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Attack on Job’s Health

One day the heavenly beings[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser[b] also came among them to present himself before the Lord.(A) The Lord said to the accuser,[c] “Where have you come from?” The accuser[d] answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.”(B) The Lord said to the accuser,[e] “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.”(C) Then the accuser[f] answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that the man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”(D) The Lord said to the accuser,[g] “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.”(E)

So the accuser[h] went out from the presence of the Lord and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.(F) Job[i] took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes.(G)

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse[j] God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.(H)

Job’s Three Friends

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him.(I) 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads.(J) 13 They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.(K)

Footnotes

  1. 2.1 Heb sons of God
  2. 2.1 Heb the satan
  3. 2.2 Heb the satan
  4. 2.2 Heb The satan
  5. 2.3 Heb the satan
  6. 2.4 Heb the satan
  7. 2.6 Heb the satan
  8. 2.7 Heb the satan
  9. 2.8 Heb He
  10. 2.9 Heb Bless

Satan’s Second Test of Job

One day the sons of God(A) came again to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”

“From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity,(B) who fears God and turns away from evil.(C) He still retains his integrity, even though you incited me against him, to destroy him for no good reason.”

“Skin for skin!” Satan answered the Lord. “A man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life. But stretch out your hand and strike(D) his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

“Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “he is in your power; only spare his life.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.(E) Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat among the ashes.(F)

His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

10 “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.[a]

Job’s Three Friends

11 Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite,(G) Bildad the Shuhite,(H) and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort(I) him. 12 When they looked from a distance, they could barely recognize him. They wept aloud,(J) and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air and on his head.(K) 13 Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and nights,(L) but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering(M) was very intense.

Footnotes

  1. 2:10 Lit sin with his lips