Testament of Job

Testament of Job

On the day when he became ill and knew that he was about to leave the dwelling of his body, Job called together his seven sons and his three daughters and said to them:

“Gather around me, my children, and listen. I will tell you what the Lord did for me and all that happened to me. I am Job, your father. Know that you are the offspring of one who was chosen, and remember the nobility of your birth. I am descended from Esau. My brother is Nahor, and your mother is Dinah. Through her I became your father. My first wife died with my other ten children in bitter death. Listen now, and I will reveal to you what happened to me.

“I was once a very wealthy man living in the East, in the land of Uz. Before the Lord named me Job, I was called Jobab. Near my house stood the image of one whom the people worshiped. I continually saw offerings and libations brought before it as though it were a god.

“I began to wonder and said within myself, ‘Is this the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all of us? How shall I know the truth?’

“That night, while I slept, a voice called to me: ‘Jobab! Jobab! Rise, and I will tell you about the one whom you desire to know. The thing to which the people bring offerings and libations is not God. It is the power and work of the deceiver, by which he misleads the people.’

“When I heard this, I fell to the ground and bowed myself, saying, ‘My Lord, who speaks for the salvation of my soul, if this is an image of the adversary, permit me to go and destroy it and cleanse this place. No one can prevent me, for I rule this land, and those who live here will no longer be led astray.’

“The voice that spoke from the flame answered me: ‘You may cleanse this place. But hear what the Lord has commanded me to tell you, for I am an archangel of God. If you undertake to destroy the image of the adversary, he will rise against you in fury and make war upon you. He will display all his malice against you. He will bring many severe blows upon you and take away everything you possess. He will take your children and inflict many evils upon you. You must wrestle like an athlete and withstand suffering, confident of your reward, overcoming trials and afflictions. When you endure, your name will be renowned throughout every generation of the earth until the end of the age. Everything you possessed will be restored, and you will receive twice what you lost, so that you may know that God shows no partiality but gives good to each one according to what is deserved. You will be crowned with an unfading crown, and at the resurrection you will awaken to eternal life. Then you will know that the Lord is just, true, and mighty.’

“I answered, ‘For the love of God I will endure until death whatever comes upon me, and I will not turn back.’ Then the angel sealed me and departed.

“That night I rose, took fifty servants, went to the temple of the image, and destroyed it to its foundations. I returned to my house and ordered the doors to be firmly shut. I told the gatekeepers, ‘If anyone asks for me, bring me no message. Say that I am occupied with urgent affairs within.’

“The adversary disguised himself as a beggar and struck violently at the door, saying to the gatekeeper, ‘Tell Job that I desire to meet him.’ The gatekeeper came and told me, but I answered that I was occupied.

“Having failed, the evil one went away, took an old torn basket upon his shoulder, returned, and said to the gatekeeper, ‘Tell Job to give me bread from his own hand, that I may eat.’ When I heard this, I gave the servant a burnt loaf to carry to him, saying, ‘Do not expect to eat from my bread, for it is forbidden to you.’

“The servant, ashamed to hand him the burnt and ashen loaf, and not knowing that he was the adversary, took some of her own good bread and gave it to him. But he knew what had happened and said to her, ‘Go, wicked servant, and bring me the bread your master gave you.’

“She wept and said, ‘You speak truth when you call me a wicked servant, for I did not do what my master commanded.’ She returned and brought him the burnt loaf, saying, ‘Thus says my master: You shall not eat from my bread any longer, for it is forbidden to you. He gave me this so that no charge may be brought against him that he refused food even to an enemy who asked.’

“When the adversary heard this, he sent the servant back to me with these words: ‘As you see this bread burned, so I will soon burn your body and make it like this.’

“I answered, ‘Do what you desire and accomplish what you devise. I am ready to endure whatever you bring upon me.’

“When he heard this, he left me, ascended beneath the highest heaven, and obtained authority over all my possessions. Having received that authority, he immediately began to take away my wealth.

“I had one hundred and thirty thousand sheep, and from them I had set apart seven thousand to clothe orphans, widows, the needy, and the sick. I had eight hundred dogs guarding the sheep and another two hundred guarding my house. I had nine mills working for the whole city and ships carrying goods. I sent supplies into every city and village for the weak, the sick, and the afflicted.

