< Job 2 >
1 Again, on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan came also among them to present himself before 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 said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
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 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause.”
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 Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for 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 stretch out your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce 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 The LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand. Only spare his life.”
Then said the Lord unto the Accuser, Behold, he is in thy hand: only take care of his life.
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to 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 He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes.
And [Job] took himself a potsherd to scrape himself there with, while he was sitting down among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.”
Then said his wife unto him, Art thou still holding fast to thy integrity? renounce God, and die.
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips.
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 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort 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 lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn’t recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.
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 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.
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.