Study Desk

On another day the angels^[a](a) came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan also came with them^(b) to present himself before him.

And the Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord , "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it."^(c)

Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.^(d) And he still maintains his integrity,^(e) though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."^(f)

"Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has^(g) for his own life.

But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones,^(h) and he will surely curse you to your face."⁽ⁱ⁾

The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands;^(j) but you must spare his life."^(k)

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.^(l)

Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.^(m)

His wife said to him, "Are you still maintaining your integrity?⁽ⁿ⁾ Curse God and die!"^(o)

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish^[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"^(p) In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.^(q)

When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite,^(r) Bildad the Shuhite^(s) and Zophar the Naamathite,^(t) heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.^(u)

When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him;^(v) they began to weep aloud,^(w) and they tore their robes^(x) and sprinkled dust on their heads.^(y)

Then they sat on the ground^(z) with him for seven days and seven nights.^(aa) No one said a word to him,^(ab) because they saw how great his suffering was.