Job 2
1 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves to the Lord, and Satan came with them to present himself to the Lord.
Again it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
2 The Lord asked Satan, “What have you been doing?” “Traveling around on earth, going here and there,” Satan replied.
And the LORD said unto Satan: 'From whence comest thou?' And Satan answered the LORD, and said: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.'
3 “Have you noticed my servant Job?” asked the Lord. “There's no one like him on earth, a man of integrity who does what is right, who respects God and avoids evil. And he has kept his integrity, even though you wanted me to harm him for no reason.”
And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a whole-hearted and an upright man, one that feareth God, and shunneth evil? and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou didst move Me against him, to destroy him without cause.'
4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up everything to save his life.
And Satan answered the LORD, and said: 'Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5 But reach out and hurt his bones and his flesh, and he will definitely curse you to your face.”
But put forth Thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, surely he will blaspheme Thee to Thy face.'
6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Very well, you have the power to do whatever you want to him, but don't kill him.”
And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.'
7 Then Satan left the Lord's presence and inflicted Job with horrible skin sores from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head.
So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot even unto his crown.
8 Job picked up a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself as he sat in ashes.
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes.
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
Then said his wife unto him: 'Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? blaspheme God, and die.'
10 But he told her, “You're talking just like any foolish woman would! Should we receive only good from God, and not evil?” Despite all this, Job said nothing sinful.
But he said unto her: 'Thou speakest as one of the impious women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?' For all this did not Job sin with his lips.
11 When three of Job's friends heard of all the trouble that had happened to him, they each left their homes: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together and went to comfort 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; and they made an appointment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him.
12 When they saw Job from a distance they hardly recognized him. They broke out into loud wailing, tore their robes, and threw dust into the air over their heads.
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and threw dust upon their heads toward heaven.
13 They sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. None of them said anything to him because they saw how badly he was suffering.
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.
