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וישמעו, תחלה שמע כ"א במדינתו ויבואו ממקומו כ"א בפ"ע, ובבואם ארץ עוץ ופגשו זב"ז נועדו יחדיו לבא בצותא חדא: Hearing of the calamities that had befallen him, Job's three friends, Eliphaz of Teman, Bildad of Shuah and Zophar of Naamah traveled from afar to mourn his losses and to comfort him.13Notwithstanding Malbim's reservations in the matter, the plain meaning of the text is that despite the afflictions Job did not sin; Satan has lost the heavenly wager. We the readers know this but Job and his companions do not. They have no knowledge at all of the true reasons for Job's destruction. This is the irony of their debate.