“I had three hundred and forty thousand grazing asses. From them I set apart five hundred, and I ordered that their offspring be sold and the proceeds given to the poor and needy. The poor came to me from every land.

“The four doors of my house stood open. A watchman was appointed at each, to see whether anyone came asking for help. If people saw me seated at one entrance, they could depart through another, taking whatever they needed. No one was made ashamed by having to ask twice.

“I kept tables continually prepared for strangers, and other tables for widows. Whoever came seeking help found food ready and left with a full stomach. I turned no one away empty.

“I had many yokes of oxen, and I set aside five hundred for plowing the fields of any who desired their service. The produce of those fields I reserved for the tables of the poor. I also had fifty bakeries from which bread was sent to them, and servants chosen for their care.

“Some strangers, seeing my goodwill, wished to serve as attendants. Others who were distressed and had no means of living came and said, ‘We beg you, since we are able to serve the needy but possess nothing, lend us money so that we may go to the great cities and trade. From our profit we will help the poor, and afterward we will return what belongs to you.’

“I rejoiced that they wished to undertake this service of mercy. I gave them what they asked and accepted only a written promise. Often their goods were lost on the road or at sea, or they were robbed. Then they returned and said, ‘Deal generously with us, so that we may find a way to restore what is yours.’

“I had compassion. I brought out their written bonds, read them before them, tore them up, and released them from the debt, saying, ‘What I have dedicated for the benefit of the poor I will not take back from you.’ Thus I demanded nothing from my debtors.

“When a cheerful man came and said, ‘I am not compelled by need to work for wages, but I desire to serve the needy at your table,’ I allowed him to serve and eat his portion. Yet I still gave him wages. If he refused them, I compelled him, saying, ‘I know that you are a laboring man who looks for his pay. You must receive it.’

“I never delayed the wages of a hired worker and never kept what was due to anyone overnight. Those who milked the cows and sheep called to travelers to come and take their share. Milk was so plentiful that it became curds and butter along the hills and roadsides. My servants grew weary preparing meat for widows and the poor and dividing it into portions.

“I had harps, a lyre, and a ten-stringed instrument. After the widows had eaten, I played, and they responded in song. By music I reminded them of God, so that they might praise the Lord. When my women servants murmured from weariness, I took up the instruments and performed their part, giving them relief from labor and sighing.

“My sons took turns providing the daily meal, each beginning with the eldest, and their three sisters ate with them. Every morning I offered sacrifices for them and dedicated what remained to the poor, saying, ‘Receive this and pray for my children. Perhaps my sons have sinned before the Lord and said in the pride of their hearts, “We are children of this rich man; all these possessions are ours. Why should we serve the poor?”’ For arrogant pride is an abomination before the Lord. I prayed that my children would never conceive evil against God in their hearts.

“While I lived in this way, the deceiver could not endure the good that was being done. He asked permission to make war upon me and came against me cruelly. First he burned the sheep, then the camels, cattle, and herds. Others were seized by enemies, even by people who had formerly received good from me. Messengers came and told me, but I praised God and did not blaspheme.

“When the deceiver saw my endurance, he devised another attack. He disguised himself as a king of Persia, besieged my city, and persuaded its inhabitants to plunder me. He said, ‘Job has gathered all the wealth of the earth and left nothing for others. He destroyed the temple of the great god. I will repay him for what he did. Come with me, and let us seize what remains in his house.’

“They said, ‘He has seven sons and three daughters. Take care lest they flee, become rulers elsewhere, and return with force against us.’

“He answered, ‘Do not fear. I have destroyed his flocks and wealth by fire, and what remained I captured. Now I will also kill his children.’ He brought the house down upon them and killed them. When my fellow citizens saw his words fulfilled, they pursued me and plundered all that was in my house.

“I saw uncultured and dishonorable men sitting at my tables and upon my couches, and I could not resist them. I was exhausted by the multitude of pains, yet I remembered that this warfare had been foretold by the angel of the Lord.

“I became like a man in a ship upon a rough sea, burdened with heavy cargo, who casts his possessions into the water so that the vessel may reach the city safely. I counted everything as loss so that I might preserve the better treasure.

“Then another messenger came and announced the death of my children. I was shaken with terror. I tore my clothing and said, ‘The Lord gave; the Lord has taken away. As it seemed good to the Lord, so it has happened. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’

“When the adversary saw that he could not drive me to despair, he asked authority over my body. The Lord delivered my body into his hand, but gave him no authority over my soul.

