Job's Second Test
21Another day arrived when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came into their midst. 2The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming the earth and walking around on it.”
3Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still maintains his integrity, even though you incited me against him to destroy him for no reason.”
4Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give all he has for his life. 5But stretch out your hand and strike his bones and flesh, and he will certainly curse you to your face!”
6The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hand, but preserve his life.”
7Satan then went out from the presence of the Lord. He struck Job with very painful sores from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. 8So Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he was sitting among the ashes.
9Then his wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10But he said to her, “You are talking like a woman who lacks moral judgment.[] If we accept the good that comes from God, shouldn't we also accept the bad?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job's Friends Arrive to Comfort Him
11Three friends of Job heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, and each of them came from his own homeland: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Na'amathite.[] They met together and went to sympathize with Job and to comfort him. 12When they caught sight of Job from a distance, they did not recognize him. They raised their voices and wept. Each man tore his robe and tossed dust into the air and onto his head. 13They sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very great. The Arguments Between Job and His Friends:
Round One: Job's First Speech:
I curse the day I was born
31Finally, Job opened his lips and cursed the day of his birth. 2Job said:
3May the day of my birth perish,
and the night when it was said, “A child has been conceived!”
4As for that day, let it be darkness!
May God above have no concern for it.
May light not shine on it.
5May darkness and the shadow of death[] reclaim it. May a dark cloud settle over it.
May whatever blackens the day terrify it.
6As for that night, may deep darkness take it away!
May it not be included[] among the days of the year or show up in the list of months.
7Oh let that night be barren!
May no joyful shout be heard in it.
8May those who curse days cast a spell on it,
those who are able to awaken Leviathan.[] 9May its twilight stars be darkened.
May it wait hopefully for light but receive none.
May it never see the eyelids of dawn,
10because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb,
and it did not hide trouble from my eyes.
