The Trial of Job

Table of Contents

Job's Complaint

[Radio announcer. They waited until Job spoke.] 

3:1Then Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. 
2He raised his voice, saying: 

3Curse the day that I was born,
 The night that said "A manchild is begot."
4Let that day be darkness; 
 God forget it 
 And the light shine not upon it. 
5Murk and terror take it,
 Storm and eclipse.
6Gloom swallow that night.
 Strike it from the calendar;
 Erase it from the roll of the months.
7May that night be barren 
 With no cry of joy in it. 

8Sound the great sea-spells 
 that call Leviathan;

  The Storyteller resettles herself behind Job. Now as the Scribe she will write the words of Job in the same scroll she read from before. Her raven's quill pen is poised. 

Job speaks quietly at first, with his head bowed, but he becomes more vehement as he continues. Over the course of the play Job gradually regains his vigor, so his health is completely restored even before 
God's appearance at the end of the play. 
 
 
 
 

Job raises his arms to set the fateful seal on the curse. 

Stir the depths against that night.
9Darken its first twilight stars 
 So it seeks the light in vain 
 And does not find the faintest dawn, 
10For it did not shut my mother's womb, 
  Nor save my eyes from sorrow. 
   

11Why did I not die at birth,
  Emerge from the womb and expire? 
12Why was there a lap to cradle me,
  Breasts for me to suck?
13For now I would be lying in peace,
  Asleep and at rest 
  Music as the lights come up slowly. Job is disappointed to find he is still there. 
14With the ancient kings and counselors
  Who built the ruins of the earth,
15Or with princes who had gold 
  And houses filled with silver. 
16Would I had been hidden like a stillbirth,
  A babe that never saw the light,
  Pointing feebly to the tombs of the rich. 
17There, where the wicked cease strife,
  Where the weary find rest,
18Where prisoners take their ease,
  Ignoring the taskmaster's shouts.
  Job indicates the Pit, the common grave for the poor. 
19Small and great alike are there
  And slave is free from master.

20Why give light to the wretched,
  Life to the bitter in soul,
21Who long for a death that never comes,
  Seeking it like buried treasure
22Who are glad 
  And rejoice greatly to find the grave, 
23Whose way is hidden, 
  Whom God balks at every turn?

24Sighs are my food
  And groans my drink.

  Gesturing down at the earth. 
 

He looks at his friends, for the first time. 

25The very thing I dread, it comes upon me; 
  What I fear, it comes to me.
26There is no peace for me, no rest,
  No repose; only trouble comes.
  Job looks up to Heaven. It is God whom he fears! He looks at his friends - trouble!
[Radio announcer. Then noble Eliphaz answered Job.] 
4:1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, saying, 

2Perhaps a word is more than you can bear,
 But who could be silent now?
3Think how many you have instructed,
 Giving strength to feeble hands. 
4Your words have upheld the stumbling,
 Braced their weak knees.
5But now it comes upon you, and you falter;
 It touches you, and you are overwhelmed. 
6Is not your fear your assurance,
 Your blameless conduct your hope?
7Can you recall the innocent one who perished
 Or the righteous one who came to nothing?
8In my experience it is those who plow evil
 And sow trouble that reap the same.
9God need only breathe and they perish;
 At a blast of his anger they are gone.
10The lion's roar is extinguished, 
  And the growl of the lion on the hunt. 
11The mighty lion perishes for lack of prey 
  And the cubs of the lioness are scattered. 

12A word came furtively to me once,
  And my ear caught it's whisper.
13My thoughts were awhirl from visions of the night;
  It was the hour when slumber falls upon men.
14A shiver of horror ran through me
  And my bones quaked with fear.
15A breath slid over my face;
  The hairs of my body bristled.
16Something was there, but I could not make it out;
  It was just a form before my eyes.
  And then I heard a still voice saying,

  Eliphaz is a still powerful sixty years of age, noble of bearing, with flowing gray hair and a full beard nearly white. He speaks with authority in a distinguished baritone voice, and is simply dressed in a fine white robe. He is the same actor in the same costume who played God in the Prologue. 
17"Can an ordinary mortal be just before God?
  Can even the finest man be purer than his maker?"
18For when he distrusts his own servants
  And charges the angels themselves with error,
19What then of those who dwell in houses of clay
  That are founded on dust?
  They are crushed as easily as a moth.
20Morning to evening and they are shattered; 
  They perish and are forever nameless
21Just like a tent whose mainstay is loosened,
  They collapse and die without wisdom.
  Eliphaz wants to bring the saying "just before God" to Job's attention. Perhaps Job, the admired judge, had secretly tried to surpass God in justice. There is a double meaning that is hard to convey in English. To be "just before" also means to be more just than -- more just than God. 
    Musical interlude.
5:1So make your appeal! Will you find an answer?
 To which of the holy ones will you turn?
[Radio announcer. But Job wasn't having any, so 
Eliphaz decided on stronger medicine.] 
  Eliphaz looks expectantly at 
Job, who shrugs and turns away. 
2Anger kills the fool
 And passion takes the easily enticed.
3I have seen the fool take root
 Until his household is suddenly cursed,
  Eliphaz wags his finger.  Job sees.
4His children abandoned, helpless,
 Lost in the crush, defenseless at court.
5His harvest the hungry consume
 Down to the last grain among the thorns
 While robbers thirst after his goods.
6Woe does not sprout from the dust
 And sorrow does not spring from the earth.
7A man begets touble
 As sparks fly up.
  The 4 messengers and 3 angels have found seats in the house. Their part now is to encourage the audience to be the jury at Job's trial. Here they hiss Eliphaz for reminding Job of his children. The Crowd onstage are a very vocal group, too, agreeing and disagreeing all along the way in a mumbly buzz. 
8As for me, I would apply to God
 And lay my case before God Himself,
9Doer of great things unsearchable,
 Marvels beyond number,
10Who gives rain upon the earth 
  And sends water upon the open fields, 
11Who exalts the lowly
  And secures the wretched.
12He thwarts the plots of the crafty
  And their hands miss the prize.
13He catches the clever in their own guile
  And their wily schemes are carried headlong.
14They meet with darkness at noon
  And grope their way as if day were night.
15Thus he rescues the simple from the sword 
  And the poor from the hands of the strong. 
16Thus the humble have hope
  And evil's mouth is stopped.

17Happy is the man whom God corrects;
  Accept, therefore, the discipline of the Almighty.
18For he wounds, but he binds up;
  He strikes a blow, but his hand also heals.
19From six troubles he will save you; 
  In seven no harm will come to you. 
20In famine he will keep you from starvation,
  In war from the stroke of the sword.
21Evil sayings will have no power over you;
  Approaching ruin will not frighten you.

  Kindly spoken again. 
22At destruction and famine you will laugh;
  Wild beasts you'll need not fear.
23For you will be in league with the stones
          of the field
  And at peace with the beasts of the earth.
24You will know that your tent is secure,
  Inspect your flocks and miss nothing. 
25You will know that your descendants are many
  Your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26You will come in full vigor to the grave
  As a sheaf of wheat in its season is reaped.
27All this we have confirmed; it is true.
  Now hear it and know it yourself.
  This line is the source of Job's harshest criticism of God, that God laughs at the despair of the innocent. Job hears the irony and laughs with a gesture to the audience.  This gesture will be picked up later by Job's friends. 
[Radio announcer. Job was not pleased with 
Eliphaz' talk about the anger of the fool.] 

6:1Then Job answered, saying: 
2Would that my vexation might be weighed
 With all my ills added into the balance!
3They outweigh the sands of the sea;
 That is why my words are like a drunkard's,
4For the arrows of the Almighty pierce me;
 My spirit drinks their poison --
 God's terrors are arrayed against me.
5Does the wild ox bray when he has grass 
 Or the ox bellow over his fodder? 

  Eliphaz has angered Job with talk about the passions of the fool. Job sits up straighter. 
6Can froth be eaten without salt?
 Or is there any taste in dreamer's drool?
7I have no appetite for such things;
 They are like the pain in my belly.

8Oh that what I have begged be given,
 That God grant me my hope, 
9That it please God to crush me,
 To loose his hand and cut me off.
10It would be my comfort 
  And I would exult even in throes unsparing,
  For I have not denied the Holy One's words.
11What strength have I, that I should have hope?
  What is my end that I should keep on living?

  An insulting reference to Eliphaz' 
dream vision. Job eyes Eliphaz 
obliquely, but drops his gaze when 
Eliphaz challenges him. 
12Is my strength the strength of stones
  Or is my flesh bronze?

13Is there no one who will support me?
  Has all resource been driven so far away?

  Job's friends turn away. 
 

Job pauses, hoping to be contradicted. But his friends have lost sympathy for him. 

14Loyalty is due a sick friend,
  Even if he renounce the fear of the Almighty.

15My brothers are treacherous as a desert stream;
  They are like a wadi that overflows its banks,
16Running dark with ice

  Aside. Renouncing fear of the Almighty is an unthinkable for Job, but under the impact of losing his friends, he is struck by his own words. 
  And swollen with the snow melt.
17But comes the heat, they vanish,
  A new season and they fade.
18Caravans change their course; 
  They go off in the desert and perish. 
19The caravans of Tema look; 
  The travelers of Sheba yearn. 
20But they are confounded and disappointed 
  Who come trusting the promise of water. 
21So are you to me,
  And I to you am but a sight and a fright.
  Job's friends confer. 
 22Have I asked you to make me a gift
  Or ransom me with your wealth?
23Have I said, "rescue me from my enemy"
  Or "save me from brigands"?

24Teach me and I will say no more;
  Show me where I have been wrong.
25Honest reproof can be savored,
  But your arguments, what are they?
26To fault a man's words, is that your intent,
  A despairing man's talk as so much wind?
27Would you cast lots over an orphan, too,
  Or sell a friend if you could get your price?
[Radio announcer. At that, Job's friends got up to 
go, and would have, if he hadn't called them back.] 
28Now look at me, please;
  Would I lie to your face?
29Give over this injustice, I pray you;
  For my righteousness' sake, relent.
30Is there wickedness on my tongue?
  Can my mouth not tell one word from another?

  The three begin to leave, but Job's softer tone now stops them. Eliphaz does look back back at Job, who drops his gaze once more. 
     

Continued...
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last changed November 17, 2014