Job 2

The Second Test: Health

1-3 One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan also showed up. God singled out Satan, saying, "And what have you been up to?" Satan answered God, "Oh, going here and there, checking things out." Then God said to Satan, "Have you noticed my friend Job? There's no one quite like him, is there—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn't work."

4-5  Satan answered, "A human would do anything to save his life. But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He'd curse you to your face, that's what."

6  God said, "All right. Go ahead—you can do what you like with him. But mind you, don't kill him."

7-8  Satan left God and struck Job with terrible sores. Job was ulcers and scabs from head to foot. They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, then went and sat on a trash heap, among the ashes.

9  His wife said, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!"

10  He told her, "You're talking like an empty-headed fool. We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?"
Not once through all this did Job sin. He said nothing against God.

Job's Three Friends

11-13 Three of Job's friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country—Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath—and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. When they first caught sight of him, they couldn't believe what they saw—they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering.

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