Job 24
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Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
6 They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.
20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Job 24:1-25
1“Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty,
and why do those who know him never see his days?
2Some move landmarks;
they seize flocks and pasture them.
3They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4They thrust the poor off the road;
the poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert
the poor go out to their toil, seeking game;
the wasteland yields food for their children.
6They gather their fodder in the field,
and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.
7They lie all night naked, without clothing,
and have no covering in the cold.
8They are wet with the rain of the mountains
and cling to the rock for lack of shelter.
9(There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast,
and they take a pledge against the poor.)
10They go about naked, without clothing;
hungry, they carry the sheaves;
11among the olive rows of the wicked they make oil;
they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst.
12From out of the city the dying groan,
and the soul of the wounded cries for help;
yet God charges no one with wrong.
13“There are those who rebel against the light,
who are not acquainted with its ways,
and do not stay in its paths.
14The murderer rises before it is light,
that he may kill the poor and needy,
and in the night he is like a thief.
15The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight,
saying, ‘No eye will see me’;
and he veils his face.
16In the dark they dig through houses;
by day they shut themselves up;
they do not know the light.
17For deep darkness is morning to all of them;
for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.
18“You say, ‘Swift are they on the face of the waters;
their portion is cursed in the land;
no treader turns toward their vineyards.
19Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters;
so does Sheol those who have sinned.
20The womb forgets them;
the worm finds them sweet;
they are no longer remembered,
so wickedness is broken like a tree.’
21“They wrong the barren, childless woman,
and do no good to the widow.
22Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power;
they rise up when they despair of life.
23He gives them security, and they are supported,
and his eyes are upon their ways.
24They are exalted a little while, and then are gone;
they are brought low and gathered up like all others;
they are cut off like the heads of grain.
25If it is not so, who will prove me a liar
and show that there is nothing in what I say?”
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Job 24:1-25
1“Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment?
Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?
2There are those who move boundary stones;
they pasture flocks they have stolen.
3They drive away the orphan’s donkey
and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
4They thrust the needy from the path
and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
5Like wild donkeys in the desert,
the poor go about their labor of foraging food;
the wasteland provides food for their children.
6They gather fodder in the fields
and glean in the vineyards of the wicked.
7Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked;
they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.
8They are drenched by mountain rains
and hug the rocks for lack of shelter.
9The fatherless child is snatched from the breast;
the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.
10Lacking clothes, they go about naked;
they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
11They crush olives among the terraces;
they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
12The groans of the dying rise from the city,
and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.
But God charges no one with wrongdoing.
13“There are those who rebel against the light,
who do not know its ways
or stay in its paths.
14When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up,
kills the poor and needy,
and in the night steals forth like a thief.
15The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk;
he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’
and he keeps his face concealed.
16In the dark, thieves break into houses,
but by day they shut themselves in;
they want nothing to do with the light.
17For all of them, midnight is their morning;
they make friends with the terrors of darkness.
18“Yet they are foam on the surface of the water;
their portion of the land is cursed,
so that no one goes to the vineyards.
19As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,
so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.
20The womb forgets them,
the worm feasts on them;
the wicked are no longer remembered
but are broken like a tree.
21They prey on the barren and childless woman,
and to the widow they show no kindness.
22But God drags away the mighty by his power;
though they become established, they have no assurance of life.
23He may let them rest in a feeling of security,
but his eyes are on their ways.
24For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;
they are brought low and gathered up like all others;
they are cut off like heads of grain.
25“If this is not so, who can prove me false
and reduce my words to nothing?”
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
Job’s friends accused him, but Job would have none of it! He recounted stories of righteous who suffered and wicked who prospered.
Why do godly people suffer?
If this life was all we had, it would be a bleak picture. But when we realize that this life is just a tiny piece of eternity, a place of preparation for a life to come, the picture is different.
Daniel, Joseph, Esther, and Moses wouldn’t have chosen hardship, but because they stayed true through adversity, how many others were brought to God through their examples?
In the great controversy between God and Satan, Job didn’t know he was being watched by beings all over the Universe. We also don’t know what stage we are on, and who is watching. It may be a neighbor, a friend, or a stranger. Our minds are too small to understand what God understands.
What we do know is that God has our best in mind, and His way leads to eternal life with no more tears.
Jesus reminded us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33.
Let’s renew our commitment to follow Him wherever He leads.
Lisa Ward
Clerk at Country Life SDA Church, Texas USA (as of this writing)
