| 1 Once more the heavenly beings came to present themselves before Yahweh, and again Satan was with them. | |
| 2 Yahweh asked Satan, “Where have you been?” Satan answered, “Going up and down the earth, roaming about.” | |
| 3 Yahweh asked again, “Have you noticed my servant Job? No one on earth is as blameless and upright as he, a man who fears God and avoids evil. He still holds fast to his integrity even if you provoked me to ruin him without cause.” | |
| 4 Satan replied, “Skin for skin! For his own life, anyone will give everything he owns. | |
| 5 But lay your hand against his own flesh and bones and he will curse you to your face.” | |
| 6 Yahweh said to Satan, “Very well, he is in your power. But spare his life.” | |
| 7 So Satan left the presence of Yahweh and afflicted Job with festering sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. | |
| 8 Job took a potsherd to scrape himself and sat among the ashes. | |
| 9 His wife said to him, “Do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” | |
| 10 Job replied, “You talk foolishly. If we receive good things from God, why can’t we accept evil from him?” In spite of this calamity, Job did not utter a sinful word. | |
| 11 Three of Job’s friends – Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite – heard of the misfortune that came upon him. They set out from their own homes and journeyed together to offer their sympathy and consolation to Job. | |
| 12 Failing to recognize him from the distance, they wept aloud, tore their garments and poured dust upon their heads. | |
| 13 For seven days and seven nights, they sat on the ground beside him. They did not say a word to Job, for they saw how terribly he suffered. | |
