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Lunedi, 29 aprile 2024 - Santa Caterina da Siena ( Letture di oggi)

Job 2


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KING JAMES BIBLENEW JERUSALEM
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.1 Another day, the sons of God came to attend on Yahweh and Satan came with them too.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.2 So Yahweh said to Satan, 'Where have you been?' 'Prowling about on earth,' he answered, 'roamingaround there.'
3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.3 So Yahweh asked him, 'Did you pay any attention to my servant Job? There is no one like him on theearth: a sound and honest man who fears God and shuns evil. He persists in his integrity stil ; you achieved nothing by provoking me to ruin him.'
4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.4 'Skin after skin!' Satan replied. 'Someone wil give away al he has to save his life.
5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.5 But stretch out your hand and lay a finger on his bone and flesh; I warrant you, he wil curse you to yourface.'
6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.6 'Very wel ,' Yahweh said to Satan, 'he is in your power. But spare his life.'
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.7 So Satan left the presence of Yahweh. He struck Job down with malignant ulcers from the sole of hisfoot to the top of his head.
8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.8 Job took a piece of pot to scrape himself, and went and sat among the ashes.
9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.9 Then his wife said to him, 'Why persist in this integrity of yours? Curse God and die.'
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.10 'That is how a fool of a woman talks,' Job replied. 'If we take happiness from God's hand, must we nottake sorrow too?' And in al this misfortune Job uttered no sinful word.
11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.11 The news of al the disasters that had fal en on Job came to the ears of three of his friends. Each ofthem set out from home -- Eliphaz of Teman, Bildad of Shuah and Zophar of Naamath -- and by commonconsent they decided to go and offer him sympathy and consolation.
12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.12 Looking at him from a distance, they could not recognise him; they wept aloud and tore their robes andthrew dust over their heads.
13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.13 They sat there on the ground beside him for seven days and seven nights. To Job they spoke never aword, for they saw how much he was suffering.