“He came while I sat upon my throne mourning my children. He was like a great whirlwind. He overturned my throne and threw me to the ground. I lay there for three hours, and he struck me with a severe disease from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.

“I left the city in fear and sorrow and sat upon a dunghill. My body became full of sores and worms. The discharge from my wounds soaked the earth. Whenever a worm fell from my body, I put it back, saying, ‘Remain where you were placed until the one who sent you commands otherwise.’

“For seven years I endured, sitting outside the city upon the dunghill. I saw with my own eyes my beloved children carried by angels into heaven. I also saw my humiliated wife, who had once entered her bridal chamber in great splendor with guards around her, now carrying water like a slave in the house of a common man in order to earn bread and bring it to me.

“In my affliction I said, ‘Those rulers of the city whom I once considered lower than my shepherd dogs now employ my wife as a servant.’ Yet I took courage again.

“At last even her portion of bread was withheld. She divided what little she had between herself and me, lamenting because she could no longer bring enough food.

“When the adversary learned this, he took the appearance of a bread seller. My wife met him and asked for bread. He said, ‘Give me its price, and take what you desire.’

“She answered, ‘Where shall I obtain money? Do you not know the calamity that has come upon me? If you have pity, show it. If not, you may turn away.’

“He said, ‘If you had not deserved this misery, you would not have suffered it. Since you have no silver, give me the hair of your head, and take three loaves so that you may live for three days.’

“She said within herself, ‘What is the hair of my head compared with my starving husband?’ She allowed him to cut off her hair before everyone in the marketplace, and he gave her three loaves. She brought them to me, while the adversary followed behind her unseen, troubling her heart.

“She came near me crying aloud: ‘Job! Job! How long will you sit upon the dunghill outside the city, still expecting the salvation for which you hope? I wander from place to place as a hired servant. The memory of us has vanished from the earth. My sons and daughters, whom I carried at my breast, and all the labor and pain I bore for them have come to nothing. You sit in sores and worms, spending the nights in the cold air. I have endured every trial, distress, and pain day and night to bring you bread.

“‘I went to the marketplace without shame. The bread seller said, “Give me money, and you shall have bread.” I told him of our distress. He said, “If you have no money, give me the hair of your head and take three loaves.” I submitted to the disgrace, and he cut off my hair before the crowd.

“‘Who would not be astonished and say, “Is this Sitis, the wife of Job, who once had many curtains enclosing her chamber and doors within doors, so that anyone admitted near her was greatly honored? Now she trades her hair for bread. Is this she whose camels carried goods to distant lands for the poor? Is this she whose tables were always prepared for the poor and strangers? Is this she whose washbasin was of gold and silver, who wore fine linen woven with gold, and who rested upon couches of gold and silver? Now she sells her hair for bread.”

“‘After all that has happened, I say this one thing: rise, take the loaves, eat, then speak a word against the Lord and die. I would rather exchange these sufferings for the stillness of death.’

“I answered her: ‘For seven years I have been struck with disease and have endured the worms of my body, yet my soul has not been crushed by these pains. You say, “Speak a word against God and die.” Shall we receive good from the Lord and refuse to endure evil? Let us bear the ruin of all we possessed until the Lord again has mercy and shows compassion.

“‘Do you not see the deceiver standing behind you, confusing your thoughts so that you may mislead me?’

“Then I turned toward the adversary and said, ‘Why do you not come openly? Stop hiding yourself, miserable one. Does a lion show its strength in the cage of a weasel, or a bird fly within a basket? Come and wage your war against me.’

“He came out from behind my wife, stood before me, and cried, ‘Behold, Job, I yield to you, though you are flesh and I am a spirit. You are diseased, yet I am the one in distress. I am like a wrestler who has thrown down his opponent, covered him with dust, and broken his limbs, while the one lying beneath still proclaims victory because of his courage. So you lie beneath me, struck with disease and pain, yet you have won the contest against me. I yield to you.’ Then he departed in shame.

“My children, you also must keep a firm heart in every evil that happens to you, for steadfastness of heart is greater than all things.

“When the kings heard what had happened to me, they came from their lands to visit and comfort me. They tore their garments, bowed their heads to the earth, and sat beside me for seven days and seven nights without speaking. They were Eliphaz king of Teman, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu.

