1 Kādu dienu Dieva dēli nāca Kunga priekšā un arī sātans nāca ar tiem, lai stātos Kunga priekšā. 2 Kungs vaicāja sātanam: “No kurienes tu nāc?” Sātans atbildēja Kungam: “No gaitām un tekām pa zemi.” 3 Kungs vaicāja sātanam: “Vai ievēroji Ījabu, manu kalpu, – tam nav līdzīga virs zemes! – krietnu un taisnu vīru, kas bīstas Dieva un vairās ļauna? Arvien vēl viņš turas krietnumā! Bet tu kūdīji mani pret viņu, lai aprītu viņu gluži par neko!”
4 Sātans atbildēja Kungam: “Ādu par ādu! Visu, kas cilvēkam pieder, tas atdos par savu dzīvību. 5 Nudien, izstiep tik roku un aizskar tā kaulus un miesu – vai gan viņš nelādēs tevi tieši vaigā?” 6 Kungs sacīja sātanam: “Lai notiek! Viņš tavā rokā – vien viņa dzīvību saudzi!”
7 Tad sātans atkāpās no Kunga vaiga un sita Ījabu ļauniem trumiem no kāju pēdām līdz pat galvvidum. 8 Un Ījabs ņēma poda lausku un lobīja savas vātis, pelnos sēdēdams. 9 Sieva viņam sacīja: “Vēl tu turies pie sava krietnuma?! Nolādi Dievu un mirsti!” 10 Bet viņš tai sacīja: “Kā nejēgas runā, tā arī tu runā! Ak labu gan no Dieva ņemsim, bet ļaunu, to ne?!” Un visā, kas notika, Ījabs neapgrēkojās savām lūpām.
Ījaba trīs draugi
11 Kad trīs Ījaba draugi dzirdēja par postu, kas nācis pār viņu, tie nāca katrs no savas mājvietas – tēmānietis Elīfazs, šūhietis Bildads un naamātietis Cofars. Tie vienojās atnākt kopā, lai viņu žēlotu un mierinātu. 12 Tie pacēla acis un lūkojās no tālienes, bet nepazina viņu. Un tie pacēla balsis un vaimanāja un saplēsa savus svārkus, un svieda pīšļus debesīs pār savām galvām. 13 Tie sēdēja viņam blakus zemē septiņas dienas un septiņas naktis un neteica ne vārda, jo redzēja, ka viņa sāpes ir ļoti lielas.
Job Loses His Health
1 When the angels gathered around the Lord again, Satan was there with them, 2 and the Lord asked, “Satan, where have you been?”
Satan replied, “I have been going all over the earth.”
3 Then the Lord asked, “What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him—he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil. And he hasn't changed, even though you persuaded me to destroy him for no reason.”
4 Satan answered, “There's no pain like your own. People will do anything to stay alive. 5 Try striking Job's own body with pain, and he will curse you to your face.”
6 “All right!” the Lord replied. “Make Job suffer as much as you want, but just don't kill him.” 7 Satan left and caused painful sores to break out all over Job's body—from head to toe.
8 Then Job sat on the ash-heap to show his sorrow. And while he was scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery, 9 his wife asked, “Why do you still trust God? Why don't you curse him and die?”
10 Job replied, “Don't talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well.” In all that happened, Job never once said anything against God.
Job's Three Friends
11 Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah were three of Job's friends, and they heard about his troubles. So they agreed to visit Job and comfort him. 12 When they came near enough to see Job, they could hardly recognize him. And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly. 13 For seven days and nights, they sat silently on the ground beside him, because they realized what terrible pain he was in.
