As the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan, the accuser, came with them. "Where have you come from?" the Lord asked Satan. And Satan replied, "From patroling the earth." Then the Lord asked Satan, "Have you noticed My servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth - a good man who fears God and has nothing to do with evil."
   "Why shouldn't he, when You pay him so well?" Satan scoffed. "You have always protected him and his home and his property from all harm. You have prospered everything he does - look how rich he is! No wonder he 'worships' You! But just take away his wealth, and you'll see him curse You to Your face!" And the Lord replied to Satan, "You may do anything you like with his wealth, but don't harm him physically." So Satan went away; and sure enough . . . tragedy struck.
   A messenger rushed to Job's home with this news: "Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us, drove away the animals and killed all the farmhands except me . . ." Another arrived with more bad news: "The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the herdsmen, and I alone have escaped to tell you." Before this man finished, still another messenger rushed in: "Three bands of Chaldeans have driven off your camels and killed your servants, and I alone have escaped . . ." As he was still speaking, another arrived to say, "Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother's home, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert, and engulfed the house so that the roof fell in on them and all are dead; and I alone escaped to tell you."
   Then Job stood up and tore his robe in grief and fell down upon the ground before God. "I came naked from my mother's womb," he said, "and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were His to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." In all of this, Job did not sin or revile God.
   ". . . Well, have you noticed My servant Job?" the Lord asked [Satan]. "He is the finest man in all the earth - a good man who fears God and turns away from all evil. And he has kept his faith in Me despite the fact that you persuaded Me to let you harm him without any cause."

Taken from Job 1, The Living Bible. For free Lifescope book, write to Box 1575,
Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage and handling.