1It happened also upon a time, that when the servants of God came and stood before the LORD, Sathan (also) came among them, and stood before him.
2And the LORD said unto Sathan: From whence comest thou? Sathan answered and said: I have gone about the land, and walked thorow it.
3Then said the LORD unto Sathan: Hast thou not considered my servant Job, how that he is an innocent and virtuous man such one as feareth God, and escheweth evil, and that there is none like him in the land? But thou movedst me against him, to punish him: yet is it in vain, for he continueth still in his godlyness.
4Sathan answered the LORD, and said: Skin for skin? yea a man will give all that ever he hath, for his life.
5But lay thine hand upon him, touch him once upon the bone and flesh, and (I hold) he shall curse thee to thy face.
6Then said the LORD unto Sathan: lo, there hast thou him in thy power, but spare his life.
7So went Sathan forth from the LORD, and smote Job with marvelous sore boils,(byles) from the sole of the foot unto his crown.
8So that he sat upon the ground in the ashes, and scraped off the filth(atter) of his sores with a potsherd.
9Then said his wife unto him: Dost thou (yet) continue in thy perfectness? curse God, and die.
10But Job said unto her: Thou speakest like a foolish woman. Seeing we have received prosperity at the hand of God, wherefore should we not be content with adversity also? In all these things, did not Job sin with his lips.
11Now when Job's friends heard of all the trouble, that happened to him, there came three of them, every one from his own place: namely, Eliphas the Thamanite, Baldad the Suhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they were agreed together to come, to shew their compassion on him, and to comfort him.
12So when they lift up their eyes afar off, they knew him not. Then they cried, and wept: then every one of them rent his clothes, and sprinkled dust upon their heads in the air.
13They sat them down by him also upon the ground seven days and seven nights. Neither was there any of them that spake one word unto him, for they saw that his pain was very great.