Job 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Another day, the sons of God came to attend on Yahweh and Satan came with them too.	1 Once again the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
2 So Yahweh said to Satan, 'Where have you been?' 'Prowling about on earth,' he answered, 'roamingaround there.'	2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Whence do you come?" And Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming the earth and patrolling it."
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.'	3 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, faultless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil? He still holds fast to his innocence although you incited me against him to ruin him without cause."
4 'Skin after skin!' Satan replied. 'Someone wil give away al he has to save his life.	4 And Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! All that a man has will he give for his life.
5 But stretch out your hand and lay a finger on his bone and flesh; I warrant you, he wil curse you to yourface.'	5 But now put forth your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and surely he will blaspheme you to your face."
6 'Very wel ,' Yahweh said to Satan, 'he is in your power. But spare his life.'	6 And the LORD said to Satan, "He is in your power; only spare his life."
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.	7 So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with severe boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.
8 Job took a piece of pot to scrape himself, and went and sat among the ashes.	8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself, as he sat among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, 'Why persist in this integrity of yours? Curse God and die.'	9 Then his wife said to him, "Are you still holding to your innocence? Curse God and die."
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.	10 But he said to her, "Are even you going to speak as senseless women do? We accept good things from God; and should we not accept evil?" Through all this, Job said nothing sinful.
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.	11 Now when three of Job's friends heard of all the misfortune that had come upon him, they set out each one from his own place: Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuh, and Zophar from Naamath. They met and journeyed together to give him sympathy and comfort.
12 Looking at him from a distance, they could not recognise him; they wept aloud and tore their robes andthrew dust over their heads.	12 But when, at a distance, they lifted up their eyes and did not recognize him, they began to weep aloud; they tore their cloaks and threw dust upon their heads.
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.	13 Then they sat down upon the ground with him seven days and seven nights, but none of them spoke a word to him; for they saw how great was his suffering.