Giobbe 1

1C’era nel paese di Uz un uomo che si chiamava Giobbe. Quest’uomo era integro e retto; temeva Iddio e fuggiva il male. 2Gli erano nati sette figliuoli e tre figliuole; 3possedeva settemila pecore, tremila cammelli, cinquecento paia di bovi, cinquecento asine e una servitù molto numerosa. E quest’uomo era il più grande di tutti gli Orientali. 4I suoi figliuoli solevano andare gli uni dagli altri e darsi un convito, ciascuno nel suo giorno: e mandavano a chiamare le loro tre sorelle perché venissero a mangiare e a bere con loro. 5E quando la serie dei giorni di convito era finita Giobbe li faceva venire per purificarli; si levava di buon mattino, e offriva un olocausto per ciascun d’essi, perché diceva: "Può darsi che i miei figliuoli abbian peccato ed abbiano rinnegato Iddio in cuor loro". E Giobbe faceva sempre così. 6Or accadde un giorno, che i figliuoli di Dio vennero a presentarsi davanti all’Eterno, e Satana venne anch’egli in mezzo a loro. 7E l’Eterno disse a Satana: "Donde vieni?" E Satana rispose all’Eterno: "Dal percorrere la terra e dal passeggiare per essa". 8E l’Eterno disse a Satana: "Hai tu notato il mio servo Giobbe? Non ce n’è un altro sulla terra che come lui sia integro, retto, tema Iddio e fugga il male". 9E Satana rispose all’Eterno: "E’ egli forse per nulla che Giobbe teme Iddio? 10Non l’hai tu circondato d’un riparo, lui, la sua casa, e tutto quel che possiede? Tu hai benedetto l’opera delle e mani, e il suo bestiame ricopre tutto il paese. 11Ma stendi un po’ la tua mano, tocca quanto egli possiede, e vedrai se non ti rinnega in faccia". 12E l’Eterno disse a Satana: "Ebbene! tutto quello che possiede e in tuo potere; soltanto, non stender la mano sulla sua persona". E Satana si ritirò dalla presenza dell’Eterno. 13Or accadde che un giorno, mentre suoi figliuoli e le sue figliuole mangiavano e bevevano del vino in casa del loro fratello maggiore, giunse a Giobbe un messaggero a dirgli: 14"I buoi stavano arando e le asine pascevano lì appresso, 15quand’ecco i Sabei son piombati loro addosso e li hanno portati via; hanno passato a fil di spada servitori, e io solo son potuto scampare per venire a dirtelo". 16Quello parlava ancora, quando ne giunse un altro a dire: "Il fuoco di Dio e caduto dal cielo, ha colpito le pecore e i servitori, e li ha divorati; e io solo son potuto scampare per venire a dirtelo". 17Quello parlava ancora, quando ne giunse un altro a dire: "I Caldei hanno formato tre bande, si son gettati sui cammelli e li han portati via; hanno passato a fil di spada i servitori, e io solo son potuto scampare per venire a dirtelo". 18Quello parlava ancora, quando ne giunse un altro a dire: "I tuoi figliuoli e le tue figliuole mangiavano e bevevano del vino in casa del loro fratello maggiore; 19ed ecco che un gran vento, venuto dall’altra parte del deserto, ha investito i quattro canti della casa, ch’è caduta sui giovani; ed essi sono morti; e io solo son potuto scampare per venire a dirtelo". 20Allora Giobbe si alzò e si stracciò il mantello e si rase il capo e si prostrò a terra e adorò e disse: 21"Nudo sono uscito dal seno di mia madre, e nudo tornerò in seno della terra; l’Eterno ha dato, l’Eterno ha tolto; sia benedetto il nome dell’Eterno". 22In tutto questo Giobbe non peccò e non attribuì a Dio nulla di mal fatto.

1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil. 2There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. 4His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually. 6Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan also came among them. 7Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” 8Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.” 9Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.” 12Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh. 13It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, 14that there came a messenger to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, 19and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.” 20Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped. 21He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.” 22In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.

