Job gives the account of someone whose story does not fall within the narrative of Israelite history as provided in the other books. It is the story of a follower of God who lived in or around the time of the patriarchs, although the dating of both Job’s writing and its historical setting is disputed. The book opens with a heavenly scene in which God and Satan debate Job’s righteousness. In response to God’s boasting about Job’s faithfulness, Satan asks permission to send sufferings and temptations to see if Job will remain faithful even when everything is taken from him. Job then suffers a series of personal catastrophes in which he loses his wealth, his 10 children, and his health. Even Job’s wife encourages him to despair and curse God for their ill fortune, but Job refuses and instead maintains both his faith in God and a sense of his own innocence.

Job’s perspective is countered by three friends who come to mourn with him. They suggest that what happened to him must be on account of some great sin because God would not send sufferings of this kind on a righteous man.