The Book of Job

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“The Book of Job” by Stephen Mitchell

Introduction

“The Book of Job” is thought to be the greatest Jewish artwork and one of the masterworks of world’s literature. Stephen Mitchell, an eminent scholar and translator has successfully translated the Hebrew verse into English. The book’s theme revolves around human suffering and all its transcendence. It throbs with outrage, moral energy and spiritual insight. Mitchell’s translation has turned a majestic but confusing Jewish artwork into a marvelous poem possessing drama, lucidity and power.

Discussion

“The Book of Job” revolves around Job, God and Satan. Job was a very devout man who lived in the land of Uz. He was a blameless, upright and God fearing man who shunned all evil. Satan, on the other hand, was a ‘son of God’ charged with the responsibility of proving people’s righteousness by tempting them into doing wrong things (Kroll). One day while delivering his report concerning the people on earth, God asked Satan if he had considered Job in his tests. God believed that Job was a righteous man and no one in the whole world could be compared to him. Satan dismissed God’s opinion regarding Job’s religious character (Mitchell 10). According to him, Job had cynical reasons and clandestine motives for trusting and obeying God. He insisted that Job was God’s fair-weather friend who is only concerned with what he can obtain from God. He proclaims that Job adores God because God has blessed the work of his hands to the extent that his herds and flock are spread all over the land.

Satan mocked God’s joy and pride over Job’s devotion. He challenged God to take away all Job’s blessings for Him to realize that Job is not His friend. Satan makes a bet with God and convinces Him to strike everything possessed by Job for Him to realize how Job will curse Him on His face (Mitchell 13). Filled with intense desire to find out if Job will disown and curse Him, God grants Satan permission to...