Job Loses His Health

1And on a day the children of God came and stoode before the Lorde, and Satan came also among the, and stoode before the Lorde. 2And the Lorde sayde vnto Satan: From whence commest thou? Satan aunswered the Lorde, and sayd: I haue gone about the lande, walked thorow it. 3And the Lorde sayde vnto Satan: Hast thou not considered my seruaunt Iob? howe there is none like vnto hym in the earth, a perfect and a iust man? one that feareth God, and eschueth euil, & continueth still in his vprightnesse, although thou mouedst me against hym, to destroy him without cause. 4And Satan aunswered the Lord, and sayd, Skinne for skinne, yea a man wil geue al that euer he hath for his life. 5But lay thyne hande nowe vpon hym, and touch once his bone and his fleshe, and he shall curse thee to thy face. 6And the Lord sayde vnto Satan: Lo, he is in thyne hand, but saue his lyfe.

7So went Satan foorth from the presence of the Lorde, and smote Iob with sore byles, from the sole of his foote vnto his crowne. 8And he toke a potsharde to scrape hym: and he sat downe among the asshes.

9Then sayd his wyfe vnto him: Doest thou continue yet in thy perfectnesse? curse God, and dye. 10But he sayde vnto her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman: shal we receaue good at the hande of God, and not receaue euyll? In all these thinges did not Iob sinne with his lippes.

Job’s Three Friends

11Nowe when Iobs three friendes heard of all the trouble that came vpon him, they came euery one fro his owne place namely Eliphas the Themanite, Bildad the Suhite, and Zophad the Naamathite: for they were agreed together to come to shewe their compassion vpon him, and to comfort hym. 12So when they lift vp their eyes a farre of, they knew him not: then they cryed and wept, and euery one of them rent his clothes, and sprinckled dust vpon their heades in the ayre. 13They sate them downe by him also vpon the grounde seuen dayes & seuen nightes, and none spake a worde vnto him: for they sawe that his greefe was very great.