1 KwelaseUze kwakukho indoda egama linguYobi. Wayengumfo olungileyo engenabala, umfo omhlonelayo uThixo eyithiyile into embi.
2 Wayenoonyana abasixhenxe neentombi ezintathu.
3 Wayefuyile eneegusha ezingamawaka asixhenxe, amawaka amathathu eenkamela, newaka leenkabi zeenkomo, needonki ezingamakhulu amahlanu. Ngokunjalo ke lo mfo wayenenyambalala yezicaka. Ke uYobi lo wayeyeyona ndoda isisinhanha kubo bonke abantu kwelasempuma.
4 Ke kaloku oonyana bakaYobi babedla ngokuqokelelana benze umbhiyozo endlwini yalowo yayiyimini yakhe. Babemema noodade babo abathathu ukuza kutya basele kunye nabo.
5 Wakuba lo mbhiyozo ujikeleze kubo bonke uYobi wayedla ngokubabiza abantwana bakhe ukuze abahlambulule. Wayevuka kusasa kakhulu, abenzele amadini atshiswayo ngabanye ngabanye. Kaloku uYobi wayesithi: “Mhlawumbi kusenokwenzeka ukuba abantwana bam bonile bamtshabhisa uThixo ezintliziyweni zabo.” Wayesenjenjalo ke uYobi ngayo yonke imihla yakhe.
6 Ngamhla uthile izidwangube zakwaThixo zaya *kuNdikhoyo, noSathana ke ephakathi kwazo.
7 UNdikhoyo ke wathi kuSathana: “Uvela phi wena?”Ke yena uSathana waphendula uNdikhoyo wathi: “Ndivela ekubhaduleni, ndisihla ndinyuka, ndijikeleza ehlabathini.”
8 UNdikhoyo wathi kuSathana: “Usiqondile kodwa isicaka sam uYobi? Akakho onjengaye ehlabathini liphela. Yena ngumfo othembekileyo ongenabala, indoda emhlonelayo uThixo, eyicezelayo into embi.”
9 USathana wamphendula uNdikhoyo wathi: “Kungaba kungelize na ukuba uYobi afumane amoyike uThixo?
10 Kaloku wena umbiyele; usoloko umphahlile yena nendlu yakhe, nako konke anako. Uwuthamsanqele wonke umsebenzi wezandla zakhe, yaye nemfuyo yakhe iye isanda ngokwanda elizweni.
11 Nangoku ke khawolule isandla sakho uchukumise yonke le nto anayo; uya kubona, uya kukushwabulela nawe lo!”
12 UNdikhoyo ke wathi kuSathana: “Kulungile ke, ungayenza into oyenzayo kwinto yonke anayo, kodwa uze ungakhe ulinge umchukumise yena siqu.”USathana ke wemka apho phambi koNdikhoyo.
13 Ngenye imini xa oonyana bakaYobi neentombi zakhe babebhiyoza besitya besela endlwini yenkulu yakhe,
14 kwafika isigidimi kuYobi, sathi: “Besilima ngeenkabi, zona iidonki zisitya kwalapho kufutshane;
15 kwaza kwagaleleka amaSabha, asihlasela, azithimba ezo nkomo needonki. Ke zona izicaka zakho azibulele ngekrele; kusinde mna ndedwa ukuze ndikwazise.”
16 Eso sicaka sathi sisathetha njalo kwafika esinye isigidimi, sathi: “Zonke iigusha zakho ngokunjalo nabelusi zibethwe ngumbane zafa; kusinde mna ndedwa ukuze ndikwazise.”
17 Sisathetha njalo kwagaleleka esinye, safika sathi: “Sihlaselwe ngamaqela amathathu amaKaledi, afika azithimba iinkamela, abelusi ababulala ngekrele, yandim ndedwa osindayo ukuze ndikwazise.”
18 Eso sigidimi sathi sisachaza njalo, kwagaleleka esinye, safika sathi: “Oonyana neentombi zakho bebesendlwini yonyana wakho omkhulu, bebhiyoza, besitya, besela iwayini,
19 kwaza kwasuka kwavuthuza inkanyamba, ivela ngasentlango. Isuke yadlikidla amacala omane endlu leyo, yabawela abantwana abo, bafela apho bonke; ndim ndedwa osindileyo. Ewe, ndim kuphela osindileyo ukuze ndikubikele.”
20 Kwesi sithuba ke uYobi waphakama, wakrazula umnweba wakhe, wayigugula intloko yakhe, waza ke wee guqaqa wanqula,
21 wathi:“Ndazalwa nguma ndizé, ndaye ke ndiya kunduluka ndikwazé.NguNdikhoyo onikayo, ikwanguye nothathayo.Malidunyiswe igama likaNdikhoyo!”
22 Kuyo yonke le ntlekele uYobi zange one okanye akhalazele uThixo.