Regular readers of the Josh Journal already know how much I love the Bible. I love it in all its versions and iterations.
What I struggle to understand is how the book of Lamentations got added to the Bible.
Like really? Was that absolutely necessary?

Different people had their shots at picking their canons, yet each group settled on including the book of Lamentations.
By the time the Bible was being translated into different languages, once again, it was included.

Don’t misunderstand me. I am not calling for the book of Lamentations to be done away with.
As a matter of fact, I love the fact that the Bible is so vast and varying. A section of a book is dedicated to creation. Another section tells us about different rulers who weren’t exactly kings.

Then we have multiple books dedicated to about three kings, then a few books dedicated to multiple kings.
And who can forget the longest book? Filled with poetry and music. It is still a literature student’s best friend.

Then there is the most philosophical book of all time. The book that answers the question of “why are we here?” What are we supposed to do while here? What more is there after “here”?
Don’t forget the book of Proverbs. It is literary filled with proverbs. Another favorite for literature students and writers alike.

There is also the book that when read in full, leaves me with more questions than answers. Yet, it is still the one that does the best job of answering those questions.
About how God still communicates with the devil. On how God is so proud of one man, He pointed him out to the devil.

And the bet that reverberates through eternity. The confidence that no matter what happens, Job will do a great job with his faith. He wouldn’t give up on God.
And how the devil got permission to touch everything Job had, except his life.

At the end, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
– Job 1:22
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
– Job 2:10 KJV

Against the backdrop of all these, you can understand why I get that the book of Lamentations is part of the Bible.
If the good days of Israel were represented across many books, then their bad times can be summarised into the book of Lamentations.

All these years later, I often wonder, what if God asks this generation to rewrite a Bible of our time on earth for a generation two thousand years away.
What would be included? What would be left out? Who would be called up to participate in the writing?

To make things interesting, what if we are supposed to maintain the name and arrangements of the current Bible?
I will definitely be the one to rewrite the book of Joshua. Although I wasn’t invited to the great Josh fight of 2021 in Nebraska, USA, I will still be the best to chronicle our story.

Maybe they actually sent my invite as a VIP Josh. It might have gotten lost in the mail. Or they thought I was too busy for such.
Whatever the case, I support the final result. Joshua Vinson Jr is a worthy winner.

As for the book of Ruth and Esther, I’ll nominate Dr. Chibundu Onuzo and Chimamanda Adichie. Which book will FK and Jola now write? And what about Hauwa?
No Nigerian politician will be allowed to write though. Pharoah and Nebuchadnezzar weren’t allowed to write anything in the Bible.

If volunteers are asked to pick the books they’ll be interested in writing, the book of Lamentations will have the most volunteers.
As a matter of fact, if the new books don’t have to maintain the size of the old, the book of Lamentations will take up ninety percent of the new Bible. There is just too much lamenting to do.

I am and will always be grateful for the Bible. The wisdom encoded in it has proven to be timeless. So far so good, every school of thought I have come across can be found somewhere in the Bible.
I just hope lamentations cease in our land and boundless joy begins soon. Maybe we can get on the right path from the next election.

Wilson Joshua is a Video Editor, Content Creator, and Creative Writer.
You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. @IJOSWIL