרֶב וָאִמָּלְטָה רַק־אֲנִי לְבַדִּי לְהַגִּיד לָךְ

and Sheba fell upon them and took them away. People from the kingdom of Sheba attacked them and plundered all the animals; they smote all of the lads, the servants working there, who were not necessarily youths, by the sword and only I alone escaped to tell you. I alone survived to relate what happened.

עוֹד זֶה מְדַבֵּר וְזֶה בָּא וַיֹּאמַר אֵשׁ אֱלֹהִים נָפְלָה מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַתִּבְעַר בַּצֹּאן וּבַנְּעָרִים וַתֹּאכְלֵם וָאִמָּלְטָה רַק־אֲנִי לְבַדִּי לְהַגִּיד לָךְ

This one, the first messenger, was still speaking and relating his story, and that one, another messenger, came and said: A fire of God, a fire with no apparent cause, or alternatively, a massive fire, fell from the heavens, and it burned among the sheep and the lads that were tending the sheep and consumed them. Everything was destroyed, and only I alone escaped to tell you.

עוֹד זֶה מְדַבֵּר וְזֶה בָּא וַיֹּאמַר כַּשְׂדִּים שָׂמוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה רָאשִׁים וַיִּפְשְׁטוּ עַל־הַגְּמַלִּים וַיִּקָּחוּם וְאֶת־הַנְּעָרִים הִכּוּ לְפִי־חָרֶב וָאִמָּלְטָה רַק־אֲנִי לְבַדִּי לְהַגִּיד לָךְ

This one, the second messenger, was still speaking, and that one, a third messenger, came with further bad news and said: The Chaldeans, Babylonians, set three columns, organized their army into three fronts, and made a raid against the camels and took them; they smote the lads that were with the camels by the sword and only I alone escaped to tell you. Each messenger related to Job an additional calamity that had befallen his possessions and men.

עַד זֶה מְדַבֵּר וְזֶה בָּא וַיֹּאמַר בָּנֶיךָ וּבְנוֹתֶיךָ אֹכְלִים וְשֹׁתִים יַיִן בְּבֵית אֲחִיהֶם הַבְּכוֹר

This one was still speaking, and that one, yet another messenger, came and said: Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their firstborn brother,

וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה בָּאָה מֵעֵבֶר הַמִּדְבָּר וַיִּגַּע בְּאַרְבַּע פִּנּוֹת הַבַּיִת וַיִּפֹּל עַל־הַנְּעָרִים וַיָּמוּתוּ וָאִמָּלְטָה רַק־אֲנִי לְבַדִּי לְהַגִּיד לָךְ

and behold, a great wind came from across, from the direction of, the wilderness, and it, the wind, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the lads who were inside, and they died; and only I alone escaped to tell you. Job is informed that not only are his possessions lost, but his family has perished as well.

וַיָּקָם אִיּוֹב וַיִּקְרַע אֶת־מְעִלוֹ וַיָּגָז אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וַיִּפֹּל אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ

Job rose, and he rent his robe, sheared the hair off his head as a sign of mourning, and he fell to the ground and prostrated himself before God.

וַיֹּאמֶר עָרֹם יָצָתִי מִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי וְעָרֹם אָשׁוּב שָׁמָּה ה' נָתַן וַה' לָקָח יְהִי שֵׁם ה' מְבֹרָךְ

He said: Naked I emerged from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. Now that I have lost all that I acquired over the course of my life, I will return to my starting point in this world. Just as I was born without any possessions or children, so too will I die without them. The Lord gave me the gifts of family, possessions, and power, and the Lord has now taken them away; blessed be the name of the Lord for all His deeds.

בְּכָל־זֹאת לֹא־חָטָא אִיּוֹב וְלֹא־נָתַן תִּפְלָה לֵאלֹהִים

With all this, despite all these tragedies, Job did not sin and did not ascribe misconduct to God. He did not utter any complaints about what had occurred to him. Although he was shattered by the many tragedies he endured, he nevertheless accepted his fate, and refused to question it or discuss it. Instead, he wished to bless God and continue to live.