THE STORYTELLER'S BIBLE
Act III - Wisdom Literature, Scene 1
Script by Bob Allen
For four voices

THE STORYTELLER’S BIBLE

Script by Bob Allen

Arranged for four voices. 

Voice two should be female.  The other voices can be either male or female.

Scene changes are indicated by numbers and should be marked by a pause,

accompanied by a re-arrangement of the positions of the speakers.   Suggested staging and   

movements are included in the text.  .

PART THREE: WISDOM LITERATURE

Scene 1

                                    (ALL READERS START ON STOOLS WITH THEIR BACKS                                            TO THE AUDIENCE.  BE CERTAIN TO PROJECT VOICES.)

4          2          3          1

VOICE FOUR:            Seventy years!

VOICE THREE:          Seventy years will be visited on your people!

VOICE TWO:             Seventy years of captivity.

VOICE ONE:              Seventy years of exile.

VOICE FOUR:            All the hills of Zion weep with the tears of mourning, because                                      none come to the solemn feasts.

VOICE THREE:          The gates of the holy city lie desolate.

VOICE TWO:             Her virgins are afflicted and she is in bitterness.

VOICE FOUR:            Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

VOICE THREE:          (TURN TOWARD AUDIENCE)  Out of the depths--

VOICE TWO:             (TURN TOWARD AUDIENCE)  Out of the refining fires of the                                               apparent silence of God—

VOICE ONE:              (TURN TOWARD AUDIENCE)  Out of the laments of a people                                             who walk in darkness—

VOICE THREE:          (TURN TOWARD AUDIENCE)  Comes hope!

VOICE TWO:             Faith!

VOICE FOUR:            Joy!

VOICES TWO, THREE, FOUR:         The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we                                           are glad.

VOICE ONE:              One king, Nebuchadnezzar, had been used by God to punish His                                     people and carry them away into captivity.

VOICE TWO:             Another king, Cyrus, yielded to the sovereignty of God and issued                                     the decree allowing God’s people to return to the land of promise                                     and rebuild the temple.

VOICE THREE:          (STAND)  When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we                                     were like them that dream.

VOICE FOUR:            (STAND)  Then was our mouth filled with laughter,

VOICE ONE:              (STAND)  And our tongue with singing:

VOICE TWO:             (STAND)  Then said they among the heathen, the Lord has done                                     great things for them.

ALL:                            The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

                                    (ALL SIT)

VOICE ONE:              The entire nation went into captivity.

VOICE TWO:             Forty-two thousand, three hundred and sixty returned.

VOICE THREE:          The glorious, golden temple of Solomon lay in ruins.

VOICE FOUR:            Zerubbabel and Joshua laid the foundation for the restoration                                     temple.

VOICE ONE:              And the ancient men, those who had seen the first temple—wept.

VOICE TWO:             Adversaries grew fierce.

VOICE THREE:          Initial excitement soon degenerated into discouragement.

VOICE FOUR :           Haggai and Zechariah rose up with the Word of God to strengthen                                     their resolve, and twenty years after the laying of the foundation,                                     Zerubbabel and Joshua, all the children of Israel, the priests and                                     the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity kept the                                     dedication of the house of God with joy.