< Job 2 >

1 But it happened that, on a certain day, when the sons of God had arrived and they stood before the Lord, Satan likewise arrived among them, and he stood in his sight.
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.
2 So the Lord said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Answering, he said, “I have circled the land, and walked around in it.”
And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence come you? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you not considered my servant, Job, that there is no one like him in the land, a simple and honest man, fearing God and withdrawing from evil, and still retaining his innocence? Yet you have stirred me against him, so that I would afflict him to no purpose.”
And the LORD said unto Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and turns away from evil? and still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4 Answering him, Satan said, “Skin for skin; and everything that a man has, he will give for his life.
And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man has will he give for his life.
5 Yet send your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and then you will see whether or not he blesses you to your face.”
But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.
6 Therefore, the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but even so, spare his life.”
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in your hand; but save his life.
7 And so, Satan departed from the face of the Lord and he struck Job with a very serious ulcer from the sole of the foot all the way to the crown of his head.
So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and stroke Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
8 So he took a shard of earthenware and scraped the discharge, while sitting on a heap of refuse.
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself likewise; and he sat down among the ashes.
9 But his wife said to him, “Do you still continue in your simplicity? Bless God and die.”
Then said his wife unto him, Do you still retain your integrity? curse God, and die.
10 He said to her, “You have spoken like one of the foolish wives. If we accepted good things from the hand of God, why should we not accept bad things?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
But he said unto her, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
11 And so, three friends of Job, hearing about all the evil that had befallen him, arrived, each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had agreed to come together to visit and console him.
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
12 And when they had raised up their eyes from a distance, they did not recognize him, and, crying out, they wept, and, tearing their garments, they scattered dust over their heads into the sky.
And when they lifted up their eyes far off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
13 And they sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his sorrow was very great.
So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

< Job 2 >