![]() ![]() We, the readers and inheritors of his book, know this. Piped-in oxygen, controlled light, keep the drinks coming. What is life? It’s a bleeping and blooping Manichaean casino: You’re up or you’re down, in God’s hands or the devil’s. Job is going to be immiserated, sealed into sorrow-for a bet. ![]() A classic Old Testament skit, pungent as a piece of absurdist theater or a story by Kafka. The Trumplike deity the shrewd and loitering adversary the cruelly flippant wager and the stooge, the cosmic straight man, Job, upon whose oblivious head the sky is about to fall. That-give or take a couple of verses-is how it starts, the Book of Job. ![]() Take it all away from him, and I bet you he’ll curse you to your face.” And God says, “You’re on.” “The rich, happy, healthy guy? The guy with 3,000 camels? Of course he does. He thinks I’m the greatest.” “Job?” says Satan. ( AA) No one said a word to him, ( AB) because they saw how great his suffering was.So God says to Satan, “You there, what have you been up to?” And Satan says, “Oh, you know, just hanging around, minding my own business.” And God says, “Well, take a look at my man Job over there. ( Y) 13 Then they sat on the ground ( Z) with him for seven days and seven nights. ( U) 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him ( V) they began to weep aloud, ( W) and they tore their robes ( X) and sprinkled dust on their heads. ( Q)ġ1 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, ( R) Bildad the Shuhite ( S) and Zophar the Naamathite, ( T) heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” ( P) ( M)ĩ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? ( N) Curse God and die!” ( O)ġ0 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. ( L) 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, ( H) and he will surely curse you to your face.” ( I)Ħ The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands ( J) but you must spare his life.” ( K)ħ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. “A man will give all he has ( G) for his own life. ( D) And he still maintains his integrity, ( E) though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” ( F)Ĥ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” ( C)ģ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” 2 On another day the angels ( A) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them ( B) to present himself before him.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |