Jobs vision ought to give a healthy shock to those. Mar 17, 2009 the theme of the book of job is nothing less than human suffering and the transcendence of it. Stephen mitchell s book of job is a very forceful and direct translation, and conveys very well the vigor of both language and thought in the original. The author of the book of job incorporated the folk book into his work in a manner still showing traces of the component parts. The books theme is the eternal problem of unmerited suffering, and it is named after its central.
Steve jobs is the authorized selftitled biography of steve jobs. After this, job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. Stephen mitchell is a renowned writer, translator, and anthologist. Intro to job biblica the international bible society. Stephen mitchell was educated at amherst college, the university of paris, and yale university career. True tales from the life of a new york city cop 272. Hes blameless and upright, and he has kids, a wife, land, and a bunch of sheep. The contents of the book, together with its artistic structure and elegant style, place it among the literary masterpieces of all time. Jobs final speech in his own defense is probably where the book originally ended. Up in the heavens, god brags to the divine assembly about job. The book of job, book of hebrew scripture that is often counted among the masterpieces of world literature.
Stephen mitchell was educated at amherst college, the sorbonne, and yale university, and deeducated through intensive zen practice. Then god said, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger job, new international version, 1. Rather, the book of job deals with questions of wisdom in the context of a narrative dealing with jobs profound anguish and excruciating pain. It gives voice to every accusation against god, and its blasphemy is cathartic. When good people suffer, what does god want from them. The narrative chronicles the trials of job as he is brought low from a comfortable and exalted position in his community to face loss of his fortune, children. While it may be that the author intended his book to be a contribution to an ongoing highlevel discussion of major theological issues in an exclusive company of learned men, it seems more likely that he intended his story to be told to godly sufferers who like job were struggling with the crisis of faith brought on by prolonged bitter suffering. Could it be the writer of job was himself ruminating over many misfortunes in his own life, whether he had somehow caused them by his own sin, working through why his so called friends blamed him rather than pulled him up. Mar 17, 2009 the book of job ebook written by stephen mitchell. The text is accompanied by an extensive introduction. Now, the book of job has been rendered into english by the eminent translator and scholar stephen mitchell, whose versions of rilke, israeli poetry, and the tao te ching have been widely praised. He is widely known for his ability to make old classics thrillingly new, to step in where many have tried before and to create versions that are definitive for our time. The book of job, by stephen mitchell the jewish eye. The book was written at the request of jobs by walter isaacson, a former executive at cnn and time who has written bestselling biographies of benjamin franklin and albert einstein.
The book of job is one of the literary masterpieces of all time, and provides a profound discussion on the suffering of a just man. The date of the authorship of the book of job would be determined by the author of the book of job. But the text one of the bibles oldest can sometimes seem puzzling to modern audiences. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the book of job. The book of job, named after its protagonist apparently not an israelite. Stephen mitchell books list of books by author stephen mitchell.
In his plainspoken but poetic 1987 translation, the classicist stephen mitchell calls the book of job the great poem of moral outrage. While mitchells own translation of the book of job is the central text of this book, i find the authors commentary to be of greatest value. Job s final speech in his own defense is probably where the book originally ended. The book of job does not specifically name its author. The theme of the book of job is nothing less than human suffering and the transcendence of it.
The wisdom that is found in the book of job is not communicated in the form of proverb. The book of job, translated into english, and rendered in verse. Tomorrow, if all literature was to be destroyed and it was left to me to retain one work only, i should save job. Mitchells translations of hebrew, german and chinese poetry and sacred prose are wonderful. Stephen mitchells superb translation of the book of job is moral in just this wayit puts us on the closest terms with the old testament book that many commentators regard as the crucial postholocaust parable. Job accuses god of being unjust and not operating the world according to principles of justice, and his friends believe that job s sin caused his suffering. The skeptical character of the symposium, with its challenge to timehonored views, most likely would have kept the book of job out of the canon of old testament writings had some additions not been made to. With joseph and the way of forgiveness, mitchell has reached back in time to one of our oldest stories of grace and brought its lessons forward to us. Now the book of job has been translated by the eminent translator and scholar stephen mitchell. Lo and behold, satan comes out and challenges god on job s goodness. If moses was the author, the date would be around 1440 b.
