Job’s Character and Wealth
(James 5:7–12)

1There was a man in the lande of Vz called Iob, & this man was an vpright and iust man, one that feared God, and eschewed euill. 2And he had seue sonnes, & three daughters. 3His substance also was seuen thousande sheepe, and three thousand camels, and fiue hundreth yoke of oxen, and fiue hundreth shee asses, and his family was very great, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East. 4And his sonnes went & banketted in their houses, euery one his day, and sent, & called their three sisters to eate and to drinke with them. 5And when the dayes of their banketting were gone about, Iob sent, and sanctified them, and rose vp early in the morning, and offred burnt offrings according to the nomber of them all. For Iob thought, It may be that my sonnes haue sinned, & blasphemed God in their hearts: thus did Iob euery day.

Satan’s First Attack

6Nowe on a day when the children of God came and stoode before the Lorde, Satan came also among them. 7Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Whence commest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, saying, From compassing the earth to and fro, and from walking in it. 8And the Lord saide vnto Satan, Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob, how none is like him in the earth? an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God, and escheweth euill? 9Then Satan answered the Lord, and sayde, Doeth Iob feare God for nought? 10Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house, & about all that he hath on euery side? thou hast blessed the worke of his hands, & his substance is increased in the land. 11But stretch out now thine hand & touch all that he hath, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face. 12Then the Lorde sayde vnto Satan, Lo, all that he hath is in thine hand: onely vpon himselfe shalt thou not stretch out thine hand. So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Job Loses His Children and Possessions

13And on a day, when his sonnes and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house, 14There came a messenger vnto Iob, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding in their places, 15And the Shabeans came violently, and tooke them: yea, they haue slayne the seruants with the edge of the sworde: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee. 16And whiles he was yet speaking, another came, and sayde, The fire of God is fallen from the heauen, & hath burnt vp the sheepe and the seruants, and deuoured them: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee. 17And whiles he was yet speaking, another came, and sayd, The Caldeans set on three bands, and fell vpon the camels, and haue taken them, and haue slayne the seruantes with the edge of the sworde: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee. 18And whiles he was yet speaking, came an other, and sayd, Thy sonnes, and thy daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house, 19And behold, there came a great wind from beyonde the wildernesse, and smote the foure corners of the house, which fel vpon the children, and they are dead, and I onely am escaped alone to tell thee.

20Then Iob arose, and rent his garment, and shaued his head, and fel downe vpon the ground, and worshipped,

21And sayd, Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I returne thither: the Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken it: blessed be the Name of the Lord.

22In all this did not Iob sinne, nor charge God foolishly.