Job 1:20-2:10

Contemporary English Version

²⁰ When Job heard this, he tore his clothes and shaved his head because of his great sorrow. He knelt on the ground, then worshiped God ^21 (A) and said:

²² In spite of everything, Job did not sin or accuse God of doing wrong.

Job Loses His Health

2 When the angels^[a] gathered around the Lord again, Satan^[b] was there with them, ² and the Lord asked, “Satan, where have you been?”

Satan replied, “I have been going all over the earth.”

³ Then the Lord asked, “What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him—he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil. And he hasn't changed, even though you persuaded me to destroy him for no reason.”

⁴ Satan answered, “There's no pain like your own.^[c] People will do anything to stay alive. ⁵ Try striking Job's own body with pain, and he will curse you to your face.”

⁶ “All right!” the Lord replied. “Make Job suffer as much as you want, but just don't kill him.” ⁷ Satan left and caused painful sores to break out all over Job's body—from head to toe.

⁸ Then Job sat on the ash-heap to show his sorrow. And while he was scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery, ⁹ his wife asked, “Why do you still trust God? Why don't you curse him and die?”

¹⁰ Job replied, “Don't talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well.” In all that happened, Job never once said anything against God.