Act III- Wisdom Literature, Scene 7
Script by Bob Allen
For four voices
Scene 7
1 2 3
4
VOICE FOUR: An entire book of wisdom, written as
an instruction book for life by a father to his son.
VOICE ONE: A son, who no doubt read the book,
and then said to himself, “I’ll do as father did, not as he said.”
VOICE TWO: Do as father did. Even though he came to the conclusion that
everything he tried led to emptiness and the conclusion of the whole matter was
to “Fear God and keep His commandments.”
VOICE THREE: Solomon took the trip recorded in the
book of Ecclesiastes and arrived at the conclusion he should have known from
the beginning.
VOICE FOUR: Rehoboam took the trip recorded in
the book of Ecclesiastes and never arrived at its conclusion.
VOICE ONE: We can profit from both of their
examples.
VOICE TWO: The good life. The road to happiness. Nirvana.
Tranquility. Paradise. Ecstasy.
“For who knoweth what is good for man in this life?”
VOICE THREE: Solomon knew! The answer’s were obvious, common knowledge,
and he had the finances and the opportunity available to prove that common
knowledge true.
VOICE FOUR: Pleasure! Laughter!
Wine! Surely happiness lies in
the pursuit of an endless round of parties in the company of witty companions
and never-ending gourmet delicacies to satisfy the palate.
VOICE ONE: Vanity! Emptiness!
Endless mirth leads to murky madness.
VOICE TWO: Wisdom! Study!
Education! I would be completely
satisfied just to sit in an overstuffed chair within easy reach of an infinite
supply of books from the great writers of the ages.
VOICE ONE: Vanity! Emptiness!
Much study is simply a weariness to the flesh and to know the wisdom of
mankind is to know madness and folly.
VOICE THREE: Riches! Houses!
Gardens! Servants! Every possession desired by the heart would
surely bring delight to the mind. There
would be satisfaction in never having to say you were satisfied.
VOICE ONE: Vanity! Emptiness!
Vexation of spirit! Even in the
midst of plenty the days of a man are sorrow and his travail grief. His heart takes no rest in the night.
VOICE THREE: Laughter is better than tears, and yet
there is a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to
dance.
VOICE TWO: Wisdom is better than folly, and
yet no one remembers the wise any longer than they do the fool.
VOICE FOUR: Riches are better than poverty, and
yet I hated all my labor because I should leave it to the man that shall be
after me, and who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool?
VOICE THREE: Rehoboam!
VOICE ONE: Yet shall he have rule over all my
labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the
sun. This is also vanity.
VOICE FOUR: Rehoboam—remember now thy Creator in
the days of thy youth!
VOICE TWO: And further by these, my son, be
admonished.
VOICE THREE: Let us hear the conclusion of the
whole matter:
VOICE ONE: Rehoboam—fear God!
VOICE FOUR: Rehoboam—keep His commandments.
VOICE TWO: Rehoboam—this is the whole duty of
man.
ALL: For God shall bring
every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or
whether it be evil.
VOICE FOUR: And who knows whether he will be
a wise man or a fool?
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