Job Lose Everything

One messenger dey run, breath dey cut am, e reach di door. Before e fit finish im news, another one reach. Then another one. Then another one. Each one dey talk di same words. And na only me escape come tell you.

For di land of Uz, one man dey wey im name na Job. Di Bible describe am with four things. E no get blame. E dey upright. E fear God. And e dey turn away from evil. Job get seven sons and three daughters. E get thousands of sheep and camels, hundreds of cows and donkeys, and plenty servants. Na im be di greatest man for di whole east. Im children like to gather together for feast for each other house. And after, Job go wake up early and offer sacrifice for each one of dem, just in case any of dem don sin against God for dem heart. E dey do dis one every time.

Then di story open di curtain on one scene wey Job no ever see. Di heavenly beings come present demself for di front of Di Lord, and among dem, one come wey dem dey call di satan, wey mean di accuser. Where you come from? Di Lord ask. From waka up and down for di earth, e answer. You don notice my servant Job? Di Lord talk. Nobody dey like am for di earth. Di accuser shake im shoulder. Job dey fear God for nothing? You don put fence round am and bless everything wey e dey do. Take everything comot, and e go curse you for your face. So Di Lord allow make dem test Job. Dem fit touch everything wey e get, but dem no go touch Job imself.

One day, as Job children dey feast together, di messengers come. Raiders don carry your cows and your donkeys. Di fire of God don fall from heaven, e burn your sheep finish. Raiders don carry your camels go. And for every one, dem don kill di servants. As dat last messenger still dey talk, one more reach, and dis one na di news wey hard pass. Big wind blow come from di desert and hit di house where your sons and daughters dey eat. Di house fall. Your children don die. Job stand up. E tear im cloth. E shave im head. E fall for ground. And e worship. Naked I come out from my mama womb, and naked I go go back. Di Lord give, and Di Lord don take away. Make di name of Di Lord dey blessed. For all dis one, na so di Bible talk, Job no sin, and e no blame God say e do wrong.

Di heavenly beings gather again. Di Lord point to Job again. E still hold im integrity tight. Di accuser answer: person go give everything to save im own skin. Touch im body, and e go curse you. So dem test Job again, but dem must spare im life. Painful sores come out all over im body, from di bottom of im feet reach di top of im head. Job sit down among di ashes and dey use one piece of broken pot scratch imself. Im wife no fit bear am. You still dey hold your integrity? Curse God, and die. But Job answer: you dey talk like foolish woman. We go accept good from God, and we no go accept trouble? For all dis one, Job no sin with im lips.

News of Job suffering spread. Three of im friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, arrange to meet and go comfort am. When dem see am from far, dem almost no recognise am. Dem cry loud. Dem tear dem clothes and throw dust up for air over dem head. And then dem do something wey get sense. Dem sit down for ground beside am, for seven days and seven nights. Nobody talk one word. Dem fit see say im pain big well well.

Di seven days wey di friends keep quiet follow one pattern wey people know. Seven days na di normal time of mourning for Israel world. Genesis tell how Joseph mourn im papa Jacob for seven days, and di later book of Sirach talk say mourning for di dead dey last seven days. To tear cloth, to sit down for ground and to put dust for head, all na ways to mourn together with somebody. Job friends start by doing exactly wetin grief need.

Job Lose Everything. You go find am for di book of Job, chapter one and two. Job no ever know about di conversation for heaven. Na only im loss e know. And still e worship, and still e hold on. Di rest of im book dey honest about im pain too. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When somebody wey you know dey hurt, you fit just sit down with am?