Description
Book SynopsisTHE 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 clarifies what Job is, helps overcome difficulties in the text and suggests what Job may mean for us today. Kraus' 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.
Trade Review"Donald Kraus's exposition is eloquent, theologically sensitive and, like the book of Job itself, unflinching in its honesty. A masterpiece!" —Michael Coogan, lecturer on Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, Harvard Divinity School; director of publications, Harvard Semitic Museum "A wise, insightful and clear guide to this fascinating book.... An excellent companion to reading Job, either on one's own or in a group." —Carol A. Newsom, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, Emory University; author, The Book of Job: A Contest of Moral Imaginations “Kraus invites us to wrestle, like Job, with the hardest questions in life, about suffering, justice, fairness and the place of God in the midst of all of it. This is an excellent resource for adult education, personal enrichment, someone who wants more insight into a literary gem (Kraus’s translation is a wonder of beauty), or the seeker after Wisdom.” —The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, Episcopal Church; author, Gathering at God’s Table: The Meaning of Mission in the Feast of Faith “The book of Job is one of the most honest books in the Bible, but readers need a guide … familiar with its twists and turns who can help us … to discover its wisdom.… Kraus … brings the text to life and the meaning to light. By all means read it. By all means ponder it.” —Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author, Ecclesiastes: Annotated & Explained
Table of ContentsForeword vii Introduction xi The Prose Framework: Opening Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Job's Curse Chapter 3 The First Dialogue Cycle Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 The Second Dialogue Cycle Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 The Third Dialogue Cycle Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Job's Final Speeches Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 The Elihu Explosion Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 The Answer of God from the Storm Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Job's Final Reply Chapter 42 (verses 1–6) The Prose Framework: Closing Chapter 42 (verses 7–17) Acknowledgments Suggestions for Further Reading
