¹ And there came a certain day when the sons of God entered in, to present themselves unto Yahweh—so the accuser also entered in their midst, to present himself unto Yahweh.

² And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Whence comest thou? And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from wandering about therein.

³ And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Hast thou applied thy heart unto my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, one who revereth God, and avoideth evil; and still he is holding fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause.

⁴ Then the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, Skin for skin, and so, all that a man hath, will he give for his life.

⁵ In very deed, put forth, I pray thee thy hand, and smite unto his bone, and unto his flesh,—verily, unto thy face, will he curse thee.

⁶ And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Behold him! in thy hand,—only, his life, preserve thou!

⁷ So the accuser went forth from the presence of Yahweh,—and smote Job with a sore boil, from the sole of his foot, unto his crown.

⁸ And he took him a potsherd, to scrape himself therewith; he being seated in the midst of ashes.

⁹ Then said his wife unto him, Art thou still holding fast thine integrity? Curse God, and die!

¹⁰ And he said unto her, As one of the base women speaketh, speakest thou? Blessing, shall we accept from God, and, misfortune, shall we not accept? In all this, Job sinned not with his lips.

¹¹ Now when the three friends of Job heard of all this misfortune which had befallen him,—they came, every man from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite,—for they had by appointment met together to come to shew sympathy with him, and to comfort him.

¹² And, when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept—and rent, every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads, toward the heavens.

¹³ And they sat with him upon the ground, seven days and seven nights,—and none was speaking unto him a word, for they saw that, exceeding great, was the stinging pain.