1 A gain there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and the accuser) came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

En otra ocasión se presentaron ante el Señor sus servidores, y también llegó Satanás.

2 A nd the Lord said to Satan, From where do you come? And Satan (the adversary and the accuser) answered the Lord, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.

Cuando el Señor lo vio, le preguntó: «¿De dónde vienes?» Y Satanás le contestó: «Vengo de andar recorriendo la tierra.»

3 A nd 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, one who fears God and abstains from and shuns all evil ? And still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved Me against him to destroy him without cause.

El Señor le preguntó: «¿No te has fijado en mi siervo Job, que no hay nadie en la tierra que se le compare? Es un hombre de conducta intachable; no le hace mal a nadie, y es temeroso de Dios. Tú me incitaste a hacerle daño, y a que sin ningún motivo lo arruinara, y aun así él sigue siendo un hombre intachable.»

4 T hen Satan answered the Lord, Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has will he give for his life.

Pero Satanás le respondió al Señor: «Todo es cuestión de dar y recibir. La gente es capaz de darlo todo, con tal de salvar el pellejo.

5 B ut put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse and renounce You to Your face.

Pero quítale a Job tu protección, tócalo en su propio cuerpo, ¡y ya verás cómo blasfema contra ti en tu propia cara!»

6 A nd the Lord said to Satan, Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.

Entonces el Señor dijo: «Ahí está Job. Lo dejo en tus manos. Pero no le quites la vida.»

7 S o Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with loathsome and painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

Satanás salió de la presencia del Señor, pero le envió a Job una sarna tan violenta que lo cubrió de pies a cabeza.

8 A nd he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself, and he sat among the ashes.

Era tal la comezón que Job, sentado en medio de la ceniza, se rascaba con un pedazo de teja.

9 T hen his wife said to him, Do you still hold fast your blameless uprightness? Renounce God and die!

Su esposa lo llenó de reproches y le dijo: «¿Todavía insistes en seguir siendo perfecto? ¡Maldice a Dios, y muérete!»

10 B ut he said to her, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept good at the hand of God and shall we not accept misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

Pero Job le respondió: «Hablas como una de tantas necias. ¿Acaso hemos de recibir de Dios sólo bendiciones, y no las calamidades?» Y aun así, Job no pecó ni de palabra.

11 N ow when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, for they had made an appointment together to come to condole with him and to comfort him.

Job tenía tres amigos de lugares diferentes: Elifaz era de Temán, Bildad era de Súaj, y Sofar era de Namat. Cuando ellos se enteraron de la tragedia de su amigo, se pusieron de acuerdo para ir a visitarlo y consolarlo.

12 A nd when they looked from afar off and saw him beyond recognition, they lifted up their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe, and they cast dust over their heads toward the heavens.

Cuando ya estaban cerca, como a la distancia no pudieron reconocerlo, se pusieron a llorar, rasgaron sus mantos, y en señal de dolor se echaron ceniza sobre la cabeza.

13 S o they sat down with on the ground for seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief and pain were very great.

Luego se sentaron en el suelo junto a Job, y así estuvieron siete días con sus noches, sin que ninguno de ellos se atreviera a decirle algo, pues veían que era muy grande su dolor.