The Bible, King James version, Book 18: Job — A Reader’s Guide

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In Category - Theology

Authors: Anonymous Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2005 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Bible. Job Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 21,247

Reading time 93 min

Text sections 3

The catalog record for The Bible, King James version, Book 18: Job — A Reader’s Guide provides practical reading context through 21,247 words, 1 hr 33 min estimated reading time, and 3 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 17.8 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Bible. Job,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #8018

An editorial note on the King James Version of Job, focusing on its narrative voice, the shift from prose prologue to poetic dialogue, and the rhythmic changes in the speeches.

Editorial Edition Score 4.5/5

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Calculated from edition completeness, EPUB availability, text structure and catalogue metadata. Not a user rating.

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Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg8018

Read the Text

This eBook was produced by David Widger with the help of Derek Andrew's text from January 1992 and the work of Bryan Taylor in November 2002.

18:001:001 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

18:001:002 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

18:001:003 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

18:001:004 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

18:001:005 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

18:001:006 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

18:001:007 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

18:001:008 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

18:001:009 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

18:001:010 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

18:001:011 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

18:001:012 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

18:001:013 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

18:001:014 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

18:001:015 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

18:001:016 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

18:001:017 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

18:001:018 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

18:001:019 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

18:001:020 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

18:001:021 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

18:001:022 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

18:002:001 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

18:002:002 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

18:002:003 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

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The Book of Job opens with a prose narrative that establishes Job's prosperity and piety in the land of Uz, using a repetitive, almost formulaic structure: 'There was a man... and that man was perfect and upright.' The swift succession of disasters, each announced by a messenger who 'yet spake' as another arrived, creates a rhythmic accumulation of loss. This prologue gives way to a poetic dialogue where the verse form itself becomes a vehicle for argument, with Job's laments and his friends' retorts marked by parallelisms and shifting cadences.

From Prose to Poetry: A Shift in Voice

The transition from the prose frame (chapters 1–2) to the poetic disputation is abrupt. The narrative voice, which had been detached and summarizing—'Thus did Job continually'—gives way to Job's direct, anguished speech: 'Let the day perish wherein I was born.' The King James Version preserves this shift through its syntax: the prose uses simple conjunctions ('And there was a day'), while the poetry employs inverted word order and exclamations. The friends' speeches, such as Eliphaz's opening, adopt a measured, didactic tone, but Job's replies grow increasingly fragmented, with rhetorical questions piling up: 'How hast thou helped him that is without power?' This change in voice signals a move from external narration to internal turmoil.

Repetition and Variation in the Speeches

The dialogue cycles through recurring themes—the fate of the wicked, the hiddenness of God, the limits of human wisdom—but each speaker varies the phrasing. Bildad, for instance, uses natural imagery: 'the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.' Job counters with cosmic descriptions: 'He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.' The repetition of 'How...' and 'What is...' structures the arguments, creating a rhythmic back-and-forth. Yet the pace is not uniform; Job's longer speeches, like chapter 27, build to a defiant crescendo: 'till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.' The friends' responses grow shorter and more terse, as if their arguments are exhausted.

Pacing Through Catastrophe and Lament

The opening chapter accelerates through a series of disasters in quick succession—Sabeans, fire from heaven, Chaldeans, a great wind—each introduced by 'while he was yet speaking.' This technique compresses time and amplifies the shock. In contrast, the poetic sections slow the pace through extended metaphors and legal imagery: Job wishes for a daysman, an arbiter between him and God. The Elihu speeches (chapters 32–37) introduce a new voice that interrupts the cycle, shifting to a more expansive, hymnic style. The final theophany (chapter 38 onward) slows to a majestic catalogue of creation, with God's questions—'Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?'—demanding a different kind of response, one of silence rather than argument.

The Role of the Prose Epilogue

The book returns to prose in its closing chapter, where Job's fortunes are restored. This epilogue mirrors the opening's narrative style: 'And the LORD turned the captivity of Job.' The pacing here is swift, almost summary-like, listing the doubled flocks and the seven sons and three daughters. The shift back to prose after the intense poetic exchanges provides a formal closure, but the brevity of the restoration contrasts with the lengthy debates. The reader is left to weigh the adequacy of this resolution against the depth of the preceding laments.

Readers may find it useful to track the changes in verse form and sentence length across the book. The King James Version's consistent use of 'and' as a connective in the prose sections versus the more varied conjunctions in poetry highlights the shift in genre. Pay attention to how the rhythm of the speeches mirrors the emotional arc—from measured argument to desperate outcry to awe-struck silence. This editorial note is based solely on the excerpts provided; the complete book may contain additional patterns not observed here.

Reading the editorial notes on Job’s strange turn from prose to poetry, I remembered how the same shift in voice—from the patient, earthly frame to the soaring, difficult dialogue—appears in the quieter chapters of The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim Faith — Inside the Classic. Both books seem to whisper that faith is less a settled story than a long, changing conversation.

Amelia Hill

2 weeks ago

5 out of 5 (1 User reviews )

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Rebecca Matthews - 1 month ago

This edition of the Book of Job is beautifully rendered, with the poetic majesty of the King James Version fully intact. The footnotes and introduction provide valuable context about the suffering and redemption themes. The eBook is well-formatted and easy to navigate, making it a joy for personal reflection or study. A timeless masterpiece, and this presentation honors its depth.

Kenneth Lopez - 1 month ago

As a standalone eBook, Job is adequate, but the lack of comprehensive commentary limits its usefulness for deeper study. The text is clear, and the poetic sections are moving, yet the minimal notes might leave beginners puzzled. It's a decent choice if you only need the text itself, but there are richer study Bibles available.

Arthur Nicole Mitchell - 1 month ago

This digital version of Job is lackluster. The formatting is inconsistent, with strange line breaks and no verse numbers in some sections. The few notes provided are superficial. Given that the Bible is freely accessible in better formats, this purchase feels wasteful. Do yourself a favor and use a reputable Bible app instead.