showed kindness, but now they turned against me and spoiled my goods.
Then one came and told me, and I gave glory to God, and said not a
word of complaint.

Satan therefore, when he saw how I took the matter, devised yet more
against me, and took on him the likeness of the King of Persia, and
came and spake to all the worthless men of the country, saying, "This
man Jobab, who hath consumed all the good of the land, and left
nothing, giving it away to the halt, and maimed, and blind, is the
same that destroyed the temple of the great god and laid waste the
place of offerings. It is time that he should receive the reward of
his deeds. Come, fall upon him and spoil his house." But they said,
"He hath seven sons and three daughters; what if they escape into
other lands and accuse us of violence, and return and slay us?"
Satan answered, "Trouble not yourselves for that. See, I have
consumed part of his goods with fire; other part have I carried off.
_I_ will take in hand his children."

And he departed, and cast down the house upon my sons and daughters,
and slew them all. And when the men saw that he had spoken truth,
they came and plundered all that was in my house. Mine eyes saw
worthless and dishonourable men on my couches and at my tables, and I
could not utter a word, for I was stricken weak, as a sick woman.
Nevertheless, I remembered the recompense of the reward; and I
accounted the loss of my goods as nothing, if I might attain to that
city whereof the angel had spoken.

Then there came a messenger and told me, "Thy sons and thy daughters
are dead." And verily I was greatly troubled, and rent my clothes.
Yet I said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it