God Answer Job from di Storm

Di wind rise. Dust dey turn round go up for sky. One big storm dey sweep across di land. And from di middle of di storm, one voice talk. Job don wait long time for dis one. Na di voice of God.

Job don lose im money, im children and im health. Im three friends don sit down quietly with am for one week. But then dem begin talk, and dem no stop to talk. You must don do something wrong, dem talk. God dey punish di wicked. Confess, and everything go dey well. Job insist say e no do anything wey make am deserve dis one. E mourn, e protest, e cry out. E wish say e fit stand for God front and ask am why. Di arguments dey go round and round, from one chapter to another. Then, finally, Di Lord answer Job from inside di whirlwind.

God no start with explanation. E start with questions. Tie your waist like man, e talk. I go ask you questions, and you go answer me. Where you dey when I lay di foundation of di earth? Who measure am? Who set im cornerstone, when di morning stars dey sing together and all di angels dey shout for joy? Who close di sea behind door when e burst comot from di womb, and talk say, na here you go reach, you no go pass am, na here your proud waves go stop? You don ever command di morning make e start? You don waka for di deep places of di sea, or see di storehouses of di snow?

Di questions dey come dey go, and now dem full with animals. You fit hunt meat for di lioness? Who dey feed di young ravens when dem cry out to God? You know when di mountain goats dey born? Who set di wild donkey free make e waka anywhere? Look di ostrich, as e dey flap im wings. When e run, e dey laugh di horse and di person wey ride am. Look di war horse, wey dey jump like locust, dey blow air for nose, dey laugh at fear. Na your wisdom make di hawk dey fly? Na your command make di eagle build im nest high for di top of di rocks? Job, wey get plenty words before, now get only few. I small. How I go fit answer you? I put my hand for my mouth.

God talk again, from inside di storm. E describe two very big creatures. Behemoth, wey im bones be like iron rods, wey dey rest calm even when di river dey rage round am. And Leviathan, one sea beast wey dey make person fear, wey no hook fit catch and no human being fit tame. If nobody get mind to wake am up, God ask, who then fit stand for my front? Then Job answer. I know say you fit do all things. I talk about things wey I no understand, things wey too wonderful for me. I don hear about you with my ear, but now my eye don see you. And Job repent inside dust and ashes.

Then God turn to Job friends, and e vex with dem. Una no talk di correct thing about me, as my servant Job talk. Dem must bring offering, and Job go pray for dem. So Job, wey dem words don wound well well, pray for im friends. And after dat, God restore Job fortune, e give am double of wetin e get before. Im brothers, im sisters and im old friends come eat with am and comfort am. Job get ten more children, seven sons and three daughters. Im daughters names na Jemimah, Keziah and Keren-happuch, di most beautiful women for di land. Job live reach to see four generations, and e die when e don old and im days don full.

One small detail for di end of Job for catch di ears of di people of old. Job give im daughters inheritance together with dem brothers. For Israel law, as di book of Numbers arrange am, daughters dey normally inherit land only when no son dey. Job, wey get seven sons, still share im inheritance with im daughters. Di book take care to name dem, but im sons no get name for di story.

God Answer Job from di Storm. You go find am for di book of Job, chapter thirty-eight reach forty-two. God no ever tell Job why e suffer. Instead, e show Job who e be, and dat one reach for Job to trust am. Di book no talk say Job forget im grief. But e don meet God. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When you no get di answers wey you want, wetin e go mean to trust di God wey make di stars?