1 Det var en mann i landet Us som het Job. Han var syndfri og rettskaffen, fryktet Gud og holdt seg borte fra det onde.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.

2 Han hadde syv sønner og tre døtre.

And he had seven sons and three daughters.

3 Han hadde sju tusen sauer og geiter, tre tusen kameler, tusen okser, fem hundre eselhopper, og et veldig stort antall tjenere. Job var den største blant alle folkene i øst.

And of cattle he had seven thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand camels, and a thousand oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great number of servants. And the man was greater than any of the sons of the east.

4 Sønnene hans pleide å gå til hverandres hus, og hver på sin dag holdt en fest. De inviterte også sine tre søstre for å delta i festene med dem.

His sons regularly went to one another's houses, and every one on his day gave a feast: and at these times they sent for their three sisters to take part in their feasts with them.

5 Og etter festdagene sendte Job bud etter dem for å gjøre dem rene. Tidlig om morgenen ofret han brennoffer for dem alle, for Job sa: Kanskje har mine sønner syndet og forbannet Gud i sine hjerter. Job gjorde dette hver gang festene var over.

And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.

6 En dag kom Guds sønner for å møte Herren, og Satan kom også blant dem.

And there was a day when the sons of the gods came together before the Lord, and the Satan came with them.

7 Herren sa til Satan: Hvor kommer du fra? Satan svarte: Fra å vandre hit og dit på jorden.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

8 Herren sa til Satan: Har du lagt merke til min tjener Job? For det finnes ingen som ham på jorden, en syndfri og rettskaffen mann som frykter Gud og holder seg borte fra det onde.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?

9 Satan svarte Herren: Er det uten grunn at Job frykter Gud?

And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?

10 Har du ikke satt et gjerde rundt ham og hans hus og alt han har på alle sider, velsignet hans henders verk og økt hans buskap i landet?

Have you yourself not put a wall round him and his house and all he has on every side, blessing the work of his hands, and increasing his cattle in the land?

11 Men strekk nå ut din hånd mot alt han har, så vil han forbanne deg rett opp i ansiktet.

But now, put out your hand against all he has, and he will be cursing you to your face.

12 Herren sa til Satan: Se, alt han har er i din hånd, men på ham selv må du ikke legge hånd. Så gikk Satan bort fra Herren.

And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.

13 En dag var sønnene og døtrene hans på fest i deres eldste brors hus,

And there was a day when his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their oldest brother,

14 da en mann kom til Job og sa: Oksene pløyde, og eslene beitet ved siden av dem,

And a man came to Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses were taking their food by their side:

15 da angrep sabeeerne og tok dem bort, og slo ungdommene med sverd. Jeg alene slapp unna for å fortelle deg det.

And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

16 Mens han ennå snakket, kom en annen og sa: Guds ild falt fra himmelen og brente opp sauene og ungdommene, og jeg alene slapp unna for å fortelle deg det.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

17 Mens han ennå snakket, kom en annen og sa: Kaldeerne dannet tre flokker, og angrep kamelene og tok dem, og slo ungdommene med sverd. Jeg alene slapp unna for å fortelle deg det.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

18 Mens han ennå snakket, kom en annen og sa: Dine sønner og døtre holdt fest i deres eldste brors hus,

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, Your sons and your daughters were feasting together in their oldest brother's house,

19 da en stor vind kom fra ørkenen og traff de fire hjørnene av huset, som falt over ungdommene, og de døde. Jeg alene slapp unna for å fortelle deg det.

When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

20 Da reiste Job seg, flerret klærne sine og barberte hodet, falt ned på jorden, tilba,

Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said,

21 og sa: Naken kom jeg fra min mors liv, og naken skal jeg vende tilbake. Herren ga, og Herren tok, velsignet være Herrens navn.

With nothing I came out of my mother's body, and with nothing I will go back there; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; let the Lord's name be praised.

22 Under alt dette syndet ikke Job, og han anklaget ikke Gud for uforstand.

In all this Job did no sin, and did not say that God's acts were foolish.