The poetical masterpiece that confronts the inexplicable mystery of good and evil can be a companion on your own spiritual journey.

The 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, the editor of the Oxford University Press Study Bible program, clarifies what Job is, helps overcome difficulties in the text, and suggests what Job may mean for us today. Kraus's 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.

Foreword vii
Introduction xi

The Prose Framework: Opening 1
Chapter 1 3
Chapter 2 9

Job's Curse 13
Chapter 3 15

The First Dialogue Cycle 19
Chapter 4 21
Chapter 5 25
Chapter 6 29
Chapter 7 35
Chapter 8 39
Chapter 9 43
Chapter 10 49
Chapter 11 53
Chapter 12 57
Chapter 13 61
Chapter 14 65

The Second Dialogue Cycle 69
Chapter 15 71
Chapter 16 77
Chapter 17 81
Chapter 18 85
Chapter 19 89
Chapter 20 95
Chapter 21 99

The Third Dialogue Cycle 105
Chapter 22 107
Chapter 23 111
Chapter 24 115
Chapter 25 119
Chapter 26 123
Chapter 27 125
Chapter 28 129

Job's Final Speeches 133
Chapter 29 135
Chapter 30 139
Chapter 31 145

The Elihu Explosion 151
Chapter 32 153
Chapter 33 157
Chapter 34 163
Chapter 35 169
Chapter 36 173
Chapter 37 179

The Answer of God from the Storm 183
Chapter 38 185
Chapter 39 191
Chapter 40 197
Chapter 41 201

Job's Final Reply 207
Chapter 42 (verses 1–6) 209

The Prose Framework: Closing 211
Chapter 42 (verses 7–17) 213

Acknowledgments 214
Suggestions for Further Reading 215

The poetical masterpiece that confronts the inexplicable mystery of good and evil can be a companion on your own spiritual journey.

The 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, the editor of the Oxford University Press Study Bible program, clarifies what Job is, helps overcome difficulties in the text, and suggests what Job may mean for us today. Kraus's 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.