“Formerly, when they had visited me and seen my precious stones, they marveled and said, ‘Even if the wealth of three kings were gathered together, it would not equal the precious stones of Jobab’s kingdom, for he is more noble than all the people of the East.’

“Now, when they came to the land of Uz, they asked, ‘Where is Jobab, ruler of this whole land?’ The people answered, ‘He sits upon the dunghill outside the city and has not entered it for seven years.’ They told them everything that had happened to me.

“When the citizens pointed me out, the kings said, ‘Surely this is not Jobab.’ Eliphaz said, ‘Let us go near and see.’ When they approached, I recognized them and wept. I threw dust upon my head and shook it to show them that I was Job.

“They fell to the ground overcome with grief and lay there for three hours as though dead. Afterward they rose and said, ‘We cannot believe that this is Jobab.’

“For seven days they investigated everything and searched for my flocks and possessions. They said, ‘We know how much he sent into the cities and villages for the poor, besides everything distributed within his own house. How could he have fallen into such destruction and misery?’

“Elihu said, ‘Let us draw near and examine him carefully.’ Because of the odor of my body, they carried perfume in their hands, and their soldiers scattered incense along the way. After three hours they came near.

“Eliphaz said, ‘Are you truly Job, our fellow king? Are you the one who possessed such glory? Are you the one who shone like the sun over the earth and like the moon and stars in the night?’

“I answered, ‘I am.’ Then they all wept and sang a royal lament, their armies responding in chorus.

“Eliphaz continued: ‘Are you the one who gave thousands of sheep to clothe the poor? Where has the glory of your throne gone? Are you the one who set cattle to plow the fields of the poor? Where has your glory gone? Are you the one who rested on golden couches and now sits upon a dunghill? Are you the one who kept many tables for the poor and burned fragrant incense from vessels of precious stone, and now lies in a foul condition? Are you the one who had golden lamps upon silver stands and now longs for the natural light of the moon? Are you the one who possessed ointment compounded from frankincense and now has become repulsive? Are you the one who laughed at wrongdoers and sinners, and now has become a laughingstock to all?’

“When Eliphaz and the others had lamented for a long time, I said, ‘Be silent, and I will show you my throne and the glory of its splendor. My glory will endure. The whole world and its glory will pass away, and those who cling to it will remain below. But my throne is in the world above, and its glory is in the imperishable realm. Rivers will dry up, and their pride will descend into the abyss, but the streams of the land where my throne is established will not fail. Kings perish and rulers vanish; their glory is like a shadow in a mirror. But my kingdom endures for ever, and its beauty is in the chariot of my Father.’

“Eliphaz became angry and said, ‘Why have we come with our armies to comfort him? He rebukes us. Let us return to our lands. This man sits worm-eaten in misery, yet says, “Kingdoms and rulers will perish, but my kingdom will last for ever.” We came to console him, but he declares war upon us.’

“Bildad took him by the hand and said, ‘One must not speak this way to a suffering man, especially one struck by so many afflictions. We ourselves could not approach him without incense. Let us be patient and learn whether grief over his former happiness has disturbed his mind.’

“Bildad came near and asked me, ‘Are you Job? Is your heart still sound?’

“I said, ‘I have not clung to earthly things, for the earth and all who dwell upon it are unstable. My heart clings to heaven, where there is no turmoil.’

“He asked, ‘Upon what do you set your hope?’

“I answered, ‘Upon the living God.’

“He said, ‘Who deprived you of what you possessed, and who struck you with these diseases?’

“I answered, ‘God permitted it.’

“He said, ‘If you still hope in God, how can he judge wrongly by bringing these evils upon you and taking away everything? No king disgraces a soldier who has faithfully guarded him.’

“I answered, ‘Who understands the depths of the Lord and his wisdom well enough to accuse God of injustice?’

“Bildad said, ‘If your mind is calm, tell me why the sun rises in the east, sets in the west, and returns again to rise from the east.’

“I said, ‘Why should I babble the mighty mysteries of God and let my mouth stumble over matters belonging to the Master? We are flesh, earth, and ashes. Yet so that you may know my mind is sound, answer this: food and water enter through the mouth and descend through the same throat, yet afterward they are separated within the body. Who performs this division?’

“Bildad said, ‘I do not know.’

