We get a glimpse of Job's ultimate fate, and it’s quite a ride. It's a tale of forgiveness, restoration, and a little bit of divine fashion.
As Job continues to proclaim his innocence, his friends grow increasingly convinced that he's being punished for some hidden sin. They're ready to abandon him to his suffering. Elihu, particularly, stirred up by Satan himself, hurls insults at Job, criticizing his unwavering faith in God.
But then, the tables turn. God appears! First, to Job, revealing that Elihu was wrong, that his words were indeed inspired by Satan. Then, God addresses Eliphaz and delivers a strong rebuke: "Thou and thy friends Bildad and Zophar have committed a sin, for ye did not speak the truth concerning my servant Job… Only for his sake do I refrain from destroying you." Strong words. God instructs them to have Job offer a sin offering on their behalf. And here's the amazing part: God accepts the sacrifice! Eliphaz, overwhelmed with gratitude, sings a hymn of thanksgiving, praising God for pardoning them and condemning Elihu, whom he now recognizes as Satan's instrument.
Then, God appears to Job again, bestowing upon him a special gift: a girdle made of three ribbons. As soon as Job puts it on, all his pain vanishes, even the memory of it! But that's not all. God grants him the ability to see everything that ever was and everything that ever will be. After suffering sevenfold for seven years, Job is finally restored to his former strength.
Job returns to the city with his three friends, and the people celebrate his return with a grand festival, all in honor of God. Even his former friends rejoin him, and he resumes his work of caring for the poor, gathering resources from the community. He asks them to give generously, providing sheep for clothing and silver or gold coins for their other needs.
And God, in turn, blesses Job abundantly. His wealth doubles in a matter of days. His wife, Zitidos, having passed away during his trials, he marries again, this time to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. She bears him seven sons and three daughters. Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg) emphasizes that Job never had more than one wife at a time, reasoning that if God intended Adam to have multiple wives, He would have given them to him.
When Job feels his end approaching, he gathers his ten children and recounts the story of his life. He then imparts some final wisdom: "Forsake not the Lord, be generous toward the poor, treat the feeble with consideration, and do not marry with the women of the Gentiles." He divides his possessions among his sons, but to his daughters, he gives something far more precious: each receives one of the ribbons from the celestial girdle.
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, these ribbons possess a magical virtue. As soon as the daughters tie them around their waists, they are transformed into higher beings and begin to sing hymns like angels.
For three days, Job lies in bed, sick but without pain, thanks to the girdle. On the fourth day, he sees angels descending to take his soul. He rises, hands a cithern (a type of stringed instrument) to his eldest daughter, Jemimah ("Day"); a censer (a container for burning incense) to his second, Keziah ("Perfume"); and a cymbal to his third, Amaltheas ("Horn"). He asks them to welcome the angels with music. They play and sing praises to God in the holy tongue. Then, He who sits in the great chariot (a reference to God) appears, kisses Job, and departs, carrying his soul eastward. Only Job’s daughters witness this event.
The people, especially the poor, widows, and orphans, are overwhelmed with grief. They leave Job's body unburied for three days, unable to bear the thought of separation.
Job's name, because of his piety, will be remembered forever, and his friends are rewarded for their sympathy. Their names are preserved, they are spared from hell, and the holy spirit is poured out upon them. But Satan, the cause of Job's suffering, is cast down from heaven, defeated by Job's unwavering faith and praise of God even in the midst of his agony.
The Zohar tells us that even in the darkest moments, even when we feel abandoned and misunderstood, there's always the possibility of restoration, of forgiveness, and of a deeper connection with the Divine. Job's story reminds us that even after immense suffering, there can be joy, abundance, and a transformation beyond our wildest dreams.
More and more the friends of Job came to the conclusion that he had incurred Divine punishment on account of his sins, and as he asseverated his innocence again and again, they prepared angrily to leave him to his fate. Especially Elihu was animated by Satan to speak scurrilous words against Job, upbraiding him for his unshakable confidence in God. Then the Lord appeared to them, first unto Job, and revealed to him that Elihu was in the wrong, and his words were inspired by Satan. Next he appeared unto Eliphaz, and to him He spake thus: "Thou and thy friends Bildad and Zophar have committed a sin, for ye did not speak the truth concerning my servant Job. Rise up and let him bring a sin offering for you. Only for his sake do I refrain from destroying you." The sacrifice offered by Job in behalf of his friends was accepted graciously by God, and Eliphaz broke out into a hymn of thanksgiving to the Lord for having pardoned the transgression of himself and his two friends. At the same time he announced the damnation of Elihu, the instrument of Satan. God appeared to Job once more, and gave him a girdle composed of three ribands, and he bade him tie it around his waist. Hardly had he put it on when all his pain disappeared, his very recollection of it vanished, and, more than this, God made him to see all that ever was and all that shall ever be. After suffering sevenfold pain for seven years Job was restored to strength. With his three friends he returned to the city, and the inhabitants made a festival in his honor and unto the glory of God. All his former friends joined him again, and he resumed his old occupation, the care of the poor, for which he obtained the means from the people around. He said to them, "Give me, each one of you, a sheep for the clothing of the poor, and four silver or gold drachmas for their other needs." The Lord blessed Job, and in a few days his wealth had increased to double the substance he had owned before misfortune overtook him. Zitidos having died during the years of his trials, he married a second wife, Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and she bore him seven sons and three daughters. He had never had more than one wife at a time, for he was wont to say, "If it had been intended that Adam should have ten wives, God would have given them to him. Only one wife was bestowed upon him, whereby God indicated that he was to have but one, and therefore one wife suffices for me, too." When Job, after a long and happy life, felt his end approaching, he gathered his ten children around him, and told them the tale of his days. Having finished the narrative, he admonished them in these words: "See, I am about to die, and you will stand in my place. Forsake not the Lord, be generous toward the poor, treat the feeble with consideration, and do not marry with the women of the Gentiles." Thereupon he divided his possessions among his sons, and to his daughters he gave what is more precious than all earthly goods, to each of them one riband of the celestial girdle he had received from God. The magic virtue of these ribands was such that no sooner did their possessors tie them around their waists than they were transformed into higher beings, and with seraphic voices they broke out into hymns after the manner of the angels. For three days Job lay upon his bed, sick though not suffering, for the celestial girdle made him proof against pain. On the fourth day he saw the angels descend to fetch his soul. He arose from his bed, handed a cithern to his oldest daughter Jemimah, "Day," a censer to the second one, Keziah, "Perfume," and a cymbal to the third, Amaltheas, "Horn," and bade them welcome the angels with the sound of music. They played and sang and praised the Lord in the holy tongue. Then he appeared that sits in the great chariot, kissed Job, and rode away bearing his soul with him eastward. None saw them depart except the three daughters of Job. The grief of the people, especially the poor, the widows, and the orphans, was exceeding great. For three days they left the corpse unburied, because they could not entertain the thought of separating themselves from it. As the name of Job will remain imperishable unto all time, by reason of the man's piety, so his three friends were recompensed by God for their sympathy with him in his distress. Their names were preserved, the punishment of hell was remitted unto them, and, best of all, God poured out the holy spirit over them. But Satan, the cause of Job's anguish, the Lord cast down from heaven, for he had been vanquished by Job, who amid his agony had thanked and praised God for all He had done unto him.
