1

Prologue

¹In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. ²He had seven sons and three daughters, ³and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
⁴His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
⁶One day the angels⚓ came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan⚓ also came with them. ⁷The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
⁸Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
⁹“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. ¹⁰“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
¹²The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
¹³One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, ¹⁵and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
¹⁶While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
¹⁷While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
¹⁸While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
²⁰At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.⚓
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”
²²In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

1

Sim Yauj txojkev ntseeg

¹Muaj ib tug yawg nyob hauv Us tebchaws npe hu ua Yauj. Nws yog ib tug neeg zoo tsis muaj chaw thuam li thiab ua ncaj ncees, yog ib tug uas hwm thiab paub ntshai Vajtswv thiab tseg tsis ua txojkev phem kiag li. ²Nws muaj xya leej tub thiab peb leeg ntxhais. ³Nws muaj xya txhiab tus yaj, peb txhiab tus ntxhuav, tsib puas nkawm nyuj thiab tsib puas tus maum nees luav thiab muaj tub qhe coob heev. Tus yawg no thiaj yog tus loj kawg nkaus hauv cov neeg sawvdaws uas nyob sab hnub tuaj. ⁴Nws cov tub pheej npaj ib pluag noj rau hauv nyias lub tsev raws li hnub uas nyias teem tseg. Lawv kuj hu peb tug muam tuaj nrog lawv noj lawv haus thiab. ⁵Thaum lawv noj haus puv ib ncig lawm, Yauj yuav kom lawv ua kevcai tu lawv tus kheej kom dawb huv, thiab nws yuav sawv ntxov ntxov tua tsiaj hlawv xyeem ua cov menyuam feem ib leeg ib tug, rau qhov Yauj hais tias, “Tej zaum kuv cov menyuam tau ua txhaum thiab tsawm foom Vajtswv hauv lawv lub siab.” Yauj thiaj ua li no tsis tu ncua li.
⁶Muaj ib hnub Vajtswv cov tubtxib saum ntuj⚓ los cuag Yawmsaub, Xatas⚓ kuj nrog lawv los thiab. ⁷Yawmsaub hais rau Xatas tias, “Koj mus dabtsi los?” Xatas teb Yawmsaub tias, “Mus mus los los saum lub ntiajteb thiab ncig thoob lub ntiajteb los.” ⁸Mas Yawmsaub hais rau Xatas tias, “Koj twb tshuaj saib Yauj uas yog kuv tus qhev los tsis tau? Tag nrho lub ntiajteb tsis muaj leejtwg zoo cuag li nws, nws yog tus neeg zoo tsis muaj chaw thuam li thiab ua ncaj ncees, nws hwm thiab paub ntshai Vajtswv thiab tseg tsis ua txojkev phem.” ⁹Xatas thiaj teb Yawmsaub tias, “Yauj hwm thiab paub ntshai koj dawb dawb xwb lov? ¹⁰Koj tsis tau xov laj kab puag ncig nws thiab nws tsev neeg thiab txhua yam uas nws muaj lov? Koj twb foom koob hmoov rau tej haujlwm uas nws txhais tes ua thiab nws tej tsiaj txhu huaj vam coob kawg rau hauv lub tebchaws. ¹¹Nimno cia li cev kiag koj txhais tes thiab kov txhua yam uas nws muaj, mas nws yeej yuav tsawm foom koj tab meeg koj.” ¹²Yawmsaub hais rau Xatas tias, “Saib nawj, txhua yam uas nws muaj nyob hauv koj lub hwjchim, tiamsis tsis txhob cev tes kov Yauj.” Xatas txawm tawm ntawm Yawmsaub xubntiag mus lawm.
¹³Muaj ib hnub thaum Yauj tej tub tej ntxhais tabtom noj mov thiab haus cawv txiv hmab hauv lawv tus tijlaug hlob lub tsev, ¹⁴txawm muaj ib tug xa xov los hais rau Yauj tias, “Cov nyuj tabtom laij teb thiab cov nees luav tabtom noj zaub ntawm ib sab, ¹⁵mas cov neeg Xenpa txawm tuaj ntaus raws cov tsiaj ntawd mus thiab xuas ntaj tua cov tub qhe tuag tag, kuv tib leeg khiav dim los hais rau koj xwb.” ¹⁶Thaum nws tabtom hais txawm muaj dua ib tug los hais tias, “Vajtswv li hluavtaws poob saum ntuj los kub cov yaj thiab cov tub qhe puam tsuaj tag huvsi lawm, kuv tib leeg khiav dim los hais rau koj xwb.” ¹⁷Thaum tus ntawd tabtom hais txawm muaj dua ib tug los hais tias, “Cov neeg Kheedia ua peb pab tuaj lws kiag cov ntxhuav mus thiab xuas ntaj tua cov tub qhe tuag tag, kuv tib leeg khiav dim los hais rau koj xwb.” ¹⁸Thaum tus ntawd tabtom hais txawm muaj dua ib tug los hais tias, “Koj cov tub ntxhais tabtom noj mov thiab haus cawv txiv hmab hauv lawv tus tijlaug hlob lub tsev, ¹⁹txawm muaj cua daj cua dub hlob kawg ntsawj hauv tebchaws moj sab qhua tuaj nplawm lub tsev plaub fab ua rau lub tsev vau tsuam tej tub ntxhais mas lawv tuag tag, kuv tib leeg khiav dim los hais rau koj xwb.”
²⁰Ces Yauj txawm sawv tsees dua rhe nws lub tsho ntev chais plaubhau thiab khwb nkaus rau hauv av pe hawm, ²¹thiab nws hais tias, “Kuv tawm hauv kuv niam lub plab los liab qab tsuas, ces kuv yuav rov qab mus liab qab tsuas. Yawmsaub pub thiab Yawmsaub coj mus lawm. Cia li qhuas Yawmsaub lub npe.” ²²Tej xwm txheej no huvsi Yauj tsis ua txhaum lossis hais tias Vajtswv ua txhaum.