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LXX Job

Septuagint

About this book
Chapter 1

1 There was a certain man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was true, blameless, righteous, and godly, abstaining from everything evil. 2 And he had seven sons and three daughters. 3 And his cattle consisted of seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys in the pastures, and a very great household, and he had an extensive farm on the earth; and that man was most noble of the men of the east. 4 And his sons visiting one another prepared a banquet every day, taking with them also their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the banquet were completed, Job sent and purified them, having risen up in the morning, and offered sacrifices for them, according to their number,⁠ and one calf for a sin-offering for their souls: for Job said, I fear that my sons have thought evil in their minds against God. Thus, then Job did continually. 6 And it happened on a day, that look, the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came with them. 7 And the Lord said to the devil, Where have you come from? And the devil answered the Lord, and said, I have come from traveling around the earth, and walking up and down in the world. 8 And the Lord said to him, Have you diligently considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a man blameless, true, godly, abstaining from everything evil? 9 Then the devil answered, and said before the Lord, Does Job worship God for nothing? 10 Have you not made a hedge about him, and about his household, and all his possessions all around? and have you not blessed the works of his hands, and multiplied his cattle upon the land? 11 But put forth your hand, and touch all that he has: truly he will bless you to your face. 12 Then the Lord said to the devil, Look, I give into your hand all that he has, but do not touch him. So the devil went out from the presence of the Lord. 13 And it happened on a certain day, that Job's sons and his daughters were drinking wine in the house of their elder brother. 14 And, look, there came a messenger to Job, and said to him, The yokes of oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding near them; 15 and the spoilers came and took them for a prey, and killed the servants with the sword; and I having escaped alone have come to tell you. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another messenger, and said to Job, Fire has fallen from heaven, and burnt up the sheep, and devoured the shepherds likewise; and I having escaped alone have come to tell you. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another messenger, and said to Job, The horsemen formed three companies against us, and surrounded the camels, and took them for a prey, and killed the servants with the sword; and I only escaped, and have come to tell you. 18 While he is yet speaking, another messenger comes, saying to Job, While your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking with their elder brother, 19 suddenly a great wind came on from the desert, and caught the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon your children, and they are dead; and I have escaped alone, and have come to tell you. 20 So Job arose, and tore his garments, and shaved the hair of his head, and fell on the earth, and worshiped, and said, 21 I myself came forth naked from my mother's womb, and naked I will return there; the Lord gave, the Lord has taken away: as it seemed good to the Lord, so has it happen; blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all these events that happened to him Job did not sin at all before the Lord, and did not impute folly to God.

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Compare Job 1:5 and LXX Job 1:5

Hebrew Bible · Septuagint

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Summary

The opening of Job describes him offering sacrifices for his children. The Septuagint translation adds that he offered an ox as a sin offering, harmonizing it with the Torah and breaking the narrative setup that this happens before the Torah was given.

Passages

Job 1:5

Hebrew Bible
3 His possessions included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. Thus he was the greatest of all the people in the east. 4 Now his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one in turn, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice.
500–401 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Job

LXX Job 1:5

Septuagint
3 And his cattle consisted of seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys in the pastures, and a very great household, and he had an extensive farm on the earth; and that man was most noble of the men of the east. 4 And his sons visiting one another prepared a banquet every day, taking with them also their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the banquet were completed, Job sent and purified them, having risen up in the morning, and offered sacrifices for them, according to their number, and one calf for a sin-offering for their souls: for Job said, I fear that my sons have thought evil in their minds against God. Thus, then Job did continually.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Job

References

"... The Job we meet in the Greek text is made even more pious than the Job we met in the Hebrew text. The actions of Job contain two significant additions. In 1:4-5, the precautionary sacrifice of Job is mentioned. Then the Greek storyteller adds one more line to his story. '... and one ox as a sin-offering for their lives'. This addition enhances Job's character by placing his worship in the context of Old Testament worship rites ..."
John A. Beck, Translators as Storytellers: A Study in Septuagint Translation Technique, StBibLit 25 (New York: Peter Lang, 2000), 123.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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