Job’s piety and life of bliss

1 A man in the land of Uz was named Job. That man was honest, a person of absolute integrity; he feared God and avoided evil.

Job’s Adversary refuses to give up

2 One day the divine beings came to present themselves before the Lord. The Adversary also came among them to present himself before the Lord. ² The Lord said to the Adversary, “Where have you come from?”

The Adversary answered the Lord, “From wandering throughout the earth.”

³ The Lord said to the Adversary, “Have you thought about my servant Job, for there is no one like him on earth, a man who is honest, who is of absolute integrity, who reveres God and avoids evil? He still holds on to his integrity, even though you incited me to ruin him for no reason.”

⁴ The Adversary responded to the Lord, “Skin for skin—people will give up everything they have in exchange for their lives. ⁵ But stretch out your hand and strike his bones and flesh. Then he will definitely curse^[a] you to your face.”

⁶ The Lord answered the Adversary, “There he is—within your power; only preserve his life.”

The test intensifies

⁷ The Adversary departed from the Lord’s presence and struck Job with severe sores from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. ⁸ Job took a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself and sat down on a mound of ashes. ⁹ Job’s wife said to him, “Are you still clinging to your integrity? Curse^[b] God, and die.”

¹⁰ Job said to her, “You’re talking like a foolish woman. Will we receive good from God but not also receive bad?” In all this, Job didn’t sin with his lips.