Job Loses his Health

1And it came to pass, when on a certain day the sons of God came, and stood before the Lord, and Satan came amongst them, and stood in his sight, 2That the Lord said to Satan: Whence comest thou? And he answered, and said: I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it. 3And the Lord said to Satan: Hast thou considered my servant, Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man simple and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding evil, and still keeping his innocence? But thou hast moved me against him, that I should afflict him without cause. 4And Satan answered, and said: Skin for skin; and all that a man hath, he will give for his life: 5But put forth thy hand, and touch his bone and his flesh, and then thou shalt see that he will bless thee to thy face. 6And the Lord said to Satan: Behold, he is in thy hand, but yet save his life.

7So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with a very grievous ulcer, from the sole of the foot even to the top of his head: 8And he took a potsherd and scraped the corrupt matter, sitting on a dunghill.

9And his wife said to him: Dost thou still continue in thy simplicity? bless God and die. 10And he said to her: Thou hast spoken like one of the foolish women: If we have received good things at the hand of God, why should we not receive evil? In all these things Job did not sin with his lips.

Job's Three Friends

11Now when Job's three friends heard all the evil that had befallen him, they came every one from his own place, Eliphaz, the Themanite, and Baldad, the Suhite, and Sophar, the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment to come together and visit him, and comfort him. 12And when they had lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not, and crying out, they wept, and rending their garments, they sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. 13And they sat with him on the ground seven day and seven nights and no man spoke to him a word: for they saw that his grief was very great.