2:1
Another day, the sons of God came to attend on Yahweh and Satan came with them too.
2:2
So Yahweh said to Satan, 'Where have you been?' 'Prowling about on earth,' he answered, 'roaming around there.'
2:3
So Yahweh asked him, 'Did you pay any attention to my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth: a sound and honest man who fears God and shuns evil. He persists in his integrity still; you achieved nothing by provoking me to ruin him.'
2:4
'Skin after skin!' Satan replied. 'Someone will give away all he has to save his life.
2:5
But stretch out your hand and lay a finger on his bone and flesh; I warrant you, he will curse you to your face.'
2:6
'Very well,' Yahweh said to Satan, 'he is in your power. But spare his life.'
2:7
So Satan left the presence of Yahweh. He struck Job down with malignant ulcers from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.
2:8
Job took a piece of pot to scrape himself, and went and sat among the ashes.
2:9
Then his wife said to him, 'Why persist in this integrity of yours? Curse God and die.'
2:10
'That is how a fool of a woman talks,' Job replied. 'If we take happiness from God's hand, must we not take sorrow too?' And in all this misfortune Job uttered no sinful word.
2:11
The news of all the disasters that had fallen on Job came to the ears of three of his friends. Each of them set out from home -- Eliphaz of Teman, Bildad of Shuah and Zophar of Naamath -- and by common consent they decided to go and offer him sympathy and consolation.
2:12
Looking at him from a distance, they could not recognise him; they wept aloud and tore their robes and threw dust over their heads.
2:13
They sat there on the ground beside him for seven days and seven nights. To Job they spoke never a word, for they saw how much he was suffering.
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