Job 2

Satan’s Additional Charge

2:1 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.¹ 2:2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Satan answered the Lord,² “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”³ 2:3 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 firmly⁴ to his integrity,⁵ so that⁶ you stirred me up to destroy him⁷ without reason.”⁸

2:4 But⁹ Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for¹⁰ skin!¹¹ Indeed, a man will give up¹² all that he has to save his life!¹³ 2:5 But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh,¹⁴ and he will no doubt¹⁵ curse you to your face!”

2:6 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right,¹⁶ he is¹⁷ in your power;¹⁸ only preserve¹⁹ his life.”

Job’s Integrity in Suffering

2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflicted²⁰ Job with a malignant ulcer²¹ from the sole of his feet to the top of his head.²² 2:8 Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape²³ himself²⁴ with while he was sitting²⁵ among the ashes.²⁶

2:9 Then²⁷ his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity?²⁸ Curse²⁹ God, and die!”³⁰ 2:10 But he replied,³¹ “You’re talking like one of the godless³² women would do! Should we receive³³ what is good from God, and not also³⁴ receive³⁵ what is evil?”³⁶ In all this Job did not sin by what he said.³⁷

The Visit of Job’s Friends³⁸

2:11 When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country³⁹ – Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.⁴⁰ They met together⁴¹ to come to show sympathy⁴² for him and to console⁴³ him. 2:12 But when they gazed intently⁴⁴ from a distance but did not recognize⁴⁵ him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.⁴⁶ 2:13 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 pain⁴⁷ was very great.⁴⁸

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