Job 2

Satan Challenges the Lord Again

1 One day when the sons of God came to stand in front of the Lord, Satan the Accuser came along with them.2 The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”Satan answered the Lord, “From wandering all over the earth.”3 The Lord asked Satan, “Have you thought about my servant Job? No one in the world is like him! He is a man of integrity: He is decent, he fears God, and he stays away from evil. And he still holds on to his principles. You’re trying to provoke me into ruining him for no reason.”4 Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! Certainly, a man will give everything he has for his life.

5 But stretch out your hand, and strike his flesh and bones. I bet he’ll curse you to your face.”
6 The Lord told Satan, “He is in your power, but you must spare his life!”

Job’s Second Crisis

7 Satan left the Lord’s presence and struck Job with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

8 Job took a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself as he sat in the ashes.
9 His wife asked him, “Are you still holding on to your principles? Curse God and die!”10 He said to her, “You’re talking like a godless fool. We accept the good that God gives us. Shouldn’t we also accept the bad?”Through all this Job’s lips did not utter one sinful word.11 When Job’s three friends heard about all the terrible things that had happened to him, each of them came from his home—Eliphaz of Teman, Bildad of Shuah, Zophar of Naama. They had agreed they would go together to sympathize with Job and comfort him.12 When they saw him from a distance, they didn’t even recognize him. They cried out loud and wept, and each of them tore his own clothes in grief. They threw dust on their heads.

13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw that he was in such great pain.

Job 2

Satan’s Additional Charge

1 Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also arrived among them to present himself before the Lord.s2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Satan answered the Lord,t “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”t

3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmlyt to his integrity,t so thatt you stirred me up to destroy himt without reason.”s
4 Butt Satan answered the Lord, “Skin fort skin!s Indeed, a man will give ups all that he has to save his life!t

5 But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh,s and he will no doubts curse you to your face!”

6 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right,t he ist in your power;t only preserves his life.”

Job’s Integrity in Suffering

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflictedt Job with a malignant ulcers from the sole of his feet to the top of his head.t

8 Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrapet himselfs with while he was sittingt among the ashes.s
9 Thent his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity?s Cursets God, and die!”t

10 But he replied,t “You’re talking like one of the godlesst women would do! Should we receivet what is good from God, and not alsot receivet what is evil?”ts In all this Job did not sin by what he said.t

The Visit of Job’s Friends

11 When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own countryt – Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.s They met togethert to come to show sympathyt for him and to consolet him.12 But when they gazed intentlyt from a distance but did not recognizet him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.t

13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his paint was very great.s