Job Loses His Health

1And on a day the children of God came and stood before the Lord, and Satan came also among them, and stoode before the Lord. 2Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Whence commest thou? And Satan answered the Lorde, and sayd, From compassing the earth to and fro, and from walking in it. 3And the Lord sayd vnto Satan, Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob, how none is like him in the earth? an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God, and escheweth euill? for yet he continueth in his vprightnesse, although thou mouedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4And Satan answered the Lorde, and sayde, Skin for skin, and all that euer a man hath, will he giue for his life. 5But stretch now out thine hand, and touch his bones and his flesh, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face. 6Then the Lorde said vnto Satan, Lo, he is in thine hand, but saue his life.

7So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord, and smote Iob with sore boyles, from the sole of his foote vnto his crowne. 8And he tooke a potsharde to scrape him, and he sate downe among the ashes.

9Then said his wife vnto him, Doest thou continue yet in thine vprightnes? Blaspheme God, and dye. 10But he said vnto her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman: what? shall we receiue good at the hande of God, and not receiue euill? In all this did not Iob sinne with his lippes.

Job’s Three Friends

11Nowe when Iobs three friends heard of all this euill that was come vpon him, they came euery one from his owne place, to wit, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they were agreed together to come to lament with him, and to comfort him. 12So when they lift vp their eyes a farre off, they knewe him not: therefore they lift vp their voyces and wept, and euery one of them rent his garment, and sprinkled dust vpon their heads toward the heauen. 13So they sate by him vpon the ground seuen dayes, and seuen nights, and none spake a worde vnto him: for they sawe, that the griefe was very great.