“I replied, ‘If you do not understand even the passages of the body, how can you understand the circuits of heaven?’

“Zophar said, ‘We did not come to inquire into ourselves but to see whether your mind remains sound. We see that your reason has not been shaken. What do you desire us to do? We have brought physicians from three kingdoms, and if you wish, they can treat you.’

“I answered, ‘My healing and restoration come from God, the Maker of physicians.’

“While I spoke, my wife Sitis came running, clothed in rags, from the service of the master who held her as a slave. She fell before the kings and cried, ‘Remember, Eliphaz and you other friends, what I once was among you and see what I have become.’

“The kings wept bitterly. Eliphaz took his purple cloak and wrapped it around her.

“She said, ‘My lords, command your soldiers to dig among the ruins of our house, which fell upon my children, so that their bones may be gathered and buried. Are my feelings less than those of wild beasts, that ten children should perish in one day and I should not bury even one of them?’

“The kings ordered the ruins to be searched, but I said, ‘Do not labor in vain. My children will not be found there, for they are in the keeping of their Maker and Ruler.’

“They said, ‘Who can deny that his mind is gone? He forbids us to recover the bones and says they have been taken by their Maker. Prove this to us.’

“I said, ‘Raise me so that I may stand.’ They lifted me by both arms. I stood, praised God, prayed, and said, ‘Look toward the east.’

“They looked and saw my children crowned beside the glory of the King who rules heaven.

“When Sitis saw them, she fell to the ground and worshiped God, saying, ‘Now I know that my remembrance remains with the Lord.’

“That evening she returned to the city and to the master whom she served. She lay down beside the manger of the cattle and died from exhaustion. Her master found her there, while the animals stood around her crying. The whole city mourned. They wrapped her and buried her beside the house that had fallen upon her children.

“The poor lamented her, saying, ‘Behold Sitis, whose equal in nobility and glory could not be found among women. Alas, she was not granted a fitting tomb.’ Her lament is preserved elsewhere.

“Eliphaz and the others remained with me and argued for many days, saying that I suffered because I had committed many sins and that no hope remained for me. I answered them sharply, and they prepared to depart in anger.

“Elihu urged them to remain and said, ‘You have allowed Job to boast that he is righteous. I will no longer endure it. At first I wept for him, remembering his former happiness. But now he boasts and says that his throne is in heaven. Hear me, and I will tell you the cause of his fate.’

“Then Elihu, filled with the spirit of the adversary, spoke harsh words. His words are written in his own record. When he had finished, God appeared to me in storm and cloud, rebuked Elihu, and showed that the one speaking through him was not a man but a wild beast.

“When God had finished speaking to me, the Lord said to Eliphaz, ‘You and your friends have sinned because you did not speak truth concerning my servant Job. Rise and have him offer sacrifice for you, so that your sins may be forgiven. Were it not for him, I would destroy you.’

“They brought what was required, and I offered sacrifice for them. The Lord received it and forgave their wrong. But Elihu was not forgiven.

“Eliphaz began a hymn, and the others and their soldiers responded beside the altar:

“‘Our sin has been removed, and our injustice has passed away. But Elihu, the evil one, shall have no remembrance among the living. His lamp has gone out; its light has vanished. He is a son of darkness, not a son of light. The gatekeepers of the dark place shall give him his portion. His kingdom has vanished, his throne has crumbled, and the honor of his stature is in the grave. He loved the beauty of the serpent and the scales of the dragon; its gall and poison were upon his tongue. He did not submit himself to the Lord, nor did he fear him, but hated those whom the Lord chose. Therefore God has forgotten him, and the holy ones have abandoned him. Wrath and desolation are his portion; there is no mercy or peace in his heart. Righteous is the Lord, and true are his judgments. He shows no partiality, for he judges all alike. Behold, the Lord comes, and the holy ones are prepared. Crowns and prizes go before the victors. Let the holy rejoice; let their hearts exult, for they shall receive the glory kept for them. Our sins are forgiven, and our injustice is cleansed, but Elihu has no remembrance among the living.’

“After the hymn, we returned to the city. The people made a feast in gratitude to God, and all my friends returned to me.

“Desiring to begin again my service to the poor, I asked each one to give me a lamb to clothe the naked and coins of silver or gold. The Lord blessed what remained to me, and after a short time I became rich again in merchandise, flocks, and everything I had lost. I received twice as much as before.

