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.
And it happened [again] on a certain day, when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, that the Accuser also came in the midst of 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.
Then said the Lord unto the Accuser, Whence comest thou now? And the Accuser answered the Lord, and said, From roaming over the earth, and from wandering through 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.”
Then said the Lord unto the Accuser, Hast thou directed thy attention toward my servant Job: for there is none like him on the earth, a man perfect and upright, who feareth God, and escheweth evil? and he is still holding fast to his integrity, and thou hast incited me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up everything to save his life.
Then answered the Accuser the Lord, and said, Skin for skin: yea, all that a man hath will he give in behalf of his life.
5 But reach out and hurt his bones and his flesh, and he will definitely curse you to your face.”
But stretch only forth thy hand, and touch his bone and his flesh, and [see] whether he will not renounce 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.”
Then said the Lord unto the Accuser, Behold, he is in thy hand: only take care of 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.
Thereupon went the Accuser forth from the presence of the Lord, and he smote Job with a sore inflammation, from the sole of his foot unto the crown of his head.
8 Job picked up a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself as he sat in ashes.
And [Job] took himself a potsherd to scrape himself there with, while he was sitting down 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, Art thou still holding fast to thy integrity? renounce 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 worthless women would speak. What? should we accept the good alone, from God, and the evil we should not accept? With all this did Job not 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.
When now the three friends of Job had heard of all this evil that was come over him, they came every one from his own place, Eliphaz the Themanite, and Bildad the Shuchite, and Zophar the Na'amthite; and they met together to come to condole with 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 they recognised him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his robe, and strewed 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.
They likewise sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights; but no one spoke a word unto him; for they saw that his pain was very great.
