“timeroso de Dios” [Spanish Jerusalem Bible Series - Job sub-series - # 1:1-B]

It’s “Timorous” in English tongue
Like little mouse who lives among
A house of felines – knows his place –
Where not to walk, in any case.

Well, here we meet Job, as they’d say
In Spanish, “timeroso” – way
Beyond our world of strut-success
And power-wielding impishness.

It’s here appears old Job, the man;
Walked “Line between” – the one that ran
Twixt timeroso’s humble life
And mal (that’s evil)’s nastiness.

Job’s integrated – of a piece
Integro – basis of his piece –
(Shalom means wholeness, peace to you
Lest you need patching up with glue).

First verse we saw where our man lived;
Now we at stove lift up the lid
And take in savor of the man –
Integro, recto shows his span.

For recto means, like English word,
“Erect” – upright – in both words heard
A wonder-fellow, hale, well-met,
Best on the block – if God would let –

Him come, reside a year or two
Amongst us – that a closer view
Might show us what God had in mind
Day six, when making all mankind.

For in God’s image we are made –
Some think “Reflecting” words he laid
Out on day one, which He called, “Good”
“Well made, indeed”, thus understood.

It’s ser we see both times in this –
Not estar with its temporal shift;
Job was the man, once, in his time,
Way back before this writer ran –

His story by first readers, keen
To hear whatever it could mean
To them, way back, as for us now,
“Once – in his time – if you’ll allow.”

So this is an auspicious start
To longish tale – as we embark
Upon this journey, Spanish-style,
Let’s soak in words he shares the while –

It seems Job was not just a guy
Who walked the line, not thinking, “Why?”
But rather he’s a man who chose
His sitz im leben – we suppose –

Because he held his God in all
And in creation-story saw
Potential written in his genes
To be worked out – what living means.

For story tells us in verse one
He lived (vivia) ’neath the sun
Just as we do far down life’s road;
Job’s focus of this yarn we’re told.

For me, my puzzling piece right now
Is “Evil”; “satan” – what and how
All that fits in – today, our world,
As seven billion folks now swirl –

Upon this globe; ’fore we embark
On greater journeys – ’fore we start
To go our separate ways out there,
Exporting “good and evil” pair –

Of items God told Adam once
To leave alone – “In for an ounce;
In for a ton”, for you’ll regret
Those actions, freedom gives folks yet.

So as we start, like all good yarns,
Job’s satisfied, no hint of harms
He’s yet to face as story spins
(I read ahead) – here Job begins.

We know from TV, media,
When we are told – “Hallelujah!
It’s well indeed with hero’s soul”,
All hell’s about to hit – we know.

But in this calm before the gale,
We meet our hero – hearty, hail,
And wish him well (a bit like us
In better times – before our fuss).

Thanks Lord for this.

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