The Life of Job

Job

Characters: Voice of God, Satan, Reader, Job, Four Servants, wife of Job, Eliphaz,

Bildad, Zophar, Elihu

Bible text: Job

Scene I

Reader: There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was

perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and despised evil. And there

were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also

was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred

yoke of oxen, and five hundred other animals, and a very great household;

so that this was the greatest man of all the men of the East. Now there was

a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord,

and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan,

Voice of God:

Where do you come from?

Satan: From going about the earth and walking in it.

Voice: Have you noticed my servant Job? There is none like him. He is a perfect

man. He fears God and avoids evil.

Satan: Does he fear God for nothing? Haven’t you made a hedge around him, his

house, and all he has. You have blessed him and all his work. But if you

take away all he has, he will curse you to your face.

Voice: All right Satan. I’ll give him to you, only don’t harm his body.

(Satan leaves.)

Scene II

(Job sitting in his house. Servants enter, one after the other.)

First Servant: The oxen were plowing and the animals grazing beside them. The

Sabeans took them and all the servants except me, and I am the only one

that escaped to tell you.

Second Servant:

Fire from Heaven burned up all the sheep and servants, and I am the only

one that escaped to tell you.

Third Servant: The Chaldeans came and took all the camels and killed all the servants

except me, and I am the only one that escaped to tell you.

Fourth Servant:

Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking in the oldest brother’s

house and a great wind blew the house down and killed them. I am the

only one that escaped to tell you.

(Job gets up, rubs hands over his head, kneels down and prays):

Job: Naked I came into the world and naked I will leave. The Lord gave and

the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Scene III

Voice: Where have you been, Satan?

Satan: Going about the earth.

Voice: Have you noticed my servant Job? There is none like him. He fears God

and hates evil. He did not sin against me even though you tried to destroy

him without cause.

Satan: Yes, but if you touch his flesh and bone, he’ll curse you to your face.

Voice: Well, he is in your hand. Only save his life.

Scene IV

(Job sitting on floor, covered with boils.)

Wife: Look at you with all those sores all over you! Why don’t you curse God

and die!

Job: You speak like a foolish woman. Don’t we receive good as well as bad

from God?

(Enter three friends, look at Job, put faces in hands as if crying.)

Job: Let the day perish when I was born, for what I was afraid of has

come upon me!

Eliphaz: Well, if you had been as good as you felt you were, these terrible things

would not have happened to you.

Job: I don’t feel as if I can bear all these terrible things, but God is just.

I wish he would take my life.

Bildad: If you were pure and upright, surely God would come and make you

prosperous.

Job: God is wise and mighty. No one can turn against God and prosper.

Zophar: You should know that God does not punish one as much as he deserves.

One cannot know God by searching. He is as high as Heaven and deeper

than Hell, longer than earth, and wider than sea.

Job: I know you think you are the wisest men on earth and when you die all

wisdom will be gone. But I am as wise as you are. Your advice is

foolishness. Even if God kills me, I will trust in Him. He will save me.

Man has a short life and lots of troubles. After my body is rotten, I will

see God. As long as I live, I will be a good man and obey God.

(Enter Elihu)

Elihu: I am young, but I will say that the aged are not always wise. Not one of

you convinced Job against God.

Voice: I am angry with your friends for they have not spoken the right thing about

me, but you have. You three, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, take seven

bullocks and seven rams and offer a sacrifice and Job will pray for you.

(All leave.)

Reader: The Lord blessed Job and gave him twice as much as he had before. He

also had seven sons and three daughters. Job lived 140 years more after

all these things had happened to him.