“I took your mother as my wife and became father of you ten in place of the ten who had died.

“And now, my children, I admonish you. I am about to die, and you will take my place. Do not forsake the Lord. Be generous to the poor. Do not neglect the weak. Do not take foreign women as wives. I will divide my possessions among you so that each may govern his share and have power to do good with it.’

“Then Job divided his possessions among his seven sons but gave none of his earthly goods to his daughters.

“They said, ‘Our father and lord, are we not also your children? Why have you given us no share?’

“Job answered, ‘Do not be angry, my daughters. I have not forgotten you. I have preserved for you a possession better than the one your brothers received.’

“He called his daughter Jemimah and said, ‘Take this double ring, which is used as a key. Go to the treasure chamber and bring me the golden chest, so that I may give you your inheritance.’

“She brought it. He opened it and took out three cords whose appearance no one can describe. They were not the work of earth. Sparks of heavenly light flashed through them like rays of the sun.

“He gave one cord to each daughter and said, ‘Gird yourselves with these, so that they may surround you all the days of your lives and fill you with every good thing.’

“Keziah said, ‘Is this the inheritance you said is better than our brothers’? Can we live from these?’

“He answered, ‘These will not only sustain you; they will lead you into the better world in heaven. Listen and understand their value. When the Lord had compassion on me and removed the sores and worms from my body, he called me and gave me these three cords. He said, “Rise and gird your loins like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.”

“‘I girded them around myself, and immediately the worms left my body, the sores vanished, and my strength returned through the Lord. It was as though I had never suffered, and the memory of pain left my heart. Then the Lord spoke to me in power and showed me what has been and what will be.

“‘Keep these, my daughters. The enemy will not prevail in devising evil against you, for this is a protection from the Lord. Gird yourselves before I die so that you may see the angels who come at my departure and behold the powers of God.’

“Jemimah rose and girded herself. Immediately her heart was changed, and she no longer cared for earthly things. She sang angelic hymns with the voice of angels and praised God while dancing.

“Keziah girded herself, and her heart was transformed so that she no longer desired worldly things. Her mouth spoke in the speech of the heavenly rulers, and she sang of the work of the heights. Whoever desires to know of the works of heaven may seek them in the hymns of Keziah.

“Then Keren-Happuch girded herself. Her mouth spoke in the language of those above, and her heart was lifted beyond earthly things. She spoke in the speech of the cherubim, praising the Ruler of the powers and magnifying his glory. Whoever desires to trace the glory of the Father may find it written in the prayers of Keren-Happuch.

“After the three daughters had finished their hymns, I, Nahor, Job’s brother, sat beside him as he lay down. I heard the marvelous things spoken by the daughters, one after another, amid a great silence. I wrote this book, but not the hymns and signs of the holy speech, for these are mysteries of God.

“Job lay upon his couch, weak in body but without torment, because the power of the heavenly cords was with him. After three days he saw the holy angels coming for his soul. He rose and gave the lyre to Jemimah, the censer to Keziah, and the timbrel to Keren-Happuch so that they might bless the holy angels who had come.

“They sang and played, praising and glorifying God in the holy speech.

“Then the One who sits upon the great chariot came and kissed Job, while his three daughters saw, though the others did not. He took Job’s soul by the arm, lifted it upon the chariot, and carried it toward the east.

“His body was borne to the grave. His three daughters walked before it, wearing their heavenly girdles and singing praise to God.

“Nahor, his seven sons, the people, the poor, the orphans, and the weak made a great lament, saying:

“‘Woe to us! Today the strength of the weak has been taken away, the light of the blind, the father of orphans, the host of strangers, the guide of those who wandered, the covering of the naked, and the shield of widows. Who would not mourn for the man of God?’

“They mourned so greatly that they would not allow him to be placed in the grave. After three days they buried him as one lying in sweet sleep. He received the name of the good man whose memory remains renowned through every generation.

“He left seven sons and three daughters, and no daughters on earth were found as beautiful as the daughters of Job. His former name was Jobab, but the Lord called him Job. He lived eighty-five years before his suffering and one hundred and seventy years afterward, receiving a double measure even in his years. Altogether he lived two hundred and fifty-five years and saw the children of his children to the fourth generation.

“It is written that he will rise with those whom the Lord awakens.”