Zo´o` Kii: The Book of Job Translated in the Mann Language

The Book of Job is found in the Old Testament and falls among the Books of poetry. The book is named after its main character, who, despite his faithfulness in serving God, he found himself broken down with untold and unimaginable sufferings. God had blessed Job with immense worth, but within a short period, everything he had was destroyed, his children died, and he became seriously sick. Despite these experiences, Job remained faithful to God.

On many occasions, believers wonder, "Why me? Why is it that such a thing is happening to me? Where is my God? Has God turned His back on me? Why me?" But 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In everything give thanks: this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Another critical point of consideration in this book is the role of Satan in creating havoc for Job, hoping that Job would fall. Thus, as ordinary humans, we don't know what goes on around us in the spiritual realm. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood; but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Like Job, we should remain faithful to God even during troubles, calamities, adversities, and sufferings. We should read this book and learn from Job.

The Book of Job is being translated into the Mann Language so that we can understand it well, enjoy its literary aesthetic composition, and learn the great lessons Job and other characters taught in this book.

Long ago, the Mann script and other scripts were developed by the Liberia Inland Mission to enable the local people to own the Bible in their language. Since the translation of the New Testament into the Mann, for example, not much has been done to write other kinds of literature in the languages or venture into translating the entire Bible. Let us be encouraged to read and write our own languages as others do in Africa.