Rhyming Job, Chapter 1

Rhyming Job, Chapter 1

Once in the land of Uz there lived a man
whose name was Job, both upright and blame-free;
God-fearing; evil, from his life, he banned.
His seven sons, and daughters, numbered three.

In thousands, seven, sheep were what he owned.
Three thousand camels, and five hundred each
of donkeys and too, oxen that were yoked.
His servants, numerous, extend his reach.

The man among the people of the East,
the greatest of them all. They held their feasts,

his sons, their birthdays, what they’d celebrate.
Into their homes, their sisters, three, they bade,
to eat and drink with them. It would abate,
the period of feasting, then, Job made,

arrangements for them to be purified,
because, he thought: “My children sinned, perhaps,
and cursed God in their hearts.” How he’d abide,
Job’s custom, regular, that never lapsed.

One day the angels, to present themselves,
they came before the LORD with Satan too.
The LORD said to him, “Where, what you must tell
you’ve come from?” Satan, with his useless truth:

“From roaming through the earth, went to and fro.”
The LORD asked Satan, if these facts, he’d know:

“Have you considered him, my servant, Job?
There’s no one like him underneath the sun;
God-fearing, blameless, upright, evil shunned.”

”Does Job, for nothing,” in reply, “fear God?”
said Satan. “Have you not, a hedge, installed
‘round him, his household, all he does possess?
You’ve blessed the works his hands have made so that
his flocks and herds are through the land, disbursed.
But now stretch out your hand, strike what he has,
then to your face, his curses will, you, tell.”

The LORD then said to Satan, “Very well,
then to your pow’r, all what he has, conveyed,
but, on the man himself, no finger, lay.”

Then Satan left the presence of the LORD.

One day, his sons and daughters feasted, gorged,
their oldest brother’s house, there, drinking wine.
A messenger to Job with this report:
“The oxen plowed, the donkeys grazed nearby,
Sabeans came, attacked, and, to the sword,
they put your servants, livestock that they stole.
To bring this news, I’m the survivor, sole,
from them, how I escaped.” While he yet spoke,

another messenger brought them this news:
“The fire of God fell from the heavens, high,
and burned the sheep and all the servants too;
The only one escaped from there was I.”

Yet while he spoke, another messenger:
“Chaldean raiding parties, three, they formed
and swept down on your camels, stole those herds.
They put your servants, all, unto the sword,
and I alone escaped, this news, to bear!”

While he still spoke, another messenger
appeared and said: “Your sons and daughters too
were feasting, drinking wine, his house was where,
the oldest brother’s, wind, most vi’lent, blew,
most suddenly, swept in that desert air,
and struck the corners, four, the house, construed,
collapsed on them and they’re all dead in there,
and I alone escaped to tell, this, you!”

At this, Job stood and tore his robe, he shaved
his head. To ground he fell, as to display
his worship of his God, and this he said:

“My mother’s womb, from there, I, naked, came,
and from this earth, nude, too, I will depart.
The LORD has given, and he took away;
all praises to his name, the LORD’s, impart.”

In all of this, Job kept himself from sin
by charging God with doing wrong to him.