Page:JPS-1917-Universal.djvu/947

Rh I only am escaped alone to tell thee.' While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: 'Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; and, behold, there came a great wind from across the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.' Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped; and he said:
 * Naked came I out of my mother's womb,
 * And naked shall I return thither;
 * The gave, and the  hath taken away;
 * Blessed be the name of the.

For all this Job sinned not, nor ascribed aught unseemly to God.

Again it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before the, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the. And the said unto Satan: 'From whence comest thou?' And Satan answered the, and said: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' And the  said unto Satan: 'Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a whole-hearted and an upright man, one that feareth God, and shunneth evil? and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou didst move Me against him, to destroy him without cause.' And Satan answered the, and said: 'Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth Thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, surely he will blaspheme Thee to Thy face.' And the said unto Satan: 'Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.'

So Satan went forth from the presence of the, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot even unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him: 'Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? blaspheme God, and die.' But he said unto her: 'Thou speakest as one of the impious women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?' For all this did not Job sin with his lips.

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; and they made an appointment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him. 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 threw dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him; for they saw that his grief was very great.

After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spoke and said:
 * Let the day perish wherein I was born,
 * And the night wherein it was said: 'A man-child is brought forth.'
 * Let that day be darkness;
 * Let not God inquire after it from above,