< Job 2 >
1 Again, on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan came also amongst them to present himself before the LORD.
And the day is, that sons of God come to station themselves by YHWH, and there also comes Satan in their midst to station himself by YHWH.
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.”
And YHWH says to Satan, “From where have you come?” And Satan answers YHWH and says, “From going to and fro in the land, and from walking up and down in 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.”
And YHWH says to Satan, “Have you set your heart to My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God and turning aside from evil? And still he is keeping hold on his integrity, and you move Me against him to swallow him up for nothing!”
4 Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
And Satan answers YHWH and says, “A skin for a skin, and all that a man has he gives for his life.
5 But stretch out your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.”
Yet, put forth Your hand now, and strike to his bone and to his flesh—if not, he blesses You to Your face!”
6 The LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand. Only spare his life.”
And YHWH says to Satan, “Behold, he [is] in your 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.
And Satan goes forth from the presence of YHWH, and strikes Job with a severe ulcer from the sole of his foot to his crown.
8 He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat amongst the ashes.
And he takes to him a potsherd to scrape himself with it, and he is sitting in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.”
And his wife says to him, “You are still keeping hold on your integrity: bless 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.
And he says to her, “As one of the foolish women speaks, you speak; indeed, do we receive the good from God, and we do not receive the bad?” In all this Job has not sinned 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 sympathise with him and to comfort him.
And three of the friends of Job hear of all this evil that has come on him, and they each come in from his place—Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—and they have met together to come to bemoan him, and to comfort him;
12 When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn’t recognise him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads towards the sky.
and they lift up their eyes from afar and have not discerned him, and they lift up their voice and weep, and each tears his robe, and sprinkle dust on their heads—heavenward.
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.
And they sit with him on the earth seven days and seven nights, and there is none speaking to him a word when they have seen that the pain has been very great.