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Again there was a day when the
sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came
also among them. Then God spoke to Satan, as He had done before, and
asked him, if he had considered His servant Job, who was still faithful,
though he had been so tried and so afflicted. But Satan was not
satisfied with all the troubles Job had suffered; he wished to vex and
afflict him still more: and he told God, that though Job had borne
the loss of his possessions patiently, yet, if his body was made to suffer
disease and pain, he would then show that he was only a hypocrite after
all, and would even curse God to his face. The Lord was pleased, in
His wisdom, to allow Job to be still more tried and afflicted, so he said
to Satan, "He is in thy hand; but save his life." Then
Satan went out, and smote Job with sore boils all over his body. Job
had now to bear pain, as well as sorrow; yet he was patient and submissive
still. And then he had another and a new trial. His wife was
living, and she might have comforted Job in his trouble; but instead of
encouraging him to trust in God, she advised him to put an end to his own
life;—to kill himself. She said, "Curse God, and
die." But Job reproved her for speaking so wickedly, and said
"What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we
not receive evil?" Job knew that all came from God's hand and
by God's permission; and therefore, he was willing to receive whatever
happened to him, whether it were good or evil. When
Job's friends came to the place where he was, they looked up, and saw him,
but they did not know him. He was not now as he once had been.
When they had last visited him, he was prosperous and happy, with all his
family, and all his possessions, and living in honor and peace, the
greatest man in the east. But now, all was changed. There he
sat, alone, among the ashes; his body was covered with a dreadful disease;
all his possessions were gone, his children were dead, and he had no one
to speak kindly to him, nor to comfort him. The sight made his
friends feel sad, and "They lifted up their voice and
wept." Then they rent their clothes, and sprinkled dust upon
their heads, and sat down with him upon the ground; and for seven days
they did not speak a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very
great. Sometimes, when our friends are in very great trouble, as Job
was, it is not well to try to comfort them by words. It is kinder
and wiser to feel for them in silence.
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