Chapter 2

The Second Interview. ¹ One day, when the sons of God^(A) came to present themselves before the Lord, the satan also came with them. ² The Lord said to the satan, “Where have you been?” Then the satan answered the Lord and said, “Roaming the earth and patrolling it.” ³ The Lord said to the satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil.^(B) He still holds fast to his innocence although you incited me against him to ruin him for nothing.” ⁴ The satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin!^[a] All that a man has he will give for his life. ^5 (C)But put forth your hand and touch his bone and his flesh. Then surely he will curse you to your face.” ⁶ And the Lord said to the satan, “He is in your power; only spare his life.”

The Second Trial. ⁷ So the satan went forth from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with severe boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

Job’s Reaction. ⁸ He took a potsherd to scrape himself, as he sat among the ashes. ⁹ Then his wife said to him,^(D) “Are you still holding to your innocence? Curse God and die!”^{[b] 10} But he said to her, “You speak as foolish women do. We accept good things from God; should we not accept evil?” Through all this, Job did not sin in what he said.^(E)

Job’s Three Friends. ¹¹ Now when three of Job’s friends heard of all the misfortune that had come upon him, they set out each one from his own place: Eliphaz from Teman,^[c] Bildad from Shuh, and Zophar from Naamath. They met and journeyed together to give him sympathy and comfort. ¹² But when, at a distance, they lifted up their eyes and did not recognize him, they began to weep aloud; they tore their cloaks and threw dust into the air over their heads. ¹³ Then they sat down upon the ground with him seven days and seven nights, but none of them spoke a word to him; for they saw how great was his suffering.