Excerpt from “Jeremiah Tells the Story of JOB”
CHAPTER 52
Here is a story someone should tell. I cannot tell it because I do not
know how it could end. I do not know if it ends. Everyone knows this
story, or thinks he does, because the story seems to mean, Suffer your
allotment as God gives it to you, and if you are patient and steadfast as
he requires, you will emerge into blessing. Many tell this story now, to
their friends and families, and they stop strangers in the market-place
and say, Have you heard it, the Story of Job? And here is the story. It
is a true story, not because it happened in time and place, but because
in it somewhere is the deepest truth. I know that; but I cannot yet find
that truth. Someone will. Here is the story.
A man lived in the Negev—a rich and well-respected man; his name
was Job. He had hundreds of sheep and goats and camels, and he had
ten fine children, sons and daughters. Everyone in the settlements of
the Negev knew him, and the Bedouins who wander the deserts knew
him too, as a man of honor. Sometimes they brought their disputes
to him, and always he judged fairly and rendered decisions that all
parties accepted. Moreover, Job was a humble and pious man, offer-
ing household sacrifice every day and observing every festival, and
most of all honoring his gods with his decency and probity. He taught
his children to hold the gods in awe, and went in turn to each child’s
house, to sacrifice there too and burn a fragrant candle. He neglected
no obligation.
Yahweh watched over Job’s life with satisfaction. Here was a man
whole and complete and without a perceptible flaw—and Yahweh saw
his heart too, and saw that it was strong and honest. And then one day
as Job obediently performed the appointed ritual, Yahweh thought:
How easy it is for Job to be pious and honest!—I watch over his life and
reward his goodness. What will happen if I take the reward away—if
his riches and comforts vanish? Job walks in a circle he knows. I will
put him out of that circle.
And in the next few days, Midianite raiders stole Job’s sheep and goats
and killed his servants, and Arab bandits made off with his camels
and killed his servants—and worse: ah, worse. His children, and their
wives and their children came together at the house of the eldest son
for a feast on a festival-day. Job too was invited, and as he rode in
his cart toward his son’s house, a storm formed out in the desert. It
seemed to Job that the dark swirl of winds moved directly at his son’s
house. The storm, now a massive whirl-wind with dust and hail, hit the
house and it collapsed. Job’s children and all their families were killed
as he looked on from a distance. Job buried his children, and said a
prayer—the gods give and take away—we praise them!
Yahweh watched all this, and thought: Indeed, Job is whole and com-
plete: he bears the suffering that I have sent him without cause, with
dignity and patience. And then Yahweh thought: Or is this suffering
just on the surface? A man may tear his shirt, and take it off, and wear
the shift underneath, and tear that and take it off, and there is the skin,
and even under this skin is another skin that he would peel off if he
had to. I will give him pain that goes deeper yet—all the way through
the flesh, to bone. And I will see what will happen.
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