1Kort tid efter trådte englene igen frem for Herren, og Satan var iblandt dem.2„Hvad har du bedrevet, Satan?” spurgte Herren. „Jeg har gennemtravet jorden på kryds og tværs!” svarede Satan.3„Lagde du mærke til min tjener Job?” spurgte Herren. „Han er enestående blandt mennesker, en retskaffen og gudfrygtig mand, der gør sit bedste for ikke at begå nogen synd. Han har bevaret sin gudhengivenhed, selvom du udfordrede mig til at lade dig skade ham uden grund.”4„Han har endnu ikke mærket noget på sin egen krop,”[1] svarede Satan. „Mennesker vil gøre alt for at bevare livet.5Hvis du rammer ham på hans egen krop, skal jeg love dig for, at han vil forbande dig lige op i dit åbne ansigt!”6„Gør, hvad du vil, Satan,” svarede Herren. „Men du må ikke tage livet af ham.”7Derpå gik Satan sin vej og sørgede for, at Job blev plaget af ondartede bylder fra top til tå.8Den stakkels Job satte sig ud på askedyngen og skrabede sine bylder med et potteskår.9Da sagde hans kone til ham: „Holder du stadig fast ved din gudhengivenhed? Forband dog Gud og dø!”10Men Job svarede: „Sikke noget snak! Skal vi kun tage imod det behagelige fra Gud, og ikke det ubehagelige?” På trods af alle sine lidelser anklagede Job ikke Gud med et eneste ord.
Jobs tre venner
11Da Jobs tre venner hørte om de tragedier, der havde ramt ham, aftalte de med hinanden, at de ville tage hen for at trøste og opmuntre ham. De tre venner var Elifaz fra Teman, Bildad fra Shua og Zofar fra Na’amat.12Da de kom til Job, kunne de næsten ikke genkende ham, så frygtelig så han ud. De brast i gråd, rev flænger i deres tøj og kastede støv op i luften.13Så satte de sig på jorden ved siden af ham uden at sige et ord, for de kunne se, at han havde store smerter. I syv dage, dag og nat,[2] sad de og led sammen i tavshed.
1Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. (Job 1,6)2And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”3And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” (Job 2,9; Job 9,17; Job 27,5)4Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life.5But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” (Job 1,5; Job 1,11)6And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”7So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. (2.Mos 9,9; 3.Mos 13,18; 5.Mos 28,27; 5.Mos 28,35; Es 1,6)8And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. (Job 41,30; Job 42,6; Ez 27,30; Jonas 3,6; Matt 11,21)9Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” (Job 2,3; Job 2,5)10But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”[1] In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 1,22; Salm 39,1; Salm 74,18; Salm 74,22; Jak 5,10)
Job’s Three Friends
11Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. (1.Mos 25,2; 1.Krøn 1,32; 1.Krøn 1,45; Job 42,11; Ord 17,17; Rom 12,15)12And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. (1.Mos 37,29; Josva 7,6; Neh 9,1; Klag 2,10; Ez 27,30)13And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. (1.Mos 50,10; Ez 3,15)