(as) poor as Job

Very poor; having little or no money. An allusion to the biblical character Job, whose possessions and well-being were taken away by God as a test of faith. My father was as poor as Job growing up, so his sole focus was to give his kids every opportunity in life that he missed out on. We've become poor as Job ever since the bank raised the interest rates on our mortgage. He's poor as Job now because he squandered his inheritance on lavish, unnecessary purchases.