2:1 Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.1 2:2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Satan answered the Lord,2 “From roving about on the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” 2:3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly3 his integrity,4 so that5 you stirred me up to destroy him6 without reason.”7
2:4 But8 Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for9 skin!10 Indeed, a man will give up11 all that he has to save his life!12 2:5 But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh,13 and he will indeed curse you to your face!”
2:6 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right,14 he is15 in your power;16 only preserve17 his life.”
Job’s Integrity in Suffering
2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflicted18 Job with a malignant ulcer19 from the sole of his feet to the top of his head.20 2:8 Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape21 himself22 with while he was sitting23 among the ashes.24
2:9 Then25 his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity?26 Curse27 God, and die!”28 2:10 But he replied,29 “You are speaking like one of the godless30 women would speak! Should we receive31 what is good from God, and not also32 receive33 what is evil?”34 In all this Job did not sin by what he said.35
The Visit of Job’s Friends36
2:11 When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country37—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.38 They met together39 to come to show grief40 for him and to console41 him. 2:12 But when they gazed intently42 from a distance but could not recognize43 him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.44 2:13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain45 was very great.46
II. Job’s Dialogue With His Friends (3:1-27:33)47
Job Regrets His Birth