He thought it was imperative that i put my stories in a book. The heart cannot help but be moved and healed by the treasure to be. Read by robert garrison the book of job american standard version is presented in fortytwo chapters and is one of the old testament wisdom books. Two, neither job nor his friends ever saw the conflict going on between. Author division stephen mitchell is composed of at least 4 distinct authors, divided by their works. The skeptical character of the symposium, with its challenge to timehonored views, most likely would have kept the book of job out of the canon of old testament writings had some additions not been made to the original book. Mitchell offers interpretations that transcend the limited notions proposed by christianity. It is found in the third section of the biblical canon known as the ketuvim writings. Mitchells translations and adaptions include the bestselling tao te ching, gilgamesh, the iliad, the odyssey, the gospel according to jesus, bhagavad gita, the book of job, the second book of the tao, and the selected poetry of rainer maria rilke.
The book of job 3 the book of job introduction to the book the book of job has long been praised as a masterpiece of literature. This summary of the book of job provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of job. The setting for this narrative is in patriarchal times. The contents of the book, together with its artistic structure and elegant style, place it. Apply to editorial assistant, assistant editor, public relations assistant and more. And mitchell delivers a fascinating meditation on that great book of pain, suffering, and questioning. The author of cloud atlas would like to drink dodgy crimean wine with chekhov and play a few rounds of anglorussian scrabble. Response to stephen mitchells gospel according to jesus. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of job. Fiction book author jobs, employment skip to job postings, search close. Throughout the book, job, his wife, and his friends speculate on why he, an upright man, suffers.
The prose prologue chapters one and two and the epilogue 42. The book of job, in the old testament, opens with words both majestic and onceuponatimeish. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The book of job by stephen mitchell overdrive rakuten. Stephen mitchell books list of books by author stephen. The book of job by stephen mitchell, paperback barnes. Job 3 niv bible after this, job opened his mouth and.
The book of job is a powerful and ultimately lifeaffirming book. The name job is the english translation of the hebrew name iyov which means persecuted, hated on the surface job is a long, boring, somewhat confusing book and one might question how it ever came to be grouped with the wisdom books as it is hard to ascertain any wisdom in this tale of woe. Response to stephen mitchells gospel according to jesus t hank you for mark barnas provocative interview with author stephen mitchell the gospel according to jesus, book of psalms, book of job, the enlightened heart in your last issue. This site contains affiliate links, if you click on one of these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. This is the first time ever that the hebrew verse of job has been translated into verse in any language, ancient or modern, and the result is a. His more than thirty books for adults and children include the nightingale a retelling of hans christian andersens classic story. The book of job kindle edition by mitchell, stephen. The unobtrusive but thorough and conscientious scholarship also makes the book extremely valuable.
The book of job isbn 9780060969592 pdf epub stephen. The use of this preexisting material very cleverly placed the problem outside of palestine, thereby excluding the possible objection of orthodox theology that such a casea perfectly righteous man persecuted by yhwh. Ive always struggled with jobs story, but never stopped to consider whether he was real or fictional. The most likely candidates are job, elihu, moses and solomon. Fabric worker title 32 army national guard unitsmitchell, south dakota. A bible study course gives you an insightful look into how job can transform your faith today. There was a man in the land of uz, whose name was job. While mitchell s own translation of the book of job is the central text of this book, i find the authors commentary to be of greatest value. Stephen mitchell is a tireless curator of wisdom whose lifes work is nothing less than the study of human transformation. Job is a book from the bible i have always been oddly drawn to and stephen mitchell is an author i am even more strongly attached to, so the book of job by stephen mitchell is obviously too great a combination to pass up. If your teacher actually wants you to cite mla for this, then get a bible and give him the publication date, the editor it should be in the introduction, etc. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of. Mar 04, 2014 the book of job is not answering a theoretical question about why good people suffer. This is the first time ever that the hebrew verse of job has been translated into verse in any language, ancient or modern, and the result is a triumph.
40 699 1398 1162 384 1161 679 1454 63 993 1404 461 746 438 1169 930 1489 14 1454 522 588 1397 541 809 1055 413 1113 1441 629 723 990 604