I tried to come up with a Bible study plan that would both interest me and take some time. I eventually came up with the decision to study Job. Soon thereafter I learned it was going to be a challenge. That was January, and it is now June. I have finally settled on a method. Of course, I started that first day I decided, but I have led a group through James, led a group through a financial bible study, experienced school at home, and the world changed around me.

My first decision was what version to read it in. I have a bible with four different versions across the same two pages. I picked a verse at relative random and found that all four versions were different overall and some details were presented four different ways. I was befuddled. Doing a little research, I found a four-part blog on the internet that was to assess the interpretations of Job. It seemed as if the author wanted to do a lengthy study, but he gave up after studying two verses in chapter one. His plan was to study 20 different versions. Probably overkill, but…

I decided to see what versions I had, and I found seven of the twenty he picked. It turns out I have at least nineteen versions and as many as three revisions of some of those. Interestingly enough, many of the different ones I found I had obtained when my mom passed. Although looking again, I think I only have one version (that was from 2017) that I did not get from my mom at some point. (I did decide to buy three books that contain focused translations of Job within them.)

I have decided to read the version published by the Jewish Publishing Society in 1985. Not only does it represent the version of English I learned in my last English class, it seems to present the meaning of the words at the time there were written and not the meaning of the words after debate among a host of Christians who have different interpretations of what comes later. (One critic the four-part blog used for another version included technical Christian words I had to look up to know what they meant.)

After reading the JPS version, I will read the Common English Bible published in 2011 that has “newer” English and includes the result of all the debate among denominations. (note after studying two chapters and interpreting two chapters, I really do not like the Common English Bible as I feel the language chosen dumbs down the message beyond the level at which studying it can help anyone. Its only use would seem to be to be reading for a very new Christian.) Neither of these first two version has any commentary and the point will be to just read the words and follow the prose and poetry form of the original writing.

Then I will use the commentaries from the New Revised Standard Version from 2009 that is widely used in biblical studies along with my new three books (that arrive soon). The past eighteen, twelve, and six months have brought new challenges to my life and I look forward to applying what I have learned and building upon the progress I have made. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to complete this study and how the other aspects of my decisions back in January play out over the rest of the year.

September update:

Note that three months and two chapters in, I have added the NIV version that I read from college onward whenever I read the bible, the King James Version that set the standard for all subsequent study, and the New King James verison that updates English from 1611 to 1982 in order to make sure my cross section of translations actually includes the versions that I have heard and read most of my life. (The NIV basically replaces the Common English version I dropped.)

So its December and I will finally post this. So I include a prelude of later results to get this started:

Job Chapter 1

1 At one time, there was a man living in the land of Uz whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright, He revered God, and turned away from evil. 2 Seven sons were born to him, and three daughters. 3 His property was seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a great abundance of slaves. He was the wealthier than all the people of the East. 4 Each year his sons would go and hold a feast, each in his own home on his set day, inviting their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of the feasting had run their course, Job would send word and sanctify his children, Rising early in the morning, he made wholly burnt sacrificial offerings, one for each of the children, for Job thought:

Perhaps my children have sinned by blaspheming God in their thoughts.

This is what Job always did.

Note that I went to Grand Cayman for Thanksgiving last year and used that time to try and discern a study to follow. So its been a year long journey already. Makes my three year timeline not so daunting.