Job 2
Chapter 2
Job’s Second Test
1 One day the members of the heavenly courtt came again to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan,t came with them.
2 “Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan.
Satan answered the LORD, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
3 Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”
4 Satan replied to the LORD, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life.
5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the LORD said to Satan. “But spare his life.”
7 So Satan left the LORD’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.
8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes.
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
Job’s Three Friends Share His Anguish
11 When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief.
13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.
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