1Er was een man in het land Uz, zijn naam was Job; en dezelve man was oprecht, en vroom, en godvrezende, en wijkende van het kwaad. 2En hem werden zeven zonen en drie dochteren geboren. 3Daartoe was zijn vee zeven duizend schapen, en drie duizend kemelen, en vijfhonderd juk ossen, en vijfhonderd ezelinnen; ook was zijn dienstvolk zeer veel; zodat deze man groter was dan al die van het oosten. 4En zijn zonen gingen, en maakten maaltijden in ieders huis op zijn dag; en zij zonden henen, en nodigden hun drie zusteren, om met hen te eten en te drinken. 5Het geschiedde dan, als de dagen der maaltijden omgegaan waren, dat Job henenzond, en hen heiligde en des morgens vroeg opstond, en brandofferen offerde naar hun aller getal; want Job zeide: Misschien hebben mijn kinderen gezondigd, en God in hun hart gezegend. Alzo deed Job al die dagen. 6Er was nu een dag, als de kinderen Gods kwamen, om zich voor den HEERE te stellen, dat de satan ook in het midden van hen kwam. 7Toen zeide de HEERE tot den satan; Van waar komt gij? En de satan antwoordde den HEERE, en zeide: Van om te trekken op de aarde, en van die te doorwandelen. 8En de HEERE zeide tot den satan: Hebt gij ook acht geslagen op Mijn knecht Job? Want niemand is op de aarde gelijk hij, een man oprecht en vroom, godvrezende en wijkende van het kwaad. 9Toen antwoordde de satan den HEERE, en zeide: Is het om niet, dat Job God vreest? 10Hebt Gij niet een betuining gemaakt voor hem, en voor zijn huis, en voor al wat hij heeft rondom? Het werk zijner handen hebt Gij gezegend, en zijn vee is in menigte uitgebroken in den lande. 11Maar toch strek nu Uw hand uit, en tast aan alles, wat hij heeft; zo hij U niet in Uw aangezicht zal zegenen? 12En de HEERE zeide tot den satan: Zie, al wat hij heeft, zij in uw hand; alleen aan hem strek uw hand niet uit. En de satan ging uit van het aangezicht des HEEREN. 13Er was nu een dag, als zijn zonen en zijn dochteren aten, en wijn dronken in het huis van hun broeder, den eerstgeborene. 14Dat een bode tot Job kwam, en zeide: De runderen waren ploegende, en de ezelinnen weidende aan hun zijden. 15Doch de Sabeers deden een inval, en namen ze, en sloegen de jongeren met de scherpte des zwaards; en ik ben maar alleen ontkomen, om het u aan te zeggen. 16Als deze nog sprak, zo kwam een ander, en zeide: Het vuur Gods viel uit den hemel, en ontstak onder de schapen en onder de jongeren, en verteerde ze; en ik ben maar alleen ontkomen, om het u aan te zeggen. 17Als deze nog sprak, zo kwam een ander, en zeide: De Chaldeen stelden drie hopen, en vielen op de kemelen aan, en namen ze, en sloegen de jongeren met de scherpte des zwaards; en ik ben maar alleen ontkomen, om het u aan te zeggen. 18Als deze nog sprak, zo kwam een ander, en zeide: Uw zonen en uw dochteren aten, en dronken wijn, in het huis van hun broeder, den eerstgeborene; 19En zie, een grote wind kwam van over de woestijn, en stiet aan de vier hoeken van het huis, en het viel op de jongelingen, dat ze stierven; en ik ben maar alleen ontkomen, om het u aan te zeggen. 20Toen stond Job op, en scheurde zijn mantel, en schoor zijn hoofd, en viel op de aarde, en boog zich neder; 21En hij zeide: Naakt ben ik uit mijner moeders buik gekomen, en naakt zal ik daarhenen wederkeren. De HEERE heeft gegeven, en de HEERE heeft genomen; de Naam des HEEREN zij geloofd! 22In dit alles zondigde Job niet, en schreef Gode niets ongerijmds toe.