1
Again there was a day when the sons of Godcame to present themselves before the LORD, and Satancame also among them to present himself before the LORD.
2
And the LORDsaid unto Satan, From whencecomest thou? And Satananswered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3
And the LORDsaid unto Satan, Hast thouconsidered my servantJob, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an uprightman, one that fearethGod, and eschewethevil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thoumovedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4
And Satananswered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6
And the LORDsaid unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7
So wentSatanforth from the presence of the LORD, and smoteJob with soreboils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
8
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat downamong the ashes.
9
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity?curseGod, and die.
10
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish womenspeaketh. What? shall we receivegood at the hand of God, and shall we not receiveevil? In all this did not Jobsin with his lips.
11
Now when Job's threefriendsheard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointmenttogether to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
12
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkleddust upon their heads toward heaven.
13
So they sat down with him upon the groundsevendays and sevennights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was verygreat.