Job 2

On another day, the angels came again and gathered together in front of God. Satan also came again.

God asked Satan, “Where have you come from {this time}?” Satan replied, “I have come from the earth, where I was traveling around {to see what was happening}.” \*

God asked Satan, “Have you noticed that Job continues to worship me? I mention him again because no one else on earth has such complete integrity as he does. He respects me, and so he refuses to do anything evil. He still does this even though you persuaded me to {permit you to} attack him for no reason.” \*

Satan replied to God, “Job still worships you because he is glad you destroyed his herds and family rather than destroying him. People will give up everything they have in order to save their own lives.

But if you harm his body, he will certainly curse you in front of everyone!”

God replied to Satan, “All right, I permit you to harm his body. But you must leave him alive.” \*

Satan {agreed and he} left. He went and caused Job to suffer from very painful boils all over his body.

Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped the boils on his skin. He sat down in a pile of ashes {outside the city}. \*

His wife said to him, “You should not still be loyal to God! You should curse God and then go ahead and die.”

But Job replied, “You are talking the way people talk who do not know God. We should be willing to receive whatever God sends us.” So in spite of all the things that had happened to him, Job did not sin by saying that what God had done was wrong. \*

Job had some good and wise friends. One of them was Eliphaz from the town of Teman. Another was Bildad, who was a Shuhite. A third friend was Zophar from the town of Naamah. These men heard about the terrible things that had happened to Job. So they each left their homes and went together to visit Job to comfort him sincerely. \*

But when they saw Job from a distance, they almost did not recognize him. They wailed loudly, they all tore their clothing, and they threw dust into the air that settled on their heads. {They did these things to demonstrate how sorry they were for Job.}

Then they sat on the ground with Job for seven days. {During that time} none of them said anything to him, out of respect for how greatly he was suffering. \*