Job loses his health

1When the angels2.1 angels: See the note at 15.8. gathered around the LORD again, Satan2.1 Satan: See the note at 1.6. was there with them, 2and the LORD asked, “Satan, where have you been?”

Satan replied, “I have been going all over the earth.”

3Then the LORD asked, “What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him—he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil. And he hasn't changed, even though you persuaded me to destroy him for no reason.”

4Satan answered, “There's no pain like your own.2.4 There's no pain like your own: The Hebrew text has “Skin for skin”, which was probably a popular saying. People will do anything to stay alive. 5Try striking Job's own body with pain, and he will curse you to your face.”

6“All right!” the LORD replied. “Make Job suffer as much as you want, but just don't kill him.” 7Satan left and caused painful sores to break out all over Job's body—from head to toe.

8Then Job sat on the ash heap to show his sorrow. And while he was scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery, 9his wife asked, “Why do you still trust God? Why don't you curse him and die?”

10Job replied, “Don't talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well.” In all that happened, Job never once said anything against God.

Job's three friends

11Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah2.11 Teman…Shuah…Naamah: Teman was a place in northern Edom; Shuah may have been a town on the River Euphrates or else further south, near the towns of Dedan and Sheba; Naamah may have been on the road between Beirut and Damascus, though its exact location is unknown. were three of Job's friends, and they heard about his troubles. So they agreed to visit Job and comfort him. 12When they came near enough to see Job, they could hardly recognize him. And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly. 13For seven days and nights, they sat silently on the ground beside him, because they realized what terrible pain he was in.