Old Testament
The Book of Job
The Book of Job is the twentieth of the 46 books of the Old Testament: 42 chapters and 1,070 verses.
About Job
About Job · Wisdom drama
Job is a long poem wrapped in an old story: a blameless man loses everything, and then argues with his comforters — and with God — about why. Its author is unknown and its date much debated; it stands apart from Israel's history and speaks for sufferers everywhere. It was written against the easy doctrine that pain is always punishment, and it lets Job say things to God that pious books would never allow, then lets God answer from the whirlwind. The book ends not with an explanation but with an encounter, which is its deepest teaching.
| Testament | Old Testament — book 20 of 46, 20 of 73 in the Bible |
|---|---|
| Canon | Protocanonical (in every Christian canon) |
| Chapters | 42 |
| Verses | 1,070, as Bless numbers them |
| Latin | Clementine Vulgate, every chapter |
| Bp. Challoner | Summaries of all 42 chapters · 40 notes |
| Catechism | 7 paragraphs cite it |
Chapter by chapter
All 42 chapters, in brief.
Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text.
Job 1
22 versesJob's virtue and riches. Satan by permission from God strippeth him of all his substance. His patience.
Job 2
13 versesSatan, by God's permission, striketh Job with ulcers from head to foot: his patience is still invincible.
Job 3
26 versesJob expresses his sense of the miseries of man's life, by cursing the day of his birth.
Job 4
21 versesEliphaz charges Job with impatience, and pretends that God never afflicts the innocent.
Job 5
27 versesEliphaz proceeds in his charge, and exhorts Job to acknowledge his sins.
Job 6
30 versesJob maintains his innocence, and compalins of his friends.
Job 7
21 versesJob declares the miseries of man's life: and addresses himself to God.
Job 8
22 versesBaldad, under pretence of defending the justice of God, accuses Job, and exhorts him to return to God.
Job 9
35 versesJob acknowledges God's justice: although He often afflicts the innocent.
Job 10
22 versesJob lements his afflictions and begs to be delivered.
Job 11
20 versesSophar reproves Job, for justifying himself, and invites him to repentance.
Job 12
25 versesJob's reply to Sophar. He extols God's power and wisdom.
Job 13
28 versesJob persists in maintaining his innocence: and reproves his friends.
Job 14
22 versesJob declares the shortness of man's days: and professes his belief of a resurrection.
Job 15
35 versesEliphaz returns to the charge against Job, and describes the wretched state of the wicked.
Job 16
23 versesJob expostulates with his friends: and appeals to the judgment of God.
Job 17
16 versesJob's hope in God: he expects rest in death.
Job 18
21 versesBaldad again reproves Job and describes the miseries of the wicked.
Job 19
29 versesJob complains of the cruelty of his friends; he describes his own sufferings: and his belief of a future resurrection.
Job 20
29 versesSophar declares the shortness of the prosperity of the wicked: and their sudden downfall.
Job 21
34 versesJob shews that the wicked often prosper in this world, even to the end of their life: but that their judgment is in another world.
Job 22
30 versesEliphaz falsely imputes many crimes to Job, but promises him prosperity if he will repent.
Job 23
17 versesJob wishes to be tried at God's tribunal.
Job 24
25 versesGod's providence often suffers the wicked to go on a long time in their sins: but punisheth them in another life.
Job 25
6 versesGod's providence often suffers the wicked to go on a long time in their sins: but punisheth them in another life.
Job 26
14 versesJob declares his sentiments of the wisdom and power of God.
Job 27
23 versesJob persists in asserting his own innocence, and that hypocrites will be punished in the end.
Job 28
28 versesMan's industry searcheth out many things: true wisdom is taught by God alone.
Job 29
25 versesJob relates his former happiness, and the respect that all men shewed him.
Job 30
31 versesJob shews the wonderful change of his temporal estate, from welfare to great calamity.
Job 31
40 versesJob, to defend himself from the unjust judgments of his friends, gives a sincere account of his own virtues.
Job 32
22 versesEliu is angry with Job and his friends. He boasts of himself.
Job 33
33 versesEliu blames Job for asserting his own innocence.
Job 34
37 versesEliu charges Job with blasphemy: and sets forth the power and justice of God.
Job 35
16 versesEliu declares that the good or evil done by man cannot reach God.
Job 36
33 versesEliu proceeds in setting forth the justice and power of God.
Job 37
24 versesEliu goes on in his discourse, shewing God's wisdom and power, by his wonderful works.
Job 38
41 versesGod interposes and shews from the things he hath made, that man cannot comprehend his power and wisdom.
Job 39
35 versesThe wonders of the power and providence of God in many of his creatures.
Job 40
28 versesOf the power of God in the behemoth and the leviathan.
Job 41
25 versesA further description of the leviathan.
Job 42
16 versesJob submits himself. God pronounces in his favour. Job offers sacrifice for his friends. He is blessed with riches and children, and dies happily,
Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries
Coming up
Read at Mass.
From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, Job is read at the principal Mass on 2 days in the US calendar. The next 8 readings:
| Date | Celebration | Reading | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time | First Reading | Job 7:1-4, 6-7 | |
| computed | Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time | First Reading | Job 38:1, 8-11 |
| computed | Holy Guardian Angels | First Reading | Job 1:6-22 |
| computed | Tuesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23 |
| computed | St. Francis of Assisi | First Reading | Job 9:1-12, 14-16 |
| computed | Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | Job 19:21-27 |
| computed | Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5 |
| computed | Our Lady of the Rosary | First Reading | Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17 |
No more readings are listed here; the liturgical calendar has every date through December 31, 2028.
Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.