Eliphaz the Temanite said, “Will it grieve you to talk with us? I feel moved to speak. Look, you have been a leader. You have strengthened the weak. Now trouble has come to you. Yet, think: Who ever died for being innocent? Whenever is the righteous left out in the cold? Those who plow iniquity—and those who sow wickedness—reap the same. God blasts them. The roaring of the lion and the teeth of the young lions are broken. The old lion dies for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered.
“I know this little secret;
It came to me as a vision in the night
And fear and trembling shook my bones.
“A sprit passed and my hair stood on end.
It stopped but had no shape.
Yet it was an image in the silence and it asked me,
‘Will mortals be more just than God?
Will mortals be more pure than their maker?
God cannot trust his servants
Even his angels are fools.’
“So, as for we who dwell in houses of clay,
For us whose foundation is in the dust,
We die like moths.
We are destroyed from morning to evening
We perish continuously, no one ever noticing.
“And as for the good in us—
Where does that go?
“We die without wisdom. . .
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Chapter Three: A Curse and a Lament
The first word to come out of Job’s mouth was a curse.
Then he said,
“I wish I had never been born!
Or that I had died at birth.
Then I would be quiet;
I would sleep with the kings
And the counselors of the earth,
With the powerful who build
Desolate places for themselves
And with princes who had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver.
“In death the wicked cease their troubling
And the weary can rest.
In death the prisoners relax, never
Hearing the voice of the oppressor.
In death the small and great gather,
And the servant is free of the master.
“Why is it that light comes in misery?
Why does the bitter soul go on breathing?
Why do those who long for death have to wait,
Digging for it as if it were a hidden treasure?
When they find the grave, they rejoice.
“Why is it that light comes to those
Whose paths are hidden
And whom God has fenced in?
I sigh before I eat;
I pour out my screams like water.
“What I feared most has come to me;
What terrified me is here.
I never felt secure;
I never rested;
Never was I complacent;
Yet trouble came to me.”
Then he said,
“I wish I had never been born!
Or that I had died at birth.
Then I would be quiet;
I would sleep with the kings
And the counselors of the earth,
With the powerful who build
Desolate places for themselves
And with princes who had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver.
“In death the wicked cease their troubling
And the weary can rest.
In death the prisoners relax, never
Hearing the voice of the oppressor.
In death the small and great gather,
And the servant is free of the master.
“Why is it that light comes in misery?
Why does the bitter soul go on breathing?
Why do those who long for death have to wait,
Digging for it as if it were a hidden treasure?
When they find the grave, they rejoice.
“Why is it that light comes to those
Whose paths are hidden
And whom God has fenced in?
I sigh before I eat;
I pour out my screams like water.
“What I feared most has come to me;
What terrified me is here.
I never felt secure;
I never rested;
Never was I complacent;
Yet trouble came to me.”
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Chapter Two: Job's Further Afflictions
Now it so happened, on another day, the sons of God met with YAHWEH. Satan was at the meeting.
YAHWEH said to Satan, “Where are you coming from?”
Satan answered, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
YAHWEH said to Satan, “Have you taken a look at my servant Job? There is no one else like him on the earth. He is perfect and righteous; he worships God and eschews evil. He holds to his integrity, even though you moved me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
Satan answered YAHWEH, “Skin for skin, I do declare: all that a man has he will give for his own life. But I suspect that if you put forth your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, he will curse you to your face.”
YAHWEH said, “Look, he is in your power. All I ask is that you leave him alive.”
So Satan left the meeting with YAHWEH. And he afflicted Job with sore boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Job took a piece of a broken pot and scraped himself with it. He sat down among the ashes.
Job’s wife said to him: “You are still keeping your integrity? Curse God and die.”
Job said to his wife, “What a foolish thing to say. Are we supposed to take the good from the hand of God but not the evil?”
Despite his misfortunes, Job would not speak blasphemy.
Now, Job had three friends, and when they heard of all the evil that had come upon Job, they agreed that they should go comfort him. His three friends were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.
While they were still far off, the three friends thought they saw Job, then realized how much he had changed. They wept for him, tore their clothing, and poured dust over their heads.
When they came into Job’s presence, they sat down on the ground near him, but they did not speak for seven days and seven nights, knowing Job was in grief.
YAHWEH said to Satan, “Where are you coming from?”
Satan answered, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
YAHWEH said to Satan, “Have you taken a look at my servant Job? There is no one else like him on the earth. He is perfect and righteous; he worships God and eschews evil. He holds to his integrity, even though you moved me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
Satan answered YAHWEH, “Skin for skin, I do declare: all that a man has he will give for his own life. But I suspect that if you put forth your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, he will curse you to your face.”
YAHWEH said, “Look, he is in your power. All I ask is that you leave him alive.”
So Satan left the meeting with YAHWEH. And he afflicted Job with sore boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Job took a piece of a broken pot and scraped himself with it. He sat down among the ashes.
Job’s wife said to him: “You are still keeping your integrity? Curse God and die.”
Job said to his wife, “What a foolish thing to say. Are we supposed to take the good from the hand of God but not the evil?”
Despite his misfortunes, Job would not speak blasphemy.
Now, Job had three friends, and when they heard of all the evil that had come upon Job, they agreed that they should go comfort him. His three friends were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.
While they were still far off, the three friends thought they saw Job, then realized how much he had changed. They wept for him, tore their clothing, and poured dust over their heads.
When they came into Job’s presence, they sat down on the ground near him, but they did not speak for seven days and seven nights, knowing Job was in grief.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A Retelling of the Story of Job
CHAPTER ONE
Once there lived a man in Uz whose name was Job; he was perfect and righteous; he worshiped God and eschewed evil.
Job had seven sons and three daughters; he also had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand oxen, five hundred she-donkeys, and a huge household. Job was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Job’s sons had a custom of feasting in their houses, every one taking a turn, and they would call for their three sisters to come to eat and drink with them.
And every time his children had a feast, Job sent them a blessing, and then got up bright and early the next morning to offer a burnt sacrifice, just in case, as Job said, they had sinned in any way or somehow cursed God in their hearts. Job did this every time.
Now it so happened one day that the Sons of God met with YAHWEH. Satan was at the meeting.
YAHWEH said to Satan, “Where are you coming from?”
Satan answered, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
YAHWEH said to Satan, “Have you ever taken a look at my servant Job? There is no one else like him on the earth. He is perfect and righteous; he worships God and eschews evil.
Satan answered YAHWEH, “Ah! Not for nothing does Job worship God! You have built a hedge around him and around his house and around everything he has. You have blessed everything he does and he gets richer and richer by the day. But were you to put forth your hand and take away what he has, I suspect he would curse you to your face.”
YAHWEH said, “Look, everything that he has is now in your power. All I ask is that you do not hurt his body.”
So Satan left the meeting with YAHWEH. Meanwhile, Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the oldest brother’s house.
A messenger came to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them. Some nomads attacked them and stole them. They killed the servants and I am the only one who survived to come tell you.”
While that messenger was speaking, another ran in. This one said, “The fire of God has fallen from heaven, and it burned the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I am the only one who survived to come tell you.”
While that messenger was speaking, another ran in. This one said, “The Chaldeans attacked in three bands, and they stole the camels. They killed your servants, and I am the only one who survived to come tell you.”
While that messenger was speaking, another ran in. This one said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house. Suddenly, there came a great wind from the wilderness, crashing into the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I am the only one who survived to come tell you.”
Job stood up, tore his clothing, shaved his head, fell down upon the ground, and worshipped God. Job said, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked will I return thither; YAHWEH gave, and YAHWEH has taken away; blessed be the name of YAHWEH.”
Despite his misfortune, Job did not commit a sin, nor did he speak to God foolishly.
Once there lived a man in Uz whose name was Job; he was perfect and righteous; he worshiped God and eschewed evil.
Job had seven sons and three daughters; he also had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand oxen, five hundred she-donkeys, and a huge household. Job was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Job’s sons had a custom of feasting in their houses, every one taking a turn, and they would call for their three sisters to come to eat and drink with them.
And every time his children had a feast, Job sent them a blessing, and then got up bright and early the next morning to offer a burnt sacrifice, just in case, as Job said, they had sinned in any way or somehow cursed God in their hearts. Job did this every time.
Now it so happened one day that the Sons of God met with YAHWEH. Satan was at the meeting.
YAHWEH said to Satan, “Where are you coming from?”
Satan answered, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
YAHWEH said to Satan, “Have you ever taken a look at my servant Job? There is no one else like him on the earth. He is perfect and righteous; he worships God and eschews evil.
Satan answered YAHWEH, “Ah! Not for nothing does Job worship God! You have built a hedge around him and around his house and around everything he has. You have blessed everything he does and he gets richer and richer by the day. But were you to put forth your hand and take away what he has, I suspect he would curse you to your face.”
YAHWEH said, “Look, everything that he has is now in your power. All I ask is that you do not hurt his body.”
So Satan left the meeting with YAHWEH. Meanwhile, Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the oldest brother’s house.
A messenger came to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them. Some nomads attacked them and stole them. They killed the servants and I am the only one who survived to come tell you.”
While that messenger was speaking, another ran in. This one said, “The fire of God has fallen from heaven, and it burned the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I am the only one who survived to come tell you.”
While that messenger was speaking, another ran in. This one said, “The Chaldeans attacked in three bands, and they stole the camels. They killed your servants, and I am the only one who survived to come tell you.”
While that messenger was speaking, another ran in. This one said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house. Suddenly, there came a great wind from the wilderness, crashing into the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I am the only one who survived to come tell you.”
Job stood up, tore his clothing, shaved his head, fell down upon the ground, and worshipped God. Job said, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked will I return thither; YAHWEH gave, and YAHWEH has taken away; blessed be the name of YAHWEH.”
Despite his misfortune, Job did not commit a sin, nor did he speak to God foolishly.
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