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 there came a certain day when the sons of God entered in, to present themselves unto Yahweh—so the accuser also entered in their midst, to present himself unto Yahweh.
2 The Lord asked Satan, “What have you been doing?” “Traveling around on earth, going here and there,” Satan replied.
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Whence comest thou? And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from wandering about therein.
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 Yahweh said unto the accuser, Hast thou applied thy heart unto my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, one who revereth God, and avoideth evil; and still he is holding fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause.
4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up everything to save his life.
Then the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, Skin for skin, and so, 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.”
In very deed, put forth, I pray thee thy hand, and smite unto his bone, and unto his flesh, —verily, unto thy face, will he curse 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 Yahweh said unto the accuser, Behold him! in thy hand, —only, his life, preserve thou!
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 the accuser went forth from the presence of Yahweh, —and smote Job with a sore boil, from the sole of his foot, 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; he being seated in the midst of 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 thine integrity? Curse 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.
And he said unto her, As one of the base women speaketh, speakest thou? Blessing, shall we accept from God, and, misfortune, shall we not accept? 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 when the three friends of Job heard of all this misfortune which had befallen him, —they came, every man from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, —for they had by appointment met together to come to shew sympathy 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 knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept—and rent, every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads, toward the heavens.
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 with him upon the ground, seven days and seven nights, —and none was speaking unto him a word, for they saw that, exceeding great, was the stinging pain.
