Job Loses His Health

(A)Again, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and [a]Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you [b]considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man [c]fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still (B)holds firm to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to [d]ruin him without cause.” Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has, he will give for his life. (C)However, reach out with Your hand now, and (D)touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face!” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your [e]power, only spare his life.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with (E)severe boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while (F)he was sitting in the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold firm your integrity? Curse God and die!”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 2:1 Heb ha-satan; i.e., the adversary, and so throughout the ch
  2. Job 2:3 Lit set your heart to
  3. Job 2:3 Or revering
  4. Job 2:3 Lit swallow him up
  5. Job 2:6 Lit hand

Job’s Adversary refuses to give up

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

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

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.”

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

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

The test intensifies

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. Job took a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself and sat down on a mound of ashes. Job’s wife said to him, “Are you still clinging to your integrity? Curse[b] God, and die.”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 2:5 Or bless
  2. Job 2:9 Or bless