Job Loses His Health
1 When the angels gathered around the Lord again, Satan 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. 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.
Job's Three Friends
11 Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah were three of Job's friends, and they heard about his troubles. So they agreed to visit Job and comfort him. 12 When they came near enough to see Job, they could hardly recognize him. And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly. 13 For seven days and nights, they sat silently on the ground beside him, because they realized what terrible pain he was in.
1 And on a day the children of God came and stood before the Lord, and Satan came also among them, and stoode before the Lord. 2 Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Whence commest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and sayd, From compassing the earth to and from, and from walking in it. 3 And the Lord sayd vnto Satan, Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob, how none is like him in the earth? an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God, and escheweth euill? for yet he continueth in his vprightnesse, although thou mouedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the Lord, and sayde, Skin for skin, and all that euer a man hath, will he giue for his life. 5 But stretch now out thine hand, and touch his bones and his flesh, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face. 6 Then the Lord said vnto Satan, Lo, he is in thine hand, but saue his life. 7 So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord, and smote Iob with sore boyles, from the sole of his foote vnto his crowne. 8 And he tooke a potsharde to scrape him, and he sate downe among the ashes. 9 Then said his wife vnto him, Doest thou continue yet in thine vprightnes? Blaspheme God, and dye. 10 But he said vnto her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman: what? shall we receiue good at the hande of God, and not receiue euill? In all this did not Iob sinne with his lippes. 11 Nowe when Iobs three friends heard of all this euill that was come vpon him, they came euery one from his owne place, to wit, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they were agreed together to come to lament with him, and to comfort him. 12 So when they lift vp their eyes a farre off, they knewe him not: therefore they lift vp their voyces and wept, and euery one of them rent his garment, and sprinkled dust vpon their heads toward the heauen. 13 So they sate by him vpon the ground seuen dayes, and seuen nights, and none spake a worde vnto him: for they sawe, that the griefe was very great.