The Book of Job, livre ebook

The poetical masterpiece that confronts the inexplicable mystery of good and evil can be a companion on your own spiritual journey.The book of Job, celebrated as a classic of world literature and one of the glories of the Bible, can often be puzzling and frustrating: puzzling for its dialogue form and off-putting because of the many questions it leaves unanswered. The book was written in a world very different from our own, and yet the fundamental questions it raises are still ones we grapple with today: Is it worthwhile to act for the best? Does life have a meaning beyond itself? Why do the righteous suffer and the guilty prosper?In this accessible guide to a spiritual masterpiece, Donald Kraus, the editor of the Oxford University Press Study Bible program, clarifies what Job is, helps overcome difficulties in the text, and suggests what Job may mean for us today. Kraus's fresh translation captures some of the finest poetry in the Hebrew Bible and uncovers the original author’s intent in a way that is accessible for modern readers and spiritual seekers.This inviting SkyLight Illuminations edition, with probing facing-page commentary, explores Job’s daring challenges to God’s goodness, asks questions about the basic fairness of existence, and offers compelling descriptions of the glories of the created world and the bitter sorrows of human life.Foreword viiIntroduction xiThe Prose Framework: Opening 1Chapter 1 3Chapter 2 9Job's Curse 13Chapter 3 15The First Dialogue Cycle 19Chapter 4 21Chapter 5 25Chapter 6 29Chapter 7 35Chapter 8 39Chapter 9 43Chapter 10 49Chapter 11 53Chapter 12 57Chapter 13 61Chapter 14 65The Second Dialogue Cycle 69Chapter 15 71Chapter 16 77Chapter 17 81Chapter 18 85Chapter 19 89Chapter 20 95Chapter 21 99The Third Dialogue Cycle 105Chapter 22 107Chapter 23 111Chapter 24 115Chapter 25 119Chapter 26 123Chapter 27 125Chapter 28 129Job's Final Speeches 133Chapter 29 135Chapter 30 139Chapter 31 145The Elihu Explosion 151Chapter 32 153Chapter 33 157Chapter 34 163Chapter 35 169Chapter 36 173Chapter 37 179The Answer of God from the Storm 183Chapter 38 185Chapter 39 191Chapter 40 197Chapter 41 201Job's Final Reply 207Chapter 42 (verses 1–6) 209The Prose Framework: Closing 211Chapter 42 (verses 7–17) 213Acknowledgments 214Suggestions for Further Reading 215