< Job 2 >

1 And it came to pass, when on a certain day the sons of God came, and stood before the Lord, and Satan came among them, and stood in his sight,
Again it happened on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, that Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
2 That the Lord said to Satan: Whence comest thou? And he answered and said: I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it.
The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, and said, "From going back and forth on the earth, and from walking up and down on it."
3 And the Lord said to Satan: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man simple, and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding evil, and still keeping his innocence? But thou hast moved me against him, that I should afflict him without cause.
The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly to his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause."
4 And Satan answered, and said: Skin for skin, and all that a man hath he will give for his life:
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, "Skin for skin. Indeed, all that a man has he will give for his life.
5 But put forth thy hand, and touch his bone and his flesh, and then thou shalt gee that he will bless thee to thy face.
But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face."
6 And the Lord said to Satan: Behold be is in thy hand, but yet save his life.
The LORD said to Satan, "Look, he is in your power. Only preserve his life."
7 So Satan went forth from the presence Of the Lord, and struck Job with a very grievous ulcer, from the sole of the foot even to the top of his head:
So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.
8 And he took a potsherd and scraped the corrupt matter, sitting on a dunghill.
And he took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with while he sat among the ashes.
9 And his wife said to him: Dost thou still continue in thy simplicity? bless God and die.
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold firmly to your integrity? Curse God, and die."
10 And he said to her: Thou hast; spoken like one of the foolish women: if we have received good things at the hand of God, why should we not receive evil? In all these things Job did not sin with his lips.
But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we indeed accept good at the hand of God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard all the evil that had befallen him, they came every one from his own place, Alphas the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment to come together and visit him, and comfort him.
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity 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.
12 And when they had lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not, and crying out they wept, and rending their garments they sprinkled dust upon their heads towards heaven.
When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and did not recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and threw dust in the air over their heads.
13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no man spoke to him a word: for they saw that his grief was very great.
So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

< Job 2 >