“Oh, walking here and there around the earth.
The Lord said, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one else on earth like him. He has high integrity and stays away from evil.”
Satan said, “Well, of course he does. He’s found that being righteous is a good deal. You protect him and everything he owns. You bless him and give him whatever he wants. But try taking away all his possessions. Then watch what happens. He’ll curse you to your face.”
The Lord said, “We’ll see. I give you permission to take everything he owns, but you can’t touch him personally.”
Soon afterwards, a servant ran up to Job and said, “Some thugs came and took all your oxen and donkeys. They tried to kill all the servants, and only I escaped. I immediately came to tell you what happened.”
While he was still talking, another servant ran up and said, “A huge storm blew in. Lightning struck and killed all your sheep and servants. Only I lived through it, so I ran here to tell you what happened.”
While he was still talking, another servant ran up. “An army came and took all your camels and killed the servants. I escaped and came to tell you what happened.”
While he was still talking, another servant ran up. “Your sons and daughters were eating together, when suddenly a tornado hit the house and they all died. I’m the only one to live through it. So I came here to tell you what happened.”
Job fell down with grief. He tore his clothes and shaved his head. He then bowed his head and said, “I came into this world naked. I’ll leave this life naked. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of the Lord!” In spite of all that happened, Job didn’t sin or blame God.
Once again, Satan went to the Lord when all of the angels were there. The Lord said, “So, where have you been?”
“Oh, walking here and there around the earth.
The Lord said, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one else on earth like him. He has high integrity and stays away from evil, even after I permitted you, without any reason, to destroy all he had.”
“Oh, but you didn’t allow me to touch his skin. A man will do anything to save his life. Hit his flesh and bones, and he will curse you to your face.”
The Lord said, “We’ll see. I give you permission to strike him, but you can’t take his life.”
Soon afterwards, Job was covered with boils, from head to toe. He sat down in ashes and took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself. His wife said, “How can you go through all this and still keep your integrity? Curse God and die!”
He said, “You’re talking foolishness! I’m willing to accept whatever God gives me, good or bad.” And so, with all of this, Job didn’t sin or blame God.
Three friends of Job heard about what had happened, and went to visit him. They couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw him sitting there. They yelled and threw dust in their hair. All three sat down next to Job and didn’t say anything for seven days.
Finally Job cried out, “I wish I’d never been born!”
His friends then tried to help him understand what was happening to him. One friend explained that righteous people don’t suffer like this, only sinners do. Job agreed with him, but he didn’t know of anything he had done to deserve this.
His second friend was a bit more bold. He said, “Job, you’re a hypocrite! You need to confess your sin, and then God will be merciful.”
Job again held to his innocence. He said, “I remember seeing the righteous suffering, while evildoers were prospering.”
His third friend was the most bold of all. He said, “Job, you’re a liar! You’re a sinful man and deserve God’s judgment.” Now Job became passionate about his innocence.
A young man came along with a different perspective. He wanted to encourage Job. He said “God meant this suffering to be educational. Yes, the Lord is trying to correct your sin, but he’s also restoring you to righteousness.”
Suddenly, God talked to Job. He said, “My ways are far above what you can understand. My purpose for suffering is an individual matter for each person. Job, listen. I always know what is going on with you, and I’m always with you. I simply want you to come to the end of yourself and totally trust in me.”
The Lord then turned to Job’s friends. “I’m angry with you. All of your advice is false. Only Job spoke the truth.” God told them to make a burnt sacrifice and ask Job to pray for them.
God then restored to Job double of all that he had before. He got twice as many sheep and camels. He got twice as many oxen, and donkeys. God also gave him seven more sons and three more daughters.
Job lived to be an old man. He died at the age of 140 after living a full life.
