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 there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah; and Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah.
2 The Lord asked Satan, “What have you been doing?” “Traveling around on earth, going here and there,” Satan replied.
And Jehovah said to Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From wandering over the earth, and 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.”
Then said Jehovah to Satan, Hast thou observed my servant Job, that there is none like him upon the earth, an upright and good man, fearing God and departing from evil? And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou didst excite me against him to destroy him without a cause.
4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up everything to save his life.
And Satan answered Jehovah, 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 now thy hand, and touch his bone and his flesh, and to thy face will he renounce thee.
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 Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; but 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.
Then Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to his crown.
8 Job picked up a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself as he sat in ashes.
And he took a potsherd to scrape himself withal, and sat 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 to him, Dost thou still retain thine 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 to her, Thou talkest like one of the foolish women. What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this, Job sinned not 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 three friends of Job heard of all this evil that had come upon him, and came each one from his home; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had agreed to come to mourn 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 they lifted up their eyes at a distance, and knew him not; then they raised their voices and wept, and rent each one his mantle, and sprinkled 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.
And they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word to him; for they saw that his grief was very great.
