7. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you been?” Satan answered the Lord, “I have been roaming around the earth, going from place to place.”
8. Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is a good, faithful man. He respects God and refuses to do evil.”
9. Satan answered the Lord, “But Job has a good reason to respect you.
10. You always protect him, his family, and everything he has. You have blessed him and made him successful in everything he does. He is so wealthy that his herds and flocks are all over the country.
11. But if you were to destroy everything he has, I promise you that he would curse you to your face.”
12. The Lord said to Satan, “All right, do whatever you want with anything that he has, but don’t hurt Job himself.” Then Satan left the meeting.
13. One day Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house.
14. A messenger came to Job and said, “We were plowing the fields with the oxen and the donkeys were eating grass nearby,
15. when some Sabeans attacked us and took your animals! They killed the other servants. I am the only one who escaped to come and tell you the news!”
16. That messenger was still speaking when another one came in and said, “A bolt of lightning struck your sheep and servants and burned them up. I am the only one who escaped to come and tell you the news!”
17. That messenger was still speaking when another one came in and said, “The Chaldeans sent out three raiding parties that attacked us and took the camels! They killed the other servants. I am the only one who escaped to come and tell you the news!”