There was a man in the land of Hus whose name was Job, and that man was simple and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding evil. And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. And his possessions were seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred donkeys, and a very large family; and this man was great among all the people of the east.

Now on a certain day when the angels of God came to stand before the Him, satan also was present among them. And God said to him, “Why have you come here?” And satan answered, “I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it.” And God said to him, “Have you seen my servant Job, and realized that there are none like him throughout the earth; a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil?” And Satan said, “Does Job fear God in vain? Have You not protected him, and his house, and all his possessions round about, blessed the works of his hands, and increased his possessions? But stretch forth Thy hand a little, and touch all that he hath, and see if he curses Thee not to Thy face.” Then God said to satan, “Behold, all that he owns you may do what you wish with; but you may not harm him himself.” And satan left God’s presence.

A little while later, when angels of God came and stood before Him, satan once again came among them, and stood in His presence. And God said to satan, “Why have you come here?” And satan answered, “I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it.” And God said to him, “Have you seen my servant Job, and realized that there are none like him throughout the earth; a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil, and still keeping his innocence? But you have moved me against him, that I should punish him without cause.” And Satan answered, “All that a man has he will give for his life; but were you to put forth Your hand, and touch his bone and his flesh, and then you will see that he will curse You to Your face.” Then God said to satan, “Behold he is in your hand to do what you wish with, but you may not harm him in a manner that will kill him.” So once again satan left God’s presence. This time he struck Job with a disease that caused sores to form on his skin all over his body. And his wife said to him “Are you still continuing in your simplicity? Curse God and die.” But Job said to her, “You have spoken in a foolish manner. For if we have received good things from God, why should we not receive painful things?” Still Job would not sin by cursing and complaining against God.

Soon some of his friends came to Job to comfort him in his trials. But upon seeing him they were astonished, and they told him that his troubles must have been brought about because of his sins. But Job told them that he had always done God’s will, and avoided sin. He told them that, “Even if God were to kill me, I would still trust in him. For I know that my God my Redeemer lives, and on the last day I will rise out of the earth, and in my body I shall see my God.”

After seeing all that Job had gone through, and also seeing that he still had remained faithful to God, God was pleased with Job. And God gave Job twice as much as he had before. All his brethren came back to him, and all his sisters, and indeed all that knew him before. They ate with him in his house, and comforted him upon all the tribulation that God had brought upon him. And the Lord blessed the later part of Job’s life even more than his beginning. And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. And he once again had seven sons, and three daughters. And there were not found in all the earth women so beautiful as the daughters of Job. And he lived a hundred and forty years after these things; and he saw his children, and his children’s children, unto the fourth generation, and he died an old man, and full of days.

During Job’s life, God had blessed him, for he had always lived according to God’s Commandments. But even when God decide to take all of Job’s possessions from him, Job did not curse God. He did not get angry at God because he had lost his things, but he blessed God, saying, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; as it has pleased the Lord so is it done. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” And even when God sent him suffering, he did not curse God for afflicting him with this punishment, but once again, he blessed God. He did not lose his patience, crying out to God, “Why must I suffer this? I have always obeyed your Commandments, and yet you afflict me with suffering!” He accepted God’s will, even though it was hard for him to do. But after God had tested Job, he blessed him, with twice as much happiness as he had before the trials. For those who accept the trials and tribulations that God sends them in this life with willingness, God will bless them; perhaps not in this short life, but